12 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Apr 23)

9. The Big Dog's Bark

When it comes to promo work, no WWE character benefits more from the "keep it simple, stupid" philosophy than Roman Reigns, who has rarely been able to pull off the writing team's long-winded, over-scripted nonsense with any degree of convincingness.

Last night's material was strong. In this backstage segment, 'The Big Dog' said that while Elias got his licks in on him earlier on, he was going to break 'The Drifter's' jaw at Money In The Bank. The corporate stooge won't ever sing again, he claimed, and Reigns accepted the challenge, with the camera lingering on him rubbing his neck as the scene drew to a close.

A tiny slither of content, but one that totally worked. These sound like words that the Roman Reigns character would realistically say. He is too often held back by awful, stunted dialogue, so little moments like this are inflated triumphs.

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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.