5 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 2)

Ups...

5. A Mixed Bag Mixed Tag

Andrade 'Cien' Almas and Zelina Vega vs. R-Truth and Carmella wasn't without its problems. The work itself was dull, and some will take issue with the heels losing here, particularly as Almas has really started picking up steam on SmackDown. Still, it was his diminutive manageress that took the pin. Andrade will be fine, and the bout's plus points outweigh the negative.

Though the former Women's Champion's face turn was abrupt, her and Truth are, indeed, "money." Their union has brought fun to 'Mella's act after months as a distracting and destructive presence on SmackDown. They have excellent onscreen chemistry, interact well, and once again owned their portion of the show, peppering this bout with desperately needed banter, and concocting an awesome closing stretch that saw Carmella snatch the submission after a series of uncharacteristically smooth counters.

The best part of all this is that 'The Princess Of Staten Island' is actually getting over. "'Mella" chants filled the building at one point, proving, objectively, that her partnership with R-Truth is working.

As weird as it is that it took a 46-year-old veteran to turn Carmella into a complimentary presence, and while there are valid concerns to be raised about the outcome, this was effective.