3 Interesting observations from SmackDown on FOX (October 18, 2019)
Last night's Friday Night SmackDown episode wasn't as eventful as one hoped it would be. This comes across as a huge problem during a time where the company needs to create a sense of urgency across its shows.
There might be several reasons why the Blue brand is falling behind in viewership since its premiere on FOX, but in today's era of digital streaming, people are likely to watch the show at their convenience if nothing major occurs during the live stream.
This doesn't mean that the show was bad at all. Daniel Bryan and Nikki Cross had major developments for their singles career.
Here are a few interesting observations from this week's WWE SmackDown:
#3 'Nikki Cross vs. Bayley' might be a deserving fresh start for the SmackDown Women's Division
The Blue brand might be onto something new when it comes to the SmackDown Women's Championship scenario.
By shifting focus away from Charlotte Flair and Bayley's old persona, it turns out that Nikki Cross just became the new #1 contender for a title held by an edgier version of Bayley.
It is good to shuffle things around now and then, but even if this feud might not be the biggest draw in viewership that the show desperately needs, it certainly has the potential to kickstart a Women's Division that is seemingly stuck in its old ways.
A roster needs distinct personalities to succeed in terms of quality, and Bayley's new gimmick might be the division's defining face after all.
Admittedly, there was something unusual about her interview on Miz TV. Maybe the writers fed her with cheesy lines from start-to-finish, or perhaps Bayley's ability as a talker isn't outstanding in any way.
But make no mistake, people are responding to Bayley in some way, and if WWE decides to capitalize on that response and do something about it, we could witness a brand new period with Bayley as the 'next big thing' on the roster.