3 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (17 July - Results & Review)

Downs...

4. Not Exactly A Hot Start For Blake Monroe

Blake Monroe Candice LeRae
WWE.com

At this rate, would it actually be that huge of a surprise if Blake Monroe went back to "Coming Soon" vignettes next week? WWE bosses bungled her arrival on the main roster by turning her into the next coming of Veer Mahaan. Endless hype vids looped, then Triple H put Blake in a nothing backstage segment with Chelsea Green before pressing the reset button.

More "Coming Soon" stuff followed, and now Monroe is attacking random wrestlers behind the scenes without adding much context as to why or what her ultimate plan is on SmackDown. It's all extremely messy, and it isn't doing much to make the ex-AEW standout look like someone worth caring about. Note to WWE: This is not how you get somebody new over in front of a casual audience.

Here, Blake ambushed Candice LeRae following LeRae's chat with Gunther. Without being cruel to Candice, going after her is 100% a step down for Monroe. Sure, she could be targeting the biggest stars in the division and trying to win titles. Or, y'know, she could do this. WWE's writing team are smoking something funny if they think that LeRae vs. Monroe is the kind of match everyone wants to see on SmackDown soon.

Candice also...isn't a sympathetic babyface, so this fell on deaf ears. There's nothing to be gained by booking Blake this way. Nothing. She might as well be on Main Event if this is all the company has in store for her. Actually, better not say that incase it comes true.

Thinking of you, Jordynne Grace!

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.