5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (March 20)

Downs...

3. SmackDown's Women Are An Afterthought

Paige Bayley Sasha Banks
WWE.com

Raw has a strong Becky Lynch vs. Shayna Baszler match, NXT has a super-strong Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair match and SmackDown has...something uninspired.

It's cool that WWE didn't want to turn Sasha Banks babyface again just for a match with Bayley, but they haven't left themselves many alternatives that feel WrestleMania worthy. Challengers like Lacey Evans, Naomi and Carmella weren't cutting it, and a match between so-called besties was the only lifeline SmackDown's female ranks had.

Instead, Paige brought it via Skype to announce that Bayley will defend in a dreaded 'Six-Pack Challenge' against Banks, Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke, Tamina and Naomi. Way to make the entire women's division on one brand look like a complete afterthought, WWE.

On one hand, it's a 'Mania spot for some overlooked workers like Dana Brooke. On the other, it's one of the most unexciting scenarios the company could've come up with. Even a tag match pitting Bayley and Sasha vs. some legends, with the added stipulation that Sasha could lose the belt for her pal, would've been better.

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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.