6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (8 May - Results & Review)
4. Jacob Fatu’s Fire Saves The Open
Straight up: This would've been a 'Down' had Jacob Fatu not worked overtime to get a rise out of the live crowd. WWE creative went back over old ground during the opening promo segment involving Fatu and The Usos. It wasn’t bad though, not even close to it, and Jacob’s fiery response to Jimmy and Jey pretty much telling him Roman is unbeatable was well-delivered.
No, you wouldn't find essential content here, but Fatu’s intensity does compensate for a lot. The writers surely know that by now. It'd be banging if they put a little more thought into helping him out then. The same goes for The Usos, who honestly feel like messengers for Roman more than one of the greatest tag-teams to ever do it. A red pen has been put through Jey's main event aspirations, but the man can still do great things when he feels inspired.
Yep, this is a rehash of old territory for The Bloodline, but it's been working in the lead up to Backlash 'cause Fatu is so fired up and willing to do whatever it takes to make a splash. He's more than held his own on the mic and physically with Reigns, and now he feels above both Usos in terms of star power. That came across loud and clear on SmackDown.
Without his intensity, this could've fizzled out. Instead, Jacob snarled through gritted teeth as he vowed to eventually stand atop the mountain as World Heavyweight Champion and prove all of the doubters (including some within his own family tree) wrong.