2 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Aug 27)

1. Finn Bálor = Backup Plan

Finn Balor
WWE.com

Worse, Bálor now looks like the backup option again.

He was pushed aside for John Cena before SummerSlam, and now he's only getting that want-away Universal Title shot so WWE can press the pause button on Brock. Finn's title tilt isn't convincing at all, which is a shame considering the decent reactions he's getting from crowds right now.

WWE have to be careful here. Despite advertising Reigns vs. Bálor for next week's SmackDown, they'll probably try to stretch things out until Extreme Rules and blow the mini-feud off there. Also, it doesn't sit well that creative thought The Street Profits would be great sidekicks to Finn - that felt flat.

Bálor's push, which was a bit sudden anyway, is wobbling big time. He's been positioned right below the likes of Cena and Lesnar on the pecking order; obvious, maybe, but hardly ideal given the part-time status of both on WWE's schedule.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.