6 Ups & 1 Down From WWE SmackDown (24 Oct - Results & Review)

2. Kiana James Shows Out

Well now, who saw this coming?! Kiana James impressed vs. Tiffany Stratton. A lot of credit must go to Tiffany for leading the match and being the ring general (sorry, Gunther!) for this one, but James did herself some huge favours with her own performance. Both women were in a deceptively tough spot on Friday night. Keep in mind that this was before Jade Cargill’s heel turn, and there hasn’t been a lot of steam behind Stratton’s matches lately.

It would've been easy for things to trundle along without much fan reaction then, but James and Stratton chose something else. They chose victory, and they worked so, so hard to get people up out of their seats. By the end, they'd achieved their goal. People loved Tiffany's Swanton Bomb and moonsault combo, and they popped big for her win. That must've felt good for Tiffy following a few mediocre months.

Both women looked rock solid, and that's really the key point here. Everyone already knows what Stratton brings to the party, but Kiana is still a bit of a mystery. Not so much anymore. James deserves a special mention due to the fact she’s lower down the pecking order but still went all out to put on a proper good showing.

It's actually really pleasing that they didn’t go too heavy on the gymnastics stuff as well. Both ladies can flip all day long, but there were some stiff shots during this one. Every match needs that intensity. Just ask Ilja Dragunov what it does for him. Well played, Kiana. Fingers crossed the boss was paying attention and liked what he was seeing.

10/10 for effort and execution.