5 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 21)
Downs...
4. Royce Stumbles To Victory
Well, would you look at that! One of The IIconics actually won a wrestling match. Congratulations to Peyton Royce for scoring her first victory since the 24 April episode of SmackDown, when she and Billie Kay overcame Becky Lynch and Asuka.
The Australian's win didn't come without help, though, as Kay was constantly involved. Billie distracted Naomi early on, allowing her partner to gain a foothold. She was then posted by the former Women's Champion towards the end, allowing Peyton to cut the ascendent Naomi off, hit her with that beautiful Fisherman's Suplex finisher, and pick up the 1-2-3.
Though the conclusion is a supplemental Up, this wasn't the smoothest bout. Hindered by a 3:30 runtime, they were made to work at a faster pace than usual, but struggled to get any real heat going. That the road agents crammed so many shenanigans into such a brief match made everything feel rushed and over-booked, too. Royce vs. Naomi reached the destination it wanted to, but the road to get there wasn't entirely satisfying.