Why WWE's Lana Experiment Is Already a Bust on SmackDown Live

Tuesday on SmackDown Live, Lana is set to challenge for the SmackDown Women's Championship for a third time in the past month, but it might be safe to say that WWE's Lana experiment is already a bust.

SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan confirmed via Twitter Friday that Lana would receive another shot at the strap because her shoulder was up when Naomi pinned her on Tuesday night. However, that doesn't change the fact she was promptly defeated in the matter of a minute.

That is in addition to Lana attacking Naomi before the bout and hitting her with her finisher. But she still managed to lose in quick and decisive fashion. Regardless of how she fares in their upcoming rematch, that embarrassing loss essentially spelled the end of Lana's recent push on the blue brand.

At one point, Lana appeared to be primed to take the title from Naomi and hold it hostage on SmackDown Live, but the chances of that happening now are slim to none. After being beaten on back-to-back occasions, she should not be considered a threat.

With Carmella officially Ms. Money in the Bank, Lana's days of vying for the gold will soon be over, not that they lasted long to begin with. It's pretty apparent the Ravishing Russian will need much more seasoning in the ring before she can be prominently featured toward the top of the division.

Credit: WWE.com

Once Lana was sent to SmackDown in the Superstar Shake-up back in April, vignettes began to air promoting her impending return, though the video packages told us nothing about her new character. She merely danced around on a chair, and not even that element was incorporated into her gimmick when she arrived on the June 6 episode.

It's hard to blame WWE for wanting to expand the blue brand's women's division, with Bayley, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss all on Raw, by adding Lana, who has largely been a manager for Rusev in WWE, to the mix. Then again, officials had to be aware she wasn't remotely close to being ring ready.

That was proved by her match with Naomi at Money in the Bank. It wasn't as awful a bout as some were expecting, but Lana's progress was not where it needed to be to warrant her contending for the championship.

On that night, Naomi surprisingly knocked off Lana by pinfall despite interference from Carmella. It was assumed Lana would be protected in her first main-roster match as a singles star to keep her looking strong, but that was not the case.

In a division filled with the talented Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Natalya, Lana simply pales in comparison when you take into account what those incredible athletes are capable of between the ropes. That isn't to say there is no place for her on the roster, but WWE has done her no favors with how she has been handled thus far on SmackDown.

As noted, Carmella is waiting in the wings with her Money in the Bank briefcase and should hold the gold after Naomi. Granted, she also isn't the most polished wrestler just yet, but her mic work has surpassed anything Lana has done since breaking out on her own.

Perhaps the biggest mistake WWE made with the Ravishing Russian was pushing her as early as it did instead of establishing her first. The company probably wanted her to make an impact from the get-go, but when she failed to do so, the promotion abandoned ship.

She could amass some success down the road, but now is not that time. Others are bound to leapfrog her in the SmackDown's women's division pecking order sooner rather than later. In the meantime, WWE should flesh out her persona a bit more beyond what we've seen so far, which is virtually nothing.

This could change as soon as Tuesday if she somehow dethrones Naomi as champion, but that would do more damage to her long-term growth than good. Aside from looking the part, she has failed to rise to the occasion as a credible title challenger, and the coming months should be spent rebuilding her.

If WWE has soured on the idea of Lana as a competitor entirely, with Rusev's return imminent, it would be best to reunite that excellent act and make the pair a staple of SmackDown's midcard scene.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.