3 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Sept 19)

2. Sweet, Sweet, Revenge

Rusev Randy Orton
WWE.com

From a booking standpoint, last night’s Randy Orton/Aiden English/Rusev situation wasn’t the best. WWE made ‘The Viper’ go 50/50 with one of their lowliest wrestlers for seven minutes. Randy’s one-on-one clash with ‘The Drama King’ should’ve been a squash, but no: the 13-time World Champion laboured past SmackDown’s biggest goober, and gained nothing as a result.

Regardless, the aftermath was incredibly satisfying, particularly for those dismayed by Rusev’s treatment at SummerSlam.

‘The Bulgarian Brute’ arrived following Orton’s victory, looking for atonement for his 10-second loss at the pay-per-view. The bell rang, and he and Randy looked set to face off, only for English to pull the distraction, allowing Rusev to blast his opponent with a big kick, then pick up his own squash win.

The distraction keeps Orton protected, but it’s still surprising to see him used in such a way, though Rusev will be laughing all the way to the bank. A fun segment that won’t deal any lasting damage to SmackDown’s dullest wrestler.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.