11 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Dec 4)

Ups...

11. Rusev's Simple Promise

There wasn't much to Rusev and Lana's interview last night. When presented with a clip of Shinsuke Nakamura ambushing 'The Bulgarian Brute' last week, the big man claimed his Japanese foe was scared of him. After boasting about his muscles, Ru-Ru called himself 'strong, relentless, and hungry,' put the United States Championship over, and promised that once he gets his hands on Nak, he's going to 'feast on him on the greatest holiday of them all - Rusev Day.'

A short, snappy, straightforward diatribe, but an effective one. Wrestling needn't always be presented as an over-the-top, gimmick-laden carnival. Sometimes, all you need is a character with goals, motivations, and personality. Put said performer on a platform without rampant over-writing, and magic will inevitably happen. Simple.

It would've been nice to see a follow-up from Nakamura. WWE could've used the space wasted by The Miz and Shane McMahon to put this feud over the top, but regardless, Rusev's promo worked, and it's good to see the United States Title involved in an actual storyline again.

Advertisement
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.