5 Things SmackDown got right on the episode before Money in the Bank (May 8, 2020)

#4 Tamina’s rise

Tamina may be one of the biggest and strongest female wrestlers in WWE today, but she has never come across as the most threatening force in the ring. This week’s SmackDown saw her team up with Lacey Evans to take on the heel team of Sasha Banks and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley.

Bayley and Banks seemed to have some disagreement right at the beginning of the match, allowing Tamina to knock both women down to gain control. The heels tried to get away but bumped into Evans before Tamina pulled Bayley back into the match.

Even though The Hugger and The Boss gained control in the middle phase of the match, Tamina and Evans were able to make a comeback. The Legit Boss was able to save The Role Model from a Samoan drop attempt by Tamina, but Evans took Banks out with the Women’s Right. This allowed Tamina to hit a Superkick followed by a Samoan Drop for the victory.

This was a decent television match that did enough to put the competitors for Sunday over. What made this match special was the spotlight Tamina got after living in the shadows of other Superstars for several years. She seems to be a much-improved performer, even though she has a long way to go.

Even though it doesn’t seem like she will be winning the SmackDown Women’s title on Sunday, she can do just enough to increase her value on the Blue brand and stay on top.