6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (15 Aug - Results & Review)
Ups...
6. Power Meets Guile
This fan thought Alexa Bliss vs. Piper Niven would be a fun ride going in, and it proved to be exactly that. Like the savvy pro she is, Alexa smartly let Piper build heat with power moves (including a wonderful looking Boss Man Slam right before the break) before exploding with a hot comeback assault.
Secret Hervice challenging for the Women’s Tag Titles sounds good, and it’s still amazing to this guy that Charlotte Flair is receiving genuine babyface reactions. Her team with Alexa has really clicked. It's something nobody could've reasonably predicted as a summer highlight when 2025 kicked off, and it certainly looked one million away when Flair won the Royal Rumble.
No, this isn't the kind of match that’ll win any awards or stick in the ol' memory bank long term, but it was never less than watchable, had a nice power vs. guile dynamic, there was plenty of outside shenanigans, and then the heels got heat on the faces to establish their challenge post-bout. That, dear readers, is a successful piece of business on free TV.
It's what these weeklies are for.
Piper arguably doesn't get enough credit for knowing when to push and pull during her matches. She slips on proverbial banana peels better than most heels in the division, and Chelsea Green's faithful companion can always be relied upon to put on a decent display. On SmackDown, she and Bliss showed enough chemistry for WWE to be pleased heading into the inevitable title showdown.
Charlotte bumping around for Green was also a necessity.