8 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Sept 18)

All hail the new 'Queen.'

Becky Lynch Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

Hell In A Cell was hailed as one of WWE's best pay-per-views of the year as soon as the credits stopped rolling, and while many had the Raw Tag Title clash down as Match Of The Night, the event's success had much to do with the blue brand's offerings.

Orton vs. Hardy was a delightfully gory HIAC war that more than lived up to the structure's brutal reputation, while Styles vs. Joe was easily on par with their SummerSlam match, with even the sports entertainment finish delivering. Elsewhere, The New Day and Rusev Day worked a fun, fast-paced Kickoff Show scrap, and although Bryan & Bella vs. Miz & Maryse was no five-star classic, it was executed well until the finish.

But while Raw followed HIAC with mediocrity, SmackDown delivered the goods, with Becky Lynch's championship celebration, the second Andrade Almas vs. AJ Styles bout, and the sad, inevitable death of Rusev Day all ticking various boxes. It wasn't a perfect show, but when is it? WWE's product is designed to serve too many masters to appease every fan, every week, and that isn't changing anytime soon.

When was the last time SmackDown's writers served a legitimately bad episode? We've lost track...

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.