3 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (21 Aug - Results & Review)

1. SmackDown Gets A PLE Level Main Event

Kevin Owens challenging CM Punk for the WWE Title was some ride.

Punk played up to the heel reactions he was getting throughout, and KO was on top form as a desperate, hate-filled contender who wanted to win the belt and shut an old rival’s mouth. It was simply excellent stuff from both men. Owens jumpstarting the match by peppering Punk with stiff punches got the ball rolling, and they didn’t let up from there whilst producing one of the best matches SmackDown has witnessed in a while.

Late on, KO got the visual win over Punk following a stunner, but the ref had been laid out. Then, Punk got one of his own nearly moments after the GTS. As the live crowd perched on the edge of their seats (most were standing, actually), Sami Zayn’s run-in led to one hell of a near fall for Owens after another stunner. That's when Zayn clocked KO with the WWE Title after Kev refused to use it.

Sami continues to be one of the best and most compelling characters around here, and he even smashed Punk with the belt post-match for good measure. In essence, he tried to make a match 20 years in the making all about him, which makes sense when he thinks everyone in WWE looks past him as a general rule. This was Zayn trying to take matters into his own hands.

This headliner wouldn't have been out of place at SNME, at Money In The Bank or really on any WWE PLE/special event. It was amazing, and any self-respecting fan should go out of their way to check it out.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more like this, check out 10 Forgotten WWE Experiments That Didn't Last and 12 Things We Learned From Dark Side Of The Ring: Saving Paul Orndorff!