3 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 22)

Ups...

3. Short & Heartfelt

Stephanie McMahon
WWE.com

OK, so Stephanie McMahon rallying fans behind WWE and encouraging them to chant things like, "Thank You Vince" was always going to feel forced. That's unavoidable, and everything characters like Steph say on camera comes across as condescending.

This still gets an 'Up'.

Why? Well, it was definitely from the heart. Stephanie even mouthed, "I love you, dad" to the camera as fans bellowed their appreciation for the former WWE boss (man, that's weird to type). Perhaps the best thing about the segment is that it didn't overstay its welcome by any means.

There's obviously a ton of controversy going on behind the scenes, and that has sullied Vince's retirement, but Steph paying tribute to her father made sense. It's not like WWE's product could motor on without acknowledging his contributions.

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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.