8 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Nov 6)

3. Becky Lynch... Duh

Becky Lynch
WWE.com

Look, it's Becky Lynch and a microphone. Of course it's near the top.

With Ronda Rousey cutting a tremendous babyface promo on Monday Night Raw, the pressure was on the SmackDown Women's Champion to respond in kind. Fortunately, Lynch delivered, shooting her Survivor Series opponent down with a pointed string of barbs that, like Rousey's Raw rant, brought their contrasting real-life situations into play.

Playing heavily on her long, personal grind to the top, Lynch presented Ronda as a handpicked Superstar who'd been thrust into a spotlight she didn't deserve, while Becky - who "wasn't meant to be the main event, or the talk of the industry" - had reached that point through sheer graft. It would've come off like a face promo if not for Lynch's cocksure attitude, but such is her current brilliance. She could probably read your mother's shopping list and get it over at this point.

Fired up by her own confidence, Becky's address led to the open challenge that brought Nikki Cross to the table, making this not only an effective character-building, match-promoting segment, but a seamless transition from one part of the show to another.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.