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What’s the story?
After Ruby Riot’s group attack against key members of the SmackDown Women’s Division last week, Commissioner Shane McMahon has announced a six-woman tag team match between Riot’s group and the team of Charlotte Flair, Natalya and Naomi. This will be the official in-ring main roster debuts for Riot, Logan and Morgan in their current avatars.
In case you didn’t know...
Riot debuted on SmackDown Live alongside Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan backstage and attacked Naomi and Becky Lynch.
Riot, Logan, and Morgan would also attack Natalya and Charlotte Flair during their match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship later on in the night.
The heart of the matter
Shane took to Twitter to say that he was impressed with the statement Riot, Logan and Morgan made by attacking the SmackDown Women’s Division, but he wanted them to prove themselves in the ring and booked the match for tonight.
Lynch’s attack last week was used to write her off the TV, so she could join The Miz in filming the next instalment of The Marine series and thus would be absent from WWE programming for several weeks.
This is eerily similar to the booking of Monday Night Raw yesterday when a six-woman tag team match was announced between Paige, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose against Sasha Banks, Mickie James and Bayley. However, that match never started because Paige’s group attacked James and Bayley backstage and revealed their stable’s name to be “Absolution,” and attacked Banks in the ring.
Not only are the circumstances similar to tonight, but their debuts were very similar with the exception being the order their attacks were carried out in. Absolution attacked the women at ringside first then attacked Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss backstage while Riot’s group attacked the women backstage first before proceeding to attack the women at ringside.
What’s next?
Many fans are criticizing the debut of these seemingly separate groups because of their similarities, but this style of writing could be done purposefully to ultimately reveal Paige as the head of both groups, but that is pure speculation.
However, if these groups are being booked similarly without having any connection, then fans will more than likely aim their dismay at the WWE creative team on SmackDown for copying Raw’s storyline.
Author’s take
The Women’s Divisions of both shows have captured the attention of the fans, but hopefully, these similarities in booking decisions will lead to something big rather than just being coincidental.
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