5 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown
Ups...
5. Woods Vs. English Delivers
The US Title Tournament rumbled on with Xavier Woods vs. Aiden English last night. It was a solid little bout that didn't break six minutes, but delivered everything it needed to, and produced a smart, logical result, meaning there's absolutely nothing to complain about.
Big E and Kofi Kingston joined their New Day cohort at ringside, with Rusev accompanied his singing sidekick. This could have led to shenanigans, but none of them got involved in the match, allowing their seconds to conduct business uninterrupted. A refreshing change on SmackDown, where it feels like every second bout is marred by overbooking in some shape or form.
There was no dull heat segment, and little in the way of restholds outside the opening minute. Instead, Woods and English worked a solid back-and-forth that saw then fight on the outside, trade roll-ups, and keep the outcome on a knife's edge throughout. Woods scored the victory, though: his rope-walk elbow drop was enough to put the ever-improving English away, and advance to the next stage, where he'll be tasked with dragging an enjoyable contest out of Jinder Mahal.