8 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (10 Sept)
7. Canny Shanesmanship
The unfortunate news of Elias' injury snuck through hours before the show, though the strumming irritant will hopefully be able to appear on TV in his talk-heavy role despite the ankle damage. Performing as SmackDown's Baron Corbin in the King Of The Ring thus far, his in-ring work as been atypically rewarding, making this unexpected exit more of a sucker punch than it once might have been.
In an act far more satisfying than that laboured pun in the title of this entry, Shane McMahon inserting himself into the King Of The Ring semi-final was a logical bit of booking from the company for a character that has some previous with this sort of sh*t before.
The controversial Crown Jewel World Cup kickstarted Shane's heel turn late last year when 'The Money' strolled into action as the latest possible replacement for finalist The Miz. As an arrogant, braggadocious bully authority figure (who'd later hatch a plan to try and cruise to the final), McMahon was - for a welcome change - the right replacement for the injured star.