3 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 22)
Ups...
3. Short & Heartfelt
OK, so Stephanie McMahon rallying fans behind WWE and encouraging them to chant things like, "Thank You Vince" was always going to feel forced. That's unavoidable, and everything characters like Steph say on camera comes across as condescending.
This still gets an 'Up'.
Why? Well, it was definitely from the heart. Stephanie even mouthed, "I love you, dad" to the camera as fans bellowed their appreciation for the former WWE boss (man, that's weird to type). Perhaps the best thing about the segment is that it didn't overstay its welcome by any means.
There's obviously a ton of controversy going on behind the scenes, and that has sullied Vince's retirement, but Steph paying tribute to her father made sense. It's not like WWE's product could motor on without acknowledging his contributions.