2 Ups & 8 Downs From WWE SmackDown (17 April - Results & Review)

This week's episode of SmackDown easily could've chewed up time on WWE's WrestleMania 42 pre-show. Granted, any 'go home' episode is supposed to be a preview piece, but it's also there to give creative one more chance to add excitement to the PLE and get fans pumped for what they're about to see. Did anything on Friday achieve that?

Not really.

There were a couple of 'Ups' to report on, but SmackDown was a largely negative experience that felt like every issue with current WWE booking in a 3-hour microcosm. WWE Title foes Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton didn't interact at all. Hell, Cody didn't even have much to say about Randy's new "boy" Pat McAfee, but he had a lot of compliments to give CM Punk.

Triple H has clearly given up on a few stories too. The lameness to Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill cannot be ignored, and there are problems elsewhere in the women's division too. You'd be forgiven for thinking Tiffany Stratton was about to skip out of pro wrestling completely, because her character and importance to programming has fallen off a cliff. Not even the usually-switched on women's tag fare could save things on this occasion.

Royce Keys did get a solid win, albeit in a match type that the company badly needs to rethink or retire, and then there was Trick Williams going Vince McMahon comedy on everyone during a nothing skit with Sami Zayn. Maybe Jim Ross was right and Vince is back on creative.

Here's a boatload of bad and not a lot of good to report from the last stop before 'Mania.

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