14 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jul 9)

1. Is This Really Kofi Kingston?

This week's Downs are as minor as minor gets, so don't get it twisted: the above Kofi Kingston promo was far from awful. His performance, as always, was tremendous, and it was too short to be considered a disaster, but it felt like a slight betrayal of who his character's supposed to be.

Last week saw Kingston stick a middle finger in Samoa Joe's face before laying him out with Trouble In Paradise. That was fine, as it showed the WWE Champion wasn't willing to take any sh*t, but him laughing it off when Kayla Braxton broached the subject? That doesn't feel right for the most likeable male babyface in WWE today.

Kingston came off smug and a little bit obnoxious. That's not what most want to see from him, so let's hope WWE find a way to keep him confident and decisive without sacrificing affability.

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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.