5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (16 May - Results & Review)

2. Main Event Wins The Crowd Back

Tiffany Stratton vs. Nia Jax started slowly, but they increased the pace and won a live crowd who’d been sagging since the Black vs. Hayes match over again. Naomi and Jade Cargill getting involved helped with that, and so did a convincing near fall off the 'Prettiest Moonsault Ever'. The subsequent two count that followed Nia's Yokozuna-esque squash spot was excellently-handled too.

By the end, these women had everyone in the palms of their hands. That shouldn't be overlooked, because nobody thought for even a millisecond that Stratton was going to lose the belt when the bell sounded to start the match. Once Jax hit her 'Annihilator' though, people held their breath thinking that 'Tiffy Time' was over. This shows the true power of a well-protected finish.

Side note: Credit must go to Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett for enhancing the closing stretch with their commentary. This was maybe the best work Tessitore has done in WWE to date. He was on top of the action, gave things that needed it room to breathe, didn't shout over the top of his partner, and generally seemed to be having the time of his life.

You know the match is cooking when announcers are invested like this.

There isn't much more WWE can do with Tiffany vs. Nia in the future. They've been there, done that now, but both deserve applause for making something of their latest chapter. Next, Stratton has to keep an eye out for MITB so a cash in doesn't happen to her. It probably will.