11 Ups & 7 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jun 18)

8. Andrade Vs. Apollo Continues

Like the rest of these lower tier Ups, there wasn't much meat on the Apollo Crews/Andrade/Zelina Vega segment's bones. Regardless, it worked, it was broadly entertaining, and it got the point across.

Crews found backstage, still looking for 'El Idolo' after last week's absence. He caught Vega off guard as she was posing in a mirror. This prompted Andrade's manageress to accuse Apollo of flirting with her, luring him in long enough for Andrade to spring the surprise ambush, beat the former Uhaa Nation down, and stand tall while Chad Gable took notes in the background.

The Gable stuff is odd, but Andrade vs. Crews is a fun little feud. These two will surely have a banger match when they finally meet in the ring. On top of this, it's just heartening to see a guy like Apollo getting a chance to do something at a time when the Wild Card Rule has strangled midcard opportunities. He deserves it.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.