12 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 5)

6. Welcome Back

Mustafa Ali Rowan
WWE.com

There wasn't much to Rowan vs. Kevin Owens (shout-outs to the big man's Behemoth shirt, though). It barely got going before KO got sick of Daniel Bryan jaw-jacking him from the announce table, so the former Universal Champion went after his Fastlane opponent after getting knocked to the floor. Rowan intervened, and soon it was two-on-one, with the referee calling for the DQ as the WWE Champion struck.

A prolonged beatdown followed, with Rowan and Bryan destroying Owens ahead of the pay-per-view. Cue: Mustafa Ali's music. Not seen for the best part of a month, the ex-205 Live man stormed the ring, getting the better of the heels with his quick, high-octane offence, then sharing a tense moment with Owens as the scene drew to a close.

Ali's return to house show action this weekend made his SD comeback easy to telegraph, but it was well-executed regardless, and it's going to be interesting to see where he fits in. Kofi Kingston effectively took his spot in the WWE Championship scene. KO has been used as a piece to draw sympathy for Kingston, making the hunt even more crowded, though this return angle suggests WWE haven't forgotten about Mustafa's claim to the belt after his previous pinfalls on Bryan.

An interesting, unpredictable top title scene, populated by wrestlers the fans actually want to invest in? Sign us up.

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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.