2 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (May 8)

4. Jeff Hardy Coming Out On Top

Jeff Hardy Sheamus
WWE.com

So, Sheamus has been boasting for weeks now that he's ready to put the returning Jeff Hardy in his place, cement his status as SmackDown's alpha male and send the high-flying veteran back from whence he came. Didn't really work out that way, did it fella'?

The roles in this one should've been reversed.

In order for Sheamus to resonate control, he needed to kick Hardy's ass all over the Performance Center and give Jeff something to avenge. What is there to avenge now? Hardy has already torn Sheamus down a peg or two by hitting him with a Twist Of Fate and Swanton Bomb. If anyone, it's Sheamus who has the gripe now.

Remember this if WWE try to claim at MITB that the Irishman spoiled Hardy's return. He didn't - he enhanced it by giving Jeff someone to thumb his nose and shout, 'Na na na-na na' at. There was a quite stunning lack of babyface peril in this comeback, one that had already spoken at length about Jeff's fragility.

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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.