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

1. A Nice Preview Of Jacob Fatu’s Future

Assuming he beats Drew McIntyre at ‘Mania, then one Jacob Fatu will be asked to cut more promos like this in the main event scene going forwards. So, Friday’s cop car segment was a preview of things to come from Fatu, and he honestly nailed it. He's managed to strike the perfect balance between shouty intensity and a more measured style on the mic, which is appreciated and will stand him in good stead for the rest of 2026.

Coming out in the cop car to riff on Drew's banter about Fatu being 'nothing more than a criminal who can't run away from his past transgressions' was a neat touch as well. Perhaps the only surprise is that Jacob didn't hit a Samoan Drop on one of those phoney cops atop the vehicle to hammer home his point about leaving the law in his rearview mirror. Perhaps that would've been too literal.

Maybe next time, eh?

All of the big falls, the bloody brawling, McIntyre's promo from a jail cell last week, and now Jacob's cop car hijinks on Friday have built towards their "Unsanctioned Match" nicely. WWE has largely stayed out of its own way and just let these dudes get on with telling their story, and that's made it one of the most pleasing hype jobs on the way to Las Vegas.

This was clearly a test for Fatu, and he passed it with aplomb. Top marks, sir. Top marks indeed. Those promo chops will come in handy following the weekend's PLE once Jacob (theoretically) becomes a bonafide headline player.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more like this, check out WWE WrestleMania 42: 20 Things That NEED To Happen and 13 Mind-Blowing WWE WrestleMania 42 Predictions You NEED To Know!