6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 17)

1. A Moment Of Torture

Alexa Bliss Nikki Cross
WWE.com

The contrived banter between Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross does neither any favours.

It's all just so stilted, and almost makes them come across as condescending heels rather than genuine best friends in a weird way. Sorry, but 'A Moment Of Bliss' is a perpetual waste of everyone's time. There has to be better ways to set up matches than this dreadfully forced chat between "always alluring" Alexa and "her enthusiastic best friend" Nikki (Greg Hamilton's words).

Bayley and Sasha Banks were on fire by comparison, and Nikki's heartfelt worry later showed the way WWE should be going with her character. Instead of spewing false-sounding soundbites, Cross came across as an actual human being who only wanted to do her family and friends back home in Scotland proud.

WWE need to move on from this talk show crap. Neither Alexa nor The Miz are particularly engaging as hosts these days. They have almost nothing worthwhile to say, and it's all so formulaic (and painful) in execution.

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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.