11 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (24 Sept)

3. Hey, Rowan Can Talk Now

Erick Rowan
WWE.com

Remember Erick Rowan's last singles run? That experiment was a disaster. This one most certainly is not, and his strong presentation continued in a solid SmackDown opening segment.

The show began with a well-edited video package that felt as crazy as whatever's going on inside Rowan's head at the moment. Last week ended in disarray as Rowan and Luke Harper destroyed Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, and ringside, and the highlights reflected this, as WWE not only recapped the scene in effective fashion but set the table for Rowan's promo.

Big Erick stomped down soon after. He sounded more assured than ever before on the microphone, saying that while some people paint or song, what he does is annihilate, and he drew great heat throughout. The fans were already pouring vitriol upon Rowan before he opened his mouth, but his "I create a violence that commands respect" spiel played out to loud "you suck" chants showing, definitively, that this push is working.

Fiery babyface Daniel Bryan came out in his wrestling gear, challenging his former partner to fight him there and then - and fight they did...

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.