5 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 23)

Ups...

5. A Functional Debut

Toni Storm is on SmackDown, and that's a welcome addition. Someone needed to start playing babyface backup to Bianca Belair, and the ex-NXT star is a fine choice. Her in-ring debut may even have sneaked a little higher on these 'Ups' had it been more impressive.

That's not to say it was bad - it wasn't.

Storm's SmackDown bow was functional. Though one has to feel slightly sorry for Zelina Vega, who is definitely talented and already-overlooked, somebody had to guise as jobber-to-the-stars for Toni too. Besides, Vega had the verbal chops to bounce back from these early setbacks since returning to the mix.

Fingers crossed that live crowds start greeting Storm with bigger reactions, and that WWE don't give up on her push within a few short weeks. This show was in dire need of fresh female faces, so the company can't afford to spurn Toni's arrival.