5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (July 26)

3. The Women’s Division

Noami Alexa Bliss
WWE.com

As beguiling as the Becky vs. Natalya outcome was, the post-match segment really left the WWE Universe scratching their head. Becky was all-set to deliver a post-match interview when the debuting Alexa Bliss interrupted and proclaimed herself the future of women’s wrestling on SmackDown. The returning Naomi soon followed, then Carmella and Eva Marie. Each competitor delivered a couple of banal lines about nothing in-particular (apart from Eva, which, let’s be honest, is probably for the best…) and that was that.

No fight, no confrontation, no budding rivalries: just… nothing.

It was exactly the kind of pointless filler segment that you’d expect from Raw at its absolute worst, not SmackDown. WWE really shouldn’t be scrambling to fill air-time this early into the Brand Split, particularly on the shorter show, but they are, and this segment did absolutely nothing for the SmackDown women.

Becky and Natalya are fantastic wrestlers who’ll be great anchors for the division, while Alexa and Noami are loaded with potential. Carmella is still a little green, and would probably have benefited more had she been drafted to Raw with Enzo and Big Cass, and while Eva isn’t exactly the most natural performer in the world, fans absolutely love to hate her. There’s plenty potential for a decent, competitive Women’s division on SmackDown, but while Raw’s women benefit from well thought-out storylines, SmackDown’s suffer from this kind of lifeless filler.

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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.