3 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 22)

2. To The Point

Maxxine Dupri's debut was similarly short and punchy.

NXT's Sophia Cromwell is the perfect fit for this new role. She looked totally comfortable, delivered clearly-scripted dialogue like it was second nature, and totally stole the scene from Mace and Mansoor in the background. Whether or not that's a good thing long-term remains to be seen.

Regardless, this can be considered a win for WWE. Maxxine has poise, and she already looks like she's been cutting promos on major shows like Raw and SmackDown for years. It's early days, of course, but people should keep an eye on Cromwell to see how she develops.

Maybe she'll live and die by what happens in front of the live crowd during next week's beachwear reveal. If that's a smash hit, then the sky's the limit. If it sags and plays before loud "boring" chants, then who knows if the gimmick will see out July?

This was a promising start, at least.