3 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Mar 11)

4. A Step Backwards

Ronda Rousey Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

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.

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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.