6 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (25 Oct)
Ups...
6. "Shor...Tee...Gee"
There was actually a measure of enjoyment to be had from the opening segment if you lingered long enough, not counting the f*cking ruler going up the side of the "G" on the former Chad Gable's new ring attire.
Sami Zayn, as usual, was brilliant. In over-emphasising the magnificence of Shinsuke Nakamura, he was a hoot. In trying to figure out what the f*ck he was looking at in Shorty G (with that delicious mocking tone used in the delivery of his name), he was the voice of the befuddled viewer at home. In trying to make sense of the gaping plot hole that saw Cesaro taking his place in the evening's main event, he was a quality pro wrestling coward.
Ric Flair too, was again a mad old triumph. 'The Nature Boy' alluded to being sick of the sight of Roman Reigns whilst remembering to put over Raw team members Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre. He was potty-mouthed but professional - the exact tightrope the company presumably want him to totter along in this role.
They were both absurd villains putting over a preposterously silly match on a show one of them won't even be welcome at it. Though wrapped in the reminder of WWE acting at its most despicable, Zayn and Flair were welcome distractions from just about everything else happening around them.