5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Dec 10)

Ups...

5. Xia Li Goes Straight In

Xia Li Naomi Sonya Deville
WWE.com

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.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.