4 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (1 Aug - Results & Review)

Ups...

4. Talla Tonga’s Debut = Fine For What It Was

Talla Tonga now has that first televised WWE match under his belt, and it was exactly what it needed to be.

Solo Sikoa's new bodyguard dominated Jimmy Uso with power moves throughout their match, then countered his splash attempt from the top with a big mitt around the throat and a chokeslam. Admittedly, that finisher could’ve looked slightly better, but he can work on that for the future. It was hardly Undertaker on Hulk Hogan from Judgment Day 2002 levels of bad.

Some others tuning in may call the bout too slow and plodding, but it was a solid way to introduce Talla as a physical force. Jimmy just couldn't get the upper hand on him for too long no matter what he tried, and that was the right way to format things. Plus (and this is a plus considering modern pro wrestling's aversion to selling), Tonga and Uso refused to rush through anything. They let the idea that Talla is too hot to handle breathe.

A post-match angle saw the steel cage lower so Solo and his MFTs could continue kicking lumps out of 'Big Jim'. Predictably (not in a bad way), that brought Jacob Fatu out. Sikoa scurried away and took Talla with him for backup, which left Tonga Loa and JC Mateo ripe for a kicking from the 'Samoan Werewolf'.

Everything worked out well here, and it was a vast improvement on the mediocrity of Jacob's match vs. The Miz from last week's show. Getting the cage out there, and giving fans the visual of what Fatu's capable of inside it, was a shrewd decision from creative.