7 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 28)

Downs...

2. Another Sloppy Victory

Naomi Billie Kay
WWE.com

It's great that The IIconics are finally picking up victories, and their recent form breeds hope that WWE do actually see them as more than an enhancement duo, but last night's Billie Kay vs. Naomi was, fundamentally, not good.

They only had two minutes, but still managed to squeeze in a couple of noticeable mistakes. The hair-pull spot was another unwanted throwback to the Divas era. Kay's takedowns were weak, her ground and pound pillow-fisted, and the kickout that sent Naomi to the ropes for Peyton Royce's match-winning interference was sloppy to the point of destroying any remaining immersion.

Matches of this calibre shouldn't happen in 2018, when WWE's company-wide working standard is so high. There's no real excuse for it. Nobody expects five stars from two preliminary wrestlers with a 120-second runtime, but a basic level of cohesion and fluidity should be present in every performer who makes it to WWE television, particularly on the main roster. Unfortunately, Kay vs. Naomi fell short of that low bar.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.