4 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 June - Results & Review)
3. Naomi Should Be The Big Threat, Not Nia!
So, mind you, did Naomi.
Nia Jax ambushed Tiffany Stratton when Naomi left the ring following a verbal spat between old rivals. Then, Jax hit an Annihilator on the champ, and Naomi wanted to come in and cash in her MITB briefcase. Nia warned her off and told her to stay away, and even said: “She’s mine”. No. No, no, no, no, no!
Does anybody want to see Nia remain in the title picture considering Naomi is the hotter heel right now? Or, at least, she should be presented as such. That certainly wasn’t the case here. If anything, Naomi came across as less than to Jax, which isn’t great so soon after hauling down the case and practically guaranteeing a title reign last weekend.
How WWE managed to make Nia more of a threat than MITB-holding Naomi the week after that win is anyone’s guess. They must've been on autopilot for this story the same way they were for Fatu and Solo on the same episode. Nia going after Tiffany is old hat. Please move on, WWE writers! You have the power to do just that, so make it happen.
Honestly, Stratton still struggles to convince as a likeable babyface on the mic too. She's full of catchphrases and soundbites, and always seems to sound like she's been rehearsing even the most basic of lines all day. There's no fluidity to her promos, and they rarely feel like real conversations. That's something she'll need to work on if she wants to last as a babyface. In truth, she's a more natural heel all day long despite the cheers.