4 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (April 18)

Ups...

4. All-Action Six-Pack Challenge

Mojo Rawley Sami Zayn Jinder Mahal Luke Harper

The field for SmackDown's Six-Pack Challenge designed to establish a new contender for Randy Orton and the WWE Title was undeniably weak on paper. Names like Mojo Rawley, Erick Rowan and Jinder Mahal wouldn't immediately pop out as ones with top line potential after all, and they are rarely booked as threats to the main event scene.

Regardless of the fact this match was crammed full of mid carders WWE have often conditioned fans to overlook, the action thrown up by the sextet involved more than offset any pre-match worries.

Running almost 20 minutes, this bout could have easily headlined the show and would have probably been a better choice for the main event than AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin. There was no let up or time for people to catch their breaths, and that must be applauded.

Those dives from Luke Harper, the intensity of Mahal as he looked to seize his moment, the sheer affection towards Sami Zayn from the live crowd and even Erick Rowan not missing a step were all highlights. This was a fine display of what the 'new' SmackDown has to offer.

Advertisement
Contributor

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.