3 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Oct 29)

3. A Total Waste Of Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler Naomi Sonya Deville
WWE.com

An outburst of joy accompanied news that Shayna Baszler was being drafted from Raw to SmackDown in the annual talent trade. No more Nia Jax, the critics rejoiced! Unfortunately, WWE still don't have a damn clue what to do with Shayna. Hence this Sonya Deville vs. Naomi leech act she's working.

Baszler is lost in this story.

One also has a worrying sense that none of this is going anywhere anyway. Naomi will probs lose to Sonya and then get quietly redrafted to Raw, or something like that. The main concern in all of this should be Baszler though. She can recover from her Alexa Bliss/doll-related nightmare over on Raw if WWE book her as a machine-like bad ass.

Nah, it's much better to script her as Deville's weapon of choice instead...apparently. Someone as good as Shayna shouldn't be having matches that last 70 seconds on TV. That's a total waste of top talent, and it's a damning insight into WWE's plans for her.

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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.