3 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 28)

2. Welcome Back

Naomi Smackdown
WWE.com

The women's division was a shambles last night, but the chaos came with a bright spot. While Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Mickie James, and Natalya brawled following the tag bout, former champion Naomi returned to the fray, cleared the ring, and announced her participation in the Women's Title match at WrestleMania.

The return got a strong response from the crowd, and so did her promo. She might not be the most polished or refined wrestler in the division, but Naomi has clearly built a decent following on Tuesday nights, and she has every right to be in the title match. She'd still be champion if it wasn't for her injury, after all, and while WWE love beating wrestlers in their hometown, she'll be a huge fan favourite in Orlando.

Naomi's inclusion turns the contest into a six-way, and seemingly removes the open-ended "all available women" stipulation. This suggests that the former female talent reported to appear at Mania won't be part of the contest as was previously speculated, but that's fine - none of them were going to win anyway. The match has been streamlined, and regardless of who wins, the outcome should allow the division to move forward from the mess it has become.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.