3 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (18 Apr - Results & Review)

2. LA Knight Stands Tall

Credit where it's due. Everything involving LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and pals was on the stronger side this week. Knight ambushed Tama Tonga to kick off the show, then tried to cut down Solo as well so he can concentrate 100% on Jacob at ‘Mania. That was a decent story thread, and creative even managed to get Braun Strowman involved for some tag-team fun too.

The singles between Knight and Solo which fed into the eventual tag had purpose, and that's important. WWE is trying to weave multiple stories at once here. Fatu is becoming more and more dominant, Solo is somebody still reeling from losing his 'Tribal Chief' bid to Roman Reigns during Raw's Netflix debut in January, and LA Knight knows everyone carries a real threat to his United States Title.

He's been feeling like a champ backed into a corner, which is why he's come out swinging. That's an easy and relatable plot for fans to get behind, and it'll help Knight in the long run even if he drops his belt to Jacob. Typical WWE booking suggests that he'll do just that after getting to stand tall here on TV. Normally, that means the opposite will ring true next time.

That'll be music to Fatu's ears, because it means he'll have gold over his shoulder shortly. Yep, this Knight vs. Sikoa singles lead-in worked, and so did the tag fare once Jacob and Braun joined the chat. Sometimes, simple booking is the best kind of booking (especially when it has meaning).