3 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Mar 11)
4. A Step Backwards
Speaking of the top rivalry.
Ronda Rousey busting out the ankle lock as a new trick (borrowed from Kurt Angle) on last week's show worked. This week's face-to-face promo...didn't. Charlotte Flair's bogus "uh oh" line never hits, and Rousey was shaky on the mic. How can someone so dangerous come across so meek?
Another question: WWE, when are you gonna learn that Rousey is best-deployed as a fire-breathing bad ass rather than a silky-smooth talker? She doesn't have a prayer of becoming something special on the mic - that would've happened long before now. Ronda's nerves are out there on full display every time he speaks.
It would've been wise to have Flair sell the ankle lock damage even slightly too. She strutted to the ring like she didn't have a care in the world, and that didn't sit well with this fan when WWE had made such a big deal out of Rousey taking her down with a new hold previously.