2 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 15)

5. Rusev, Orton, And Repetition

Randy Orton Rusev
WWE.com

Chad Gable and Rusev had an excellent TV match a few weeks ago. It wasn’t a long affair, but it gave both men a rare opportunity to showcase their raw technical wrestling ability, and both came off well. We got a rematch last night, much to the delight of anyone who saw the first clash, but it ended disappointingly.

Both men were counted out in little over a minute. This is a shame, because SmackDown could’ve used a great one-on-one bout to break up last night’s monotony, but it wasn’t to be. That being said, the real issue comes from the aftermath.

Randy Orton jumped ‘The Bulgarian Brute,’ laying him out with the RKO as revenge for last week’s assault. That’s the format this story has taken thus far: one week, Randy gets the advantage, the next, Rusev bites back. It’s an unoriginal, unengaging way to book a feud, WWE have given us precisely zero reasons to be excited about their eventual match, and if Rusev loses at SummerSlam (let’s be honest - he will), he’s going to look like a major dud.

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Channel Manager

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.