12 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 28)

1. Heavy Machinery Prove Bryan's Point

Heavy Machinery Daniel Bryan Rowan
WWE.com

Daniel Bryan's performance in last night's in-ring segment was mint. The former 'Planet's Champion' was in top form, shredding the audience for eating hotdogs made from "the flesh of a pig named 'Wiggles,'" then attacking Oklahoma's fracking habit, noting that their deep oil drilling brins them earthquakes. "How about your earthquakes?!" he asked, "infinitely more earthquakes than Oklahoma has ever had?!"

Rowan and Bryan's crosshairs also fell on SmackDown's "joke" tag division, which they claimed they are here to save. Kayla Braxton noted that there were many, many teams who'd like to challenge them for the belts. This brought Heavy Machinery from the back, thus proving Bryan's whole point about the division's lack of depth.

Otis and Tucker are yet to compete in a single SD bout since joining as part of the Superstar Shake-Up, yet here they are, challenging for the belts. Bryan is right. This division is thinner than your writer's hairline.

The champs accepted the challenge, but not there and then, with Bryan saying "not here in this fracking state of Oklahoma." Perhaps this budding rivalry will help build Heavy Machinery up. For now, though, it only serves to highlight the blue brand's problems.

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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.