13 Ups & 1 Down From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 26)

Ups...

13. Open Challenge Season

R-Truth Carmella
WWE.com

It was good to see R-Truth back on television for the first time since winning the WWE United States Championship almost a full month ago. Here's hoping that this is a sign of things to come, as while his gimmick has a midcard ceiling, that he has gold strapped around his waist should guarantee a bigger role. We don't need to see him every week, but once a month isn't enough.

Truth and Carmella ran through their usual shtick, treating the crowd to a seven-second dance break as SmackDown marched towards its second hour. This came after Truth had paid tribute to John Cena and announced the return of his US Title open challenge. Out came Andrade, then Rey Mysterio, and we had a match on our hands.

This is a smart way for WWE to present Truth, particularly if they don't want to give him a dedicated storyline. Open challenges allow them to book low-effort matches and segments for the veteran whenever they want him to appear. They keep the division fresh, unpredictable, and exciting, too, so fingers crossed they become a regular occurrence.

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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.