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

1. Baron's Burial

Failed Money In The Bank cash-ins need to happen every now and then. If WWE have every single briefcase-holder successfully take their targeted championship, the format becomes stale and predictable, and loses its intrigue. They’re not a problem in themselves, but the way WWE execute them is absolutely vital, and they did the worst possible job with Baron Corbin last night.

‘The Lone Wolf’ tried to take Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title after his match with Cena, but became distracted by ‘The Face That Runs The Place.’ The bell rung, and Corbin was rolled up by the champ within segments, leaving him humiliated as the show came to a close.

It made Baron look like the biggest geek in the universe. Here’s a guy who has clear deficiencies in the ring, but WWE obviously like a lot, and are trying to build up as some big, nasty bruiser. Every heel needs his comeuppance, but this was far too soon for Corbin’s, and in the end, he leaves looking like a complete loser.

He’s not a perfect performer, but Baron had built considerable momentum in recent months. All of that is now gone, and while you can argue that giving him the MITB briefcase was a mistake in the first place, this was a borderline burial.