6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (June 23)
1. Who Did This Help?
Charlotte Flair tried to play a fun-loving babyface throughout her hastily-arranged bout vs. Lacey Evans. She mocked Lacey's military salute and interacted with fans, but everything had this cringe-inducing fake feel to it. Sorry, but Flair just isn't likeable or believable as a face.
The match was functional bell-to-bell, yet a complete waste of everyone's time overall. Worse, Michael Cole's constant harping on about Charlotte potentially becoming a 15-time champ next week means Asuka is likely dropping the belt in London. At this stage, it'd be a big surprise if she actually retained.
That means more baby Flair. YUCK!
Her characterisation is so jarring, and the piped-in boos when Asuka kicked her arse didn't help either. Someone need to start a petition for WWE to go the heel route with Charlotte soon. It'd be the best thing for her, the women's division on Fridays and...everyone watching.