5 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 28)
2. Keep It Simple, Stupid
Baron Corbin and Dean Ambrose have beaten the living hell out of one another lately, but they kept things relatively low-key this week. Ambrose eliminated Corbin from last week's Battle Royal, but instead of going straight for the Intercontinental Champion's throat, Corbin was content to keep it verbal this week.
Ambrose was set to face Curt Hawkins, but he had other plans. The match never got started after Ambrose laid his would-be opponent out with Dirty Deeds before the bell, and the IC Champ immediately called for a microphone. After goofing around for a while, Ambrose called Corbin to the ring for a fight, but The Lone Wolf wasn't willing to play ball. He appeared on the Titantron and promised to "take everything from Dean," and though Ambrose was clearly disappointed by the lack of fisticuffs, he promised that their issues were "far from finished."
A smart escalation for Corbin vs. Ambrose, which looks increasingly like the Intercontinental Title program for WrestleMania 33. Their feud started fast in the Elimination Chamber and has escalated every week since, but they were smart to take their foot off the gas last night. They can't go around beating each other up every single week forever, after all, and both of their promos were sharp and on-point. Another "up" for one of SmackDown's most promising rivalries.