5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (11 Sept - Results & Review)

2. “Oh yeah, that’s how you do it!”

Nikki Bella Paige
WWE.com

You've got to question why Nikki Bella and Paige are even feuding in 2026. Like, what's the end goal here? Both are stalwarts/legends of the WWE mix, and both have been on comeback tours with varying levels of success. If the objective is to get either one more over with fans or line them up for a title shot in the longer term, then...why? There's no real clamour for that to happen, being brutally frank.

Here, Bella cheated to pin Paige by putting her feet on the ropes following an extended beatdown by the Brit babyface. There’s just nothing here, guys. Sorry, but there isn't. The feud has been sucking wind for a while, WWE has been on and off about even putting promos for it on TV, and this short match didn’t do much to inspire confidence. The whole exercise boiled down to pure time filler.

Not good time filler either.

Are we really going to keep going with this until Brie is back from her injury layoff and Paige can draft in a partner to take on the twins? Everyone might've fallen asleep long before that can happen, and it's hardly like Paige and a pal vs. The Bellas is a pulsating, can't miss thought anyway. Mexico City even seemed bummed out by the sudden stop finish on Friday night, and they were legitimately going nuts for practically everything WWE put in front of them.

Post-match, Bella shouted: "Oh yeah, that's how you do it". Do what? Work a mediocre match in a mediocre feud that's struggling to convince?

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.