5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (Oct 18)

3. Winner: Carmella

Carmella SmackDown
WWE.com

Last night’s Carmella/Nikki Bella segment wasn’t perfect. The former NXT wrestler is still very rough around the edges, and she’s not always entirely convincing on the microphone. She’s still very early in her pro-wrestling education, and it’s going to take time, effort, and a lot of patience before she’s able to realistically stand-up to the women division’s top performers.

That said, it was a clear step in the right direction. WWE made a bold move in giving Carmella so much talking time, but it’s only through opportunities like this that she’s going to improve, and her chosen narrative was logical. Carmella attacked Nikki’s relationship with John Cena, stating that it is the only reason she’s successful, and while Nikki tried to fire back, Carmella left egg on her rival’s face after leaving with a mic drop.

Their feud has largely consisted of quick ambush segments, and last night represented a much-needed change of pace. Both have their flaws, but the duo are doing a good job of conveying their dislike for one another, and pairing Carmella with one of WWE’s most experienced female performers is starting to pay dividends. Carmella might not win this war, but she’s making gradual improvements on a weekly basis. The next step is convincing the crowd of this, however.

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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.