4 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (March 7)

2. Smart, Story-Focused Action

Natalya Mickie James Becky Lynch Alexa Bliss
WWE.com

Mickie James & Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch & Natalya wasn't without its flaws, but it was still a fun match. It went on for at least a few minutes too long, and James & Bliss' dominant spell lost the crowd for a while, but the match served its purpose of furthering the dissent in the women's division, and was a step-up from the surprisingly bland James vs. Lynch matches SmackDown has hosted in recent weeks.

The finish saw a frustrated Natalya nail Lynch with a German Suplex, then bail-out entirely. The heels naturally took advantage of this, and after tagging herself into the action, Bliss scored the decisive pinfall on Becky. Annoyed by the stolen fall, James decided she'd had enough of the champion's nonsense and blasted her with a Mick Kick, then posed with the title.

All four of them should compete in the multi-woman title match at WrestleMania 33, and while the contest screams of "let's get as many people on the show as possible," the booking has been rock solid thus far. Nattie isn't Becky's friend, so of course she's going to bail on her when things go wrong, and Mickie's relationship with Bliss has finally outlived its use. None of the women are on the same page at the moment, and this should make for a compelling, heated bout on April 2nd.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.