5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 20)
3. “Brand Solidarity”
What do you see when you look at SmackDown's female Survivor Series team above? Does that look like the kind of combination that'd see eye-to-eye when they've only just aligned? Or, does it look like a random assortment of workers struggling to outshine their last-minute captain?
The latter fits best, sadly.
Team SmackDown's celebration after Natalya beat Tamina was so false, and it weirdly felt like a drop down the ladder for Bayley. If WWE were hoping that her star power would drag everyone else up by the boot straps, they were mistaken - this "brand solidarity" stuff is as generic as they come.
The Riott Squad aren't over, Natalya has been a bit-part for too long now and Bianca Belair is only just getting started. That leaves Bayley to carry the can, and this writer isn't sure that's a fair shift for someone who shouldn't stray too far from Sasha Banks.