6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 25)

2. Rhea Ripley…Backs Down?

Bayley IYO SKY Dakota Kai Damage CTRL Nikki Cross Rhea Ripley
WWE.com

What was all this about, and why was Rhea Ripley chosen?!

Becky Lynch's return was ace (more on that later), but Nikki Cross or a member of Damage CTRL not-named Bayley should've been picked to back down from Lynch. Instead, someone backstage had the bright idea to make it Judgment Day x-factor Rhea, which made no sense.

Ripley has been on a tear as of late. She's been body-slamming Luke Gallows, strutting around like she owns Raw and is generally positioned as an enforcer for her faction. So, having her go from dominant to cowardly just like that was an odd choice from creative.

It was a questionable decision at best to put Rhea in this spot. Again, someone like Nikki would've been a more logical pick. Hell, even Bayley would've been better considering Becky just handed her arse to her. That wouldn't have been ideal either, but it would've been preferable to making Ripley look weak.

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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.