10 Things We Learned From WWE Smackdown Live! (April 11)

9. Spotlight Please

Lana Coming Soon
WWE.com

Simon Gotch's mutually agreed release last week brought an end to The Vaudevillains after their failure to float since surfacing on the main roster one year ago.

It was always going to be a challenging gimmick to get over on the bigger stage, but the act had some truly great moments during their time in developmental. The thunderous response they received when winning the NXT Tag Team Titles at 2015's TakeOver: Brooklyn show confirmed that with an audience behind them, the restrictions of the personas could be circumvented.

Alas, it wasn't to be, and with his partner gone, Aiden English was rumoured to be receiving a renewed push as a singles star.

A quick loss to rising star and fellow NXT alumnus Tye Dillinger may not have been the best start for his time as a lone soldier, but the return of his singing gimmick is almost certain to get him over the post-tag team slump almost immediately.

The act was a smash hit in NXT, drawing inherent dislike from the Full Sail crowd for his marauding arrogance as he performed. A modern day equivalent of Lanny Poffo's 'Genius' persona, he also tailored his songs to his opponents, becoming a highlight of the show in the process.

At only 29 years old, brighter days are hopefully ahead for the multi-talented star.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett