11 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Dec 4)

4. Women Bring The Heat In Contract Signing

In a rare example of a WWE contract signing that didn't end in violence, TLC opponents Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Asuka opened last night's show in memorable fashion.

Each shone on the microphone. Lynch drips excellence at the moment, and bailed out before the angle reached its conclusion, but was unquestionably the most over person in the ring. But as strong as her performance was, Asuka and Flair were stronger. There's always a danger that handing Asuka a microphone will further diminish her aura, but having 'The Empress' screaming in angry Japanese always hits the mark. 'The Queen,' meanwhile, came off like an absolute bastard, the biggest heel in the division, and a detestable piece of sh*t with few redeeming qualities, particularly when shooting bullets at Lynch during and after her departure. Like Becky's, her turn was a much-needed masterstroke.

Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville appeared with Becky out of the picture. Unimpressed by what they'd witnessed, they said Flair and Asuka didn't deserve a title shot, claimed Asuka's battle royal triumph was a fluke, and effectively prevented their targets from erupting into violence themselves. Paige then summoned the spirit of Teddy Long. The tag match was booked, and after a brief diversion via Shane and Miz backstage, the fun continued.