2 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Dec 5)

2. Orton & Sami Disappoint

The idea of a Sami Zayn vs. Randy Orton singles main event sounds awesome. 'The Viper,' for all his flaws, is a silky smooth worker who's more than capable of producing a great bout when the mood takes him, while his opponent is one of the best pure workers in the company, and has been reborn as a smarmy heel. Their showdown should've closed this lacklustre show with the evening's biggest 'Up.' Sadly, it did not.

Kevin Owens was handcuffed to the ring. He escaped towards the end, but couldn't impose himself on the result, with Orton defeating Sami with a roll-up in a shade under 12 minutes.

The outcome isn't necessarily a problem, but the quality of the action preceding it is. Neither performer put their best forward. Orton was at his laconic worst, and while Sami certainly wasn't lazy, he was clearly operating at a gear or two below his usual speed. KO was a distraction, too, with his presence continually dragging the focus away from the ring.

It wasn't terrible, but it was mediocre, and that's not good enough for two performers of this calibre. Still, at least it was successful in setting up the post-match angle...