6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 Feb - Results & Review)

2. Another Success Story For RHIYO

Rhea Ripley IYO SKY Lash Legend Nia Jax
WWE.com

Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY are fabulous together as Women’s Tag-Team Champs. Together, they had another solid match here vs. Nia Jax and Lash Legend. OK, so everyone could’ve done without the opening promo bit beforehand, but the match was tidy, and it’s worth saying that Lash and Nia are building something cool as partners themselves.

Yes, it's only a matter of time before Legend breaks out on her own, but that’s the point - Jax will play that role perfectly and help her mate get there. Here, they did their bit to make the match a stellar in-ring launching pad for SmackDown. The usual heat section on IYO was enjoyable to watch, and the crowd went wild for the hot tag to Rhea just like last week vs. Kiana James and Giulia.

Keep this us, and we might get the best Women’s Tag Title bout at WrestleMania yet.

There was a convincing near fall following SKY’s moonsault on Jax as well, and that prompted a “This Is Awesome” chant from the fans. They’re not always fitting and can feel a bit forced, but all 4 women definitely deserved to hear such glowing feedback on this occasion. The non-finish isn’t a problem either, because these teams could easily go at it again.

Besides, the post-match stuff with Nia’s table bump looked awesome and does suggest there's more coming. Maybe Nick Aldis can point back to that spot and turn RHIYO vs. Nia and Lash into a 'No DQ' effort, or even a tables bout? Don't rule it out.

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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.