6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (18 July - Results & Review)

5. Power-Based Women’s Opener Works

Meanwhile, Bull Nakano vs. Alundra Blayze from SummerSlam '94 would be proud of this one.

Charlotte Flair and Raquel Rodriguez matched up well as opponents. The match brought out a different dynamic from Flair, because she’s working as a babyface who needs to get sympathy. It’s tough sledding for someone like Charlotte, and it's fair to say she’s never really flown as a baby, but the match was rock solid and it'd be silly not to tip your cap to her for it.

There were several moments on SmackDown that showed glimmers of hope for Flair's recent (and unwilling) shift towards more of a face role. It's smart to cast her as somebody who really, really, really doesn't want to be liked or admit that she actually has friends, 'cause then fans will do some of the heavy lifting and coax that out of her. This fan has been very critical of WWE's booking for Charlotte in the past, so it's only fair to give props where appropriate.

Interference from Roxanne Perez then Alexa Bliss helped out, of course, and now Flair and Alexa have a crack at the Women’s Tag belts come SummerSlam. Personally, this guy liked their chemistry together at Evolution, and he expects to like a little more of it in August too.

Yep, this was a damn good opener. Charlotte and Raquel never rushed, and they went with a power vs. power presentation that perfectly summed up the alpha female status they hold for their respective teams. Here's hoping Bliss vs. Perez is as good as this was.

You know that match is in the pipeline next.