12 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 6)

8. Black Batters Zayn

Aleister Black Sami Zayn
WWE.com

Aleister Black's defeat of Sami Zayn is a tad easier to swallow than Dolph Ziggler's of Ali for a few reasons:-

1. It was a shade longer.

2. Zayn got more offence in than Ali.

3. This is kind of what Sami is now. It sucks, but it isn't changing anytime soon.

4. It trims the SummerSlam card. Yes, it would've been cool to see these guys get 12-15 minutes on pay-per-view, but that thing was starting to look a little long.

Black took the victory with a closing flurry including a concussive running knee, a springboard Moonsault, and the Black Mass. His performance was a big reminder that no matter how silly his character gets, he's an absolute killer between the ropes. He strikes like no one else on the main roster and his flurries of athleticism almost guarantee excitement and dynamism.

In short: more fun matches, fewer coffin promos, please.

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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.