14 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 19)

4. Rowan Bludgeons Kingston

Kofi Kingston vs. Rowan's was great because it was different from everything else in the gauntlet.

Sporting a t-shirt emblazoned by legendary Teutonic thrash metal band Kreator, Rowan proceded to give Kofi a Teutonic thrashing all around the place. The actual "match" lasted just a few minutes. During it, the big man beat the tar out of his wee opponent, softening him up before the bigger names arrived, before getting himself disqualified on the outside.

Rowan wasn't there to win, but to bludgeon, and bludgeon he did.

The assault continued after the bell. Rowan sent Kingston into the post, threw him across the timekeeper's area, then put him onto the announcer table with that claw-handed Chokeslam... thing. It worked. Rowan looked like a monster, Kofi became increasingly sympathetic, and the format helped mask the big fella's singles match deficiencies.