Aliyah Makes WWE Main Roster Debut at SmackDown, Loses to Carmella

Aliyah debuted in WWE in a losing effort Tuesday night on SmackDown Live. 

Using a distraction by James Ellsworth, Carmella capitalized, locking Aliyah in the Code of Silence to pick up the victory:

Aliyah caught the attention of NXT alumnus Apollo Crews:

At this stage of her career, it's doubtful her appearance on SmackDown on Tuesday night indicates Aliyah is making the transition to full-time wrestler for one of WWE's main programs.

Billie Kay lost to Dana Brooke on the June 30 edition of SmackDown:

That is Billie Kay's only match in WWE to date. She moved back down to NXT, where she has continued her in-ring development.

WWE has generally been patient with its full-time call-ups for the women's division.

Paige, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair and Bayley were all NXT women's champions before being promoted. Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax weren't former champions, but they had at least been involved in the title scene prior to their selections in the WWE draft this past July. Dana Brooke and Emma are two of the few exceptions, and they arguably suffered from being thrown into Raw and SmackDown before they were ready.

Aliyah's match against Carmella was likely more about using her as enhancement talent to boost up The Princess of Staten Island while also giving Aliyah a little experience on a bigger stage.

With the NXT women's division still recovering from a significant talent drain, the opportunity is there for Aliyah to prove herself at Full Sail University before she begins featuring on Raw or SmackDown on a more regular basis.