9 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 15)

4. Peyton Royce Looks Good In Defeat

Peyton Royce Becky Lynch
WWE.com

Becky Lynch vs. Peyton Royce was an effective little bout that served its function of putting 'The Man' over without making Royce look like a total goober. Peyton lost in a single-digit runtime, but enjoyed a few spells of solid offence against the former SmackDown Women's Champion, even though a squash would've been perfectly acceptable here.

If there's one complaint, it's that the Australian hasn't been built up well enough to credibly control periods of a bout against the best women's wrestler on the roster. Still, she can't be built-up without looking competitive every now and then. Royce was never going to win last night, but it was cool to see her portrayed as something other than a meek enhancement loser.

The can't be said about her partner, but even Billie Kay's shellacking made sense in context...

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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.