5 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 21)

by Andy H Murray

1. Pure Sincerity

Becky Lynch
WWE.com

Though the scripting left much to be desired and her feud's general direction is painfully misguided, Becky Lynch was utterly brilliant last night.

She delivered her imperfect material perfectly. Laced with fire, passion, and genuine bitterness, Becky's words were spat like venom sucked from a Charlotte-inflicted wound. Her ability to convey emotion is unparalleled in her division, and perhaps the entire company, and she's so skilled that she almost made the demonstrably false "you fans aren't behind me" narrative believable.

Aside from her obvious skill, Becky's sincerity is the main reason she's been able to stay over all these years. She has survived countless losses and demotions from the spotlight, yet still remains among WWE's most widely-supported personalities, and one of the few wrestlers in the company immune to shoddy booking. Make no mistake, Lynch can emerge from almost any scenario with her popularity unscathed.

If the 'Lass Kicker' is this good with flawed material, imagine what she could do with better scripting...

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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.