SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and her best friend Sasha Banks continue to put in the work as they fight on show after show.
On tonight’s episode of SmackDown, Bayley and Banks had a non-title match against Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Without their Women’s Tag Team Titles not on the line it may have taken the pressure off of the Golden Role Models just a little bit.
They still have to have a lot on their mind though as they defend their tag titles on this upcoming RAW on Monday against The Kabuki Warriors. The two will then have their own separate title matches at Extreme Rules one week from Sunday. Banks challenges Asuka for the RAW Women’s Title and Bayley has to defend her SmackDown Women’s Title against Cross.
The two teams start in a brawl right from the start as Cross jumps on the back of Bayley as she and Banks were making their entrance. This, of course, brings out Bliss who attacks Banks as the commercial break comes to regroup them to start the match.
As the bell rings, Banks and Cross start the match but it doesn’t take long for Bayley to get the tag in. Cross is isolated from her corner for a bit until she is able to finally tag in Bliss. Bliss and Cross then team up on Bayley as Banks is forced to look on.
After Banks and Bayley wind up on the outside by the announce table, Cross takes advantage and decides to taunt the duo and give them a taste of their own medicine. Cross taunts Bayley as she takes the SmackDown Women’s Championship and claims it as her own (which may be the case one week from Sunday). Cross and Bliss take the tag champs down as Cross holds up the SmackDown Women’s Title.
As the match proceeds, Cross is able to get on a roll of offense for her team. She starts with a bulldog to Banks followed by ramming her into the turnbuckle. She is also able to drop Bayley on the apron.
Bayley shows why she is known as Bayley Dos Straps as she blocks a tornado DDT from Cross. Cross however stays in it as she hits a neckbreaker for a near fall. Bliss and Banks tangle on the outside which leads to a distraction or Cross. Bayley takes advantage and rolls up Cross with her feet on the ropes to get the pin.
The segment/match for the women started with a Karaoke Showdown hosted by Jey Uso. It involved Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke, Tamina, and Naomi. They sang along to a favorite WWE theme song. First was Evans who put in a nice showing as she impressed many with her angelic voice to Jeff Jarret’s theme.
Brooke was up next and didn’t do good. She was met with many boos as she tried to show appreciation to the Honky Tonk Man. Tamina was next and didn’t get too far into The Game Triple H’s infamous music before Uso cut her off.
Lastly was Naomi who was the clear winner. No stranger to singing (listen to her own theme song), Naomi nailed her song choice to the late Dusty Rhodes. After the audience voted Naomi as the winner, Evans took offense and attacked her perhaps signaling her back as a heel.
The two would then have a short match, neither were dressed to compete. After a quick takedown from Naomi early on, Evans would take control of the match by attacking the Karoke winner in the corner utilizing the bottom turnbuckle.
Evans would execute a drop toehold and then would take her dress and use it to smother her opponent. After Evans is knocked to the outside, she pushes down Brooke who then gets into her face. Tamina tries to separate the two but Evans shoves her into the ring apron. The two follow Evans into the ring to cause the disqualification as the bell rings. All four then attack each other as the segment ends.
Let’s now get into the Winners & Losers of the week:
WINNER: Naomi
She won the perhaps pointless Karaoke Showdown but she did a great job at it. Not sure where this is all going next, as last time she was in the ring she was on a losing streak against Dana Brooke. Nothing seemed to come from that. Now we have four women from the locker room just attacking each other. Doesn’t matter, Naomi is the best singer.
WINNER: Lacey Evans
If this was a turn for her back to a heel then I am all for it. She wrestled in a dress. What else is there?
LOSER: Nikki Cross
Doesn’t look good for Nikki to be losing this close to Extreme Rules. Of course, we still have one more show to go before the event, but her taking the pin (albeit by Bayley cheating with her foot on the ropes) doesn’t bode well for her. I am at a crossroads (no pun intended) on if I feel that she will take the win come the pay-per-view.
Part of me can see Bayley dropping the title and then just focusing on the tag titles until her and Sasha go at it (probably another year from now). At this point Bayley has beaten everyone, so if she isn’t going to drop to Nikki then I feel that she is going to hold it to eventually Sasha takes it or someone new comes to the brand.
What did you think of this week’s SmackDown? Who were your Winners & Losers? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
