3 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Mar 25)

Ups...

3. They’re Trying

Effort counts.

Both Shinsuke Nakamura and Jimmy Uso really tried to make their match mean something. The unfortunate thing is that they're battling against creative indifference and the fact that their SmackDown Tag-Title story is very much secondary. That's hardly their fault, to be fair.

On the plus side, Naka and Jimmy showed that the iffy WrestleMania clash could become a sleeper hit if they're handed enough time. Their exchanges were slick, and both Rick Boogs and Jey Uso seemed similarly into it on the outside. All things considered, this was one of SmackDown's better segments.

Tag challengers beating champs in singles bouts before the big match is an overdone trope, but this gets a firm 'Up' for the energy alone. Great talent can ease the burden on a writing staff who are clearly overworked, and they should remember that.