5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 12 - Results & Review)

3. PLE Quality

Bayley Bianca Belair
WWE.com

This fan still believes Bianca Belair must turn heel at some point in 2024, but that's more of an all-round character problem than any issue with her in-ring work. In-ring, Bianca can go, and she proved that once again vs. Bayley on Friday's episode of SmackDown. Together, the pair worked a borderline PLE quality effort.

It was the best bout on the card by a mile.

Both have clear chemistry, but they didn't rush through anything. Better yet, they had a story to tell. Bayley feigned a knee injury and pulled the ref to one side so the rest of Damage CTRL could attack Belair outside the ring. They...didn't, and even Bianca looked confused before hitting the Kiss Of Death for a crowd-popping win.

Bayley and Belair didn't lace their match with a dizzying number of spots that numbed viewers with zero selling. They did, however, manage to pick up the pace where it mattered most. Concerns remain for Belair challenging IYO SKY, but this was a top showing from the EST and soon-to-be excommunicated Bayley.

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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.