5 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Nov 21)

Ups...

5. A Division In Disarray

Charlotte Sarah Logan Liv Morgan Ruby Riot
WWE.com

Last night's SmackDown Women's Championship rematch between Charlotte Flair and Natalya wasn't a classic, but it didn't need to be.

The two went 50/50 for much of the curtailed seven minute runtime, with the champion finally seizing control towards the end, forcing Nattie to flee after a big spear. This prompted the debuting NXT trio to rush out from the back. They attacked the challenger to prompt a disqualification, then turned the crosshairs on Charlotte, with the closing shot a carbon copy of what we saw on Raw.

While the repetition is disappointing, it's impossible to deny this segment's effectiveness. The DQ finish keeps the Charlotte/Nattie feud alive, and there's no stronger way to debut than by attacking the champion and her closest challenger, so it succeeded on both levels.

The Raw and SmackDown women's divisions are opening up. There are now 20 women competing full-time on the main roster, and while the company have continually struggled to promote multiple division-specific programs since the 2016 draft, the recent additions should facilitate this.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.