6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (14 June - Results & Review)

Downs...

3. A Tough Opener

Chelsea Green Naomi Bayley Piper Niven
WWE.com

Chelsea Green's character is great fun, but she might want to forget this match vs. Naomi. It was riddled with visible miscommunication and some awkward moments. Thankfully, the live crowd either decided to go easy on both women or just didn't spot mini-botches like Green sliding in for a low clothesline that Naomi wasn't ready for.

Being fair, Green vs. Naomi was in the right spot. The live crowd were pumped up early, and badly wanted to see some wrestling, so putting this one in the opening slot spared a few blushes. Not all of them though, and defo not enough to grab an 'Up' here.

WWE also totally played down interactions between Bayley and Piper Niven at ringside, which was odd. One would've thought creative might lean on Piper's importance in front of a partisan crowd, but no - she was barely involved in the segment. Where was the last-minute push for Saturday's title match?!

Swing and a miss creatively.

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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.