5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Dec 10)
Ups...
5. Xia Li Goes Straight In
There will be d*cking around with squashes for WWE's latest NXT call up. Xia Li is going straight into Naomi's rivalry with Sonya Deville. It's not the greatest angle ever (not even close), and WWE haven't explained why Shayna Baszler and Natalya are doing Sonya's bidding, but at least Li is involved in an angle from the off.
She needed that.
Xia won't be spinning her wheels before WWE inevitably loses interest and moves onto its next flavour of the month. Now, backed by a popular babyface like Naomi, Li's "protector" gimmick can be examined and properly fleshed out. WWE deserves the benefit of the doubt here.
Have they got time to f*ck it all up and make Li a "Feel The Glow" fangirl? Undoubtedly, but that's more gentle worry right now than based on anything tangible. As things stand, Li enters SmackDown's division with purpose. That's more than most NXT folks get.