13 Ups & 1 Down From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 26)
10. All-Star Tag Hits The Right Notes
Ricochet and Aleister Black versus Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura was an effective all-star TV tag match between two thrown-together teams, and there isn't much more to say about it than that. It was fine. It delivered to the expected level, came with no major flaws, and the work was solid, functional, neat, and tidy.
A textbook momentum seesaw meant both sides got their fair share of shine, though the NXT duo were victorious. Ricochet flip-dived over the top to Rusev on the outside, taking him out of the bout towards the end. Back inside, Aleister Black was stung by Shinsuke's reverse exploder suplex, but took advantage when the former United States Champion called for the Kinshasa, blasting his opponent with the Black Mass instead. 1, 2, 3, and the match was over.
This result makes sense. Black and Ricochet should have more cohesion than Nakamura and Rusev despite the main roster experience gulf, because the heels were trying to murder each other up until a few weeks ago. This, it's a nice rub without any unnecessary sacrifices, and one that sets Black and Ricochet up for the next big thing, whatever that may be.