7 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (May 19)

Ups...

7. No Issues With This

Asuka Zelina Vega
WWE.com

Complaints were filed with the relevant departments about Asuka's sudden heel turn, and more bitches will be had about Raw's belt still knocking around on SmackDown, but...time for a mini-shocker: Asuka beating Zelina Vega then working another angle with Bianca Belair was actually fine.

Asuka is the kind of worker who always gives opponents something to hang their hat on, and Vega is working the spunky underdog babyface thing well. The fact Asuka sort of/almost/kinda got Belair with the mist again mixed things up there too.

Perhaps there is something to this Asuka heel run after all.

She's the ideal woman to work with the likes of Zelina and others on SmackDown going forwards. It wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to stick the title on her, then power forward with a string of underdog-style challengers. WWE would still have to sort out the branding issue with the straps, of course.

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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.