5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (26 June - Results & Review)

3. Jacy Comes Crashing Back Down To Earth

So, what happened to creative interest in Fatal Influence?

Paige beat Jacy Jayne here, and Jacy’s Influence buddies Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley looked like incapable idiots for failing to take advantage of the numbers game they had over Brie Bella at ringside. Losing so meekly is a long, long, long way from hanging with Rhea Ripley and beating Charlotte Flair for Jayne as well. This is quite the tumble.

WWE booked a hot start for Influence when they gatecrashed the main roster and came up from NXT, but they’ve fallen so far since debuting and that’s on Hunter and team. Why do the people paid to get these acts over fall short so often?! It's infuriating. Consistency is everything, especially when you're trying to hammer home how threatening a new group is and establish Jacy as a force in the women's division.

If that wasn't the plan, then don't have her hang with Ripley or beat Flair the way she did. Jayne knocked both of those opportunities out of the park, so it's hardly as though she's being punished for fluffing her lines in pressure spots. She's nailed every challenge put in front of her, and losing via overdone roll-up as Henley and Reid look on helpless is her reward?!

Attention, Triple H: This is why so many workers under your umbrella struggle to maintain a connection with fans. Losing isn't actually the problem. It's how wrestlers lose and the backstories they have going on. Let them build some momentum, please. This is just senseless and plays out like AI is booking matches.