7 Ups & 7 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Nov 20)

Downs...

7. Tag Match? What "Tag Match?"

Sonya Deville Mandy Rose Asuka
WWE.com

The Mandy Rose/Sonya Deville dissolution continued with a tag match last night. They faced besties Asuka and Naomi, and fell to miscommunication, as Mandy almost nailed her partner with a flying knee, allowing the babyfaces to seize control and 'The Empress Of Tomorrow' to tap Deville out with an Asuka Lock. Simple storytelling done competently, but the bland action was absolutely cannibalised by production.

An early screen-in-screen section was stretched out for the bulk of the bout, making it tough to focus on what was actually going on. There was little to get excited about when we returned, either, as the performers struggled for fluidity, labouring to the effective finish.

It wasn't awful, but it was poor, and the equivalent of a commuter reaching their intended destination in a dilapidated vehicle. Let's hope the Absolution storyline picks up going forward.

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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.