5 Ups And 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 14)

2. A Big Win For Mickie James

Mickie James
WWE.com

The build towards WrestleMania's SmackDown Women's Title match continued with Mickie James vs. Alexa Bliss, which didn't have the same level of crowd investment as Natalya vs. Becky Lynch, but was the better match all-round. Bliss has been hit and miss in the ring, as has James in her recent matches with Lynch, but both performed well last night. They have strong chemistry together, and their work was sharp throughout.

It ended in a loss for the champion, and Mickie's biggest victory since returning to the main roster. Though the crowd were unfortunately quiet throughout, it wasn't through a lack of effort from the women, who both went all-out to try and capture the audience's waning attention. It resulted in the strongest match of the night, and after capitalising on a mistake from the champion, James emerged with a much-needed win.

SmackDown's women continue to enjoy a prominent position on the show. They haven't been pushed as far into the spotlight as Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks on Raw, but they don't really need to be. They're regularly enjoying their fair share of weekly television time, and you can bet your house on the blue brand allotting at least 20-30 minutes of segment time to their women every week. The WrestleMania match reeks of getting as many people onto the show as possible, but should be a lot of fun.

Advertisement
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.