6 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 15)

1. Absolution Explodes... Kinda

Becky Lynch Mandy Rose Sonya Deville
WWE.com

WWE's Money In The Bank qualifiers became cut & paste this week. The Triple Threat formula is grating, and with little differentiation between them, each new bout feels increasingly stale. In the women's division, SmackDown delivered an offering almost identical to Raw's three-way, with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville teaming up to initially take Becky Lynch out, before one turned on the other, creating a more traditional free-for-all dynamic. Change the record, WWE: this one's getting dull.

The match itself wasn't particularly exciting, either. Mandy and Sonya have potential, but neither is anywhere near close to the finished article, and their shortcomings were all over this bout. Its clunkiest and most disjointed moments came through their greenness, with a pseudo Tower Of Doom spot coming off particularly janky. They're just not there yet, and Becky wasn't able to carry them.

It wasn't terrible, and the former Absolution women get a pass for their inexperience. Still, their clash was the worst thing on a solid show. Let's hope that the inevitable blow-off match stemming from their ongoing split delivers something more compelling.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.