10 Ups & 1 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Sept 4)

9. Joe & AJ Keep It Simple

Last week's Samoa Joe/AJ Styles interactions led some (this writer included) to believe that a dumb family barbecue segment was on the cards. Fortunately, we didn't get that, with WWE opting for a similar format to the previous show, only with the roles reversed.

Joe refused to hit the ring last week, choosing instead to cut his promo from the backstage area, then vanishing before Styles could get his hands on him. This time, it was the challenger who marched out. He began by talking directly to good old Wendy, then spoke of her and AJ's daughter, noting that the WWE Champion wasn't in the building - instead, he was at said BBQ.

'The Phenomenal One' appeared on the Tron, but his "absence" was a ruse, and he eventually hit the ring, getting the better of his brutish enemy in the ensuing brawl.

Though far from spectacular, the segment worked. It pushed things forward, maintained the heat, and while we don't necessarily want to see the oneupmanship swing back and forth every single week, AJ "winning" this angle makes sense. He's fired up, pissed off, and fed up. That may soon get the better of him, but it was a motivator last night.