WWE SmackDown Smacks/Downs: What a tone-deaf opener

Smack: emphasizing the Women’s Tag Team Championship

Smack: the continuing tease of Sasha Banks turning on Bayley

I don’t blame you if you’ve viewed the Women’s Tag Team Championship as an afterthought; after all, that’s pretty much how WWE has booked the titles/champions since their inception.

However, I really do appreciate this renewed focus on the championship and the tag division. Bliss Cross Applesauce have proven to be capable champions in their multiple runs, and Nikki Cross in particular has grown immensely as a character. Her and Asuka have been two of the top performers during these empty/PC trainee audience shows.

With the return of The IIconics to bolster the ranks, and the ability to feed makeshift teams consisting of PC trainees, the trajectory for the women’s tag division is shooting up.

It also helps when you have the first champion of this iteration of the Women’s Tag Team Championship, Boss “N” Hug Connection, reasserting themselves by interrupting this summit between The New Day and Bliss Cross Applesauce.

The New Day’s role was negligible, and probably would have been better off as a quick backstage promo before a match. They really were only there to name drop The Forgotten Sons as serious contenders to their championship and provide reactions to the quips between the two women’s tag teams.

The quips were, I’ll admit, pretty good. This was topped by Alexa Bliss, noting how five of the six wrestlers in the ring held championships, asking Banks about her lack of a championship. Bayley defending Banks only to volunteer Banks for a match against Bliss was so good, accentuated by Banks’ facial reactions of utter shock and incredulity.

Banks winning (thanks to a distraction from Bayley) garnered the two a championship match next week against Bliss Cross Applesauce. Banks did win with a leverage a rollup, the first of the three consecutive rollups I mentioned last slide, so it was one of those “keep both strong finishes.”

Bayley’s excessive celebration of Banks after the match only further serves to feed the simmering tensions between the two. I’ve long been saying this should all lead to a match at SummerSlam, but the timing of the implosion is going to be key.

The intriguing aspect of next week’s match is either outcome (winning the championship or not) adds further intrigue to the story. If they win the championship, attention should be paid to how they won. Does becoming Bayley-2-Belts further exacerbate her arrogance and cause more stress and harm to Banks? Does Banks turn on Bayley while celebrating in the ring? Does Bayley turn on Banks after winning?

If they lose, again, how do they lose? Who takes the pin/submission? Does either blame the other for the loss, or do they regroup for another shot? Does a turn happen after the loss, setting up a match at SummerSlam (hopefully skipping Extreme Rules)?

What I do know is I’m looking forward to the match next week and the continued layers in this Bayley-Banks partnership. Will we see Bayley-2-Belts or will Bliss Cross Applesauce retain?