7 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 23)

5. The Queen Casts Her Shadow

Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

WWE were right to keep Naomi vs. Liv Morgan short. The latter is unseasoned, and would've clearly benefited from a longer stint in NXT, while the former isn't yet skilled enough to carry a lesser opponent through a 6-10 minute match, as we saw in her feud with Lana. That's why they weren't allowed to work beyond the three minute mark, and it paid off.

There was one slight botch as Naomi struggled to break free from an attempted backslide, but the action was solid otherwise. We got a particularly memorable sequence with Morgan using pseudo-Matrix moves to dodge the former champion's kicks, only to be met with a stiff knee to the face, before the inevitable distractions arrived. Each of the brand's women's Royal Rumble participants came out. The match ended cleanly though, with Naomi pinning Liv off a sunset flip.

A big brawl followed, before Charlotte Flair closed the scene with a calm, confident promo, wishing the participants luck on Sunday. Her, Becky Lynch, and Naomi were the focus throughout a well-delivered diatribe that once again left the impression that 'The Queen' is her division's biggest natural star, and a worthy mountain for whoever wins the Rumble to climb.

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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.