3 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 12)

5. Cringe Row

Shanky Jinder Mahal
WWE

Speaking of wrecking promising NXT acts.

Hit Row cut a lifeless rap backstage for...no apparent reason. It wasn't directed at anybody, was barely in time with the beat and blandly put over how thrilled they are to be on SmackDown. As if that wasn't bad enough, Jinder Mahal and Shanky (or "Slim Shanky", as Jinder called him) showed up to spit some rhymes themselves.

OK, so this was probably supposed to be awkward. Heels in WWE regularly come off looking dorky, and the creative team like that, but this was bad TV. Jinder is an arrogant guy who views himself as royalty so shouldn't be rapping, and Shanky resembled Kurrgan in The Oddities with this goofy nonsense.

Like most peripheral segments in WWE these days, this one did nothing to get anyone involved over. Unless WWE fancy turning Jinder and Shanky into a comedy babyface tag-team, they should cease this ridiculousness at once. Also, what the heck happened to Hit Row?

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.