3 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (June 6)
2. A Successful Debut For Lana
After close to two months of constant dancing vignettes, Lana finally arrived on SmackDown Live last night. Having asked Shane McMahon for a spot in the women’s Money In The Bank ladder match last week, she interrupted the opening segment to reiterate her Twitter request. McMahon effectively said “no,” but Lana got into it with Naomi, and their argument the came into play in the contest that followed.
Lana’s interference was decisive in securing the heels’ victory, and compelled Naomi to demand a clash her at MITB. ‘The Ravishing Russian’ will now compete for the SmackDown Women’s Championship in what could be her first match as an SD Superstar, and only the second televised bout of her WWE career. A huge leap, but one that justifies the show’s “land of opportunity” tagline.
Placing Lana in a clear singles storyline away from the MITB chaos should help her new act get over, if it isn’t already. She might be playing heel, but Lana drew major chants during the opening segment, with the crowd keen to see her in the ladder match. Here’s hoping she has the in-ring chops to go with her popularity, because she could be a real benefit to the division if she does.