5 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (July 14)

Downs...

3. Jury Still Out On Dana Brooke

Dana Brooke Sasha Banks

As admirable as it was to headline the wrestling portion of the show with a women's bout, Raw's Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks was too long. Again, arguing that may seem futile because many want lengthy matches, but it exposed Brooke (in particular) rather than helping her develop.

The jury is very much still out on Charlotte's little helper, because she rarely looks great in her matches. In fact, at times she looks very uncomfortable, almost like a throwback to when women's matches in WWE could be relied on for awkward spots and a sense that the performers were ill-prepared for such a spotlight.

SmackDown did remedy that slightly, but it was little to do with Dana herself. She deserves time - as everybody does - to improve, but the signs of progress aren't exactly glaring. Right now at least, it seems like Brooke could have been doing with a little more time in NXT to hone her skills.

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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.