12 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jun 25)

by Andy H Murray

1. The Ziggler Vs. Kingston Rivalry Finally Delivers

Dolph Ziggler Kofi Kingston
WWE.com

The Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler rivalry finally yielded a borderline great match on last night's SmackDown, with the duo doing battle in an exciting 2-out-of-3 falls bout that greatly exceeded their previous clashes while sending 'The Show-Off' packing from the WWE Championship scene for the time being.

Super ShowDown yielded a second-gear house show bout that played out to a half-interested crowd, and Stomping Grounds? A dull, tedious resthold-fest that couldn't be saved by its novel finish.

Here, Ziggler and Kingston felt unshackled. They played to their recent strengths with Dolph playing a cunning aggressor and Kofi working from beneath, stifled by his opponent's onslaught. It wasn't complete domination, but Ziggler did control big portions, and that was enough to ensure he didn't lose too much in defeat.

The outcome is refreshing, too. Bouts like this usually result in the challenger winning and then being added to the match, but no: Ziggler is out of there, and Kofi is free to focus on Samoa Joe instead.

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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.