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

3. Wash, Rinse, Repeat

This week's SmackDown concluded with a repeat of last week's mind games, only with the roles reversed.

Instead of Shinsuke Nakamura faking his finisher on AJ Styles, the WWE Champion was the aggressor this time, pulling out of the Phenomenal Forearm at the last possible second. Then, just like 'The King Of Strong Style' seven days ago, he patted his WrestleMania opponent on the head, and went on his merry way. Payback secured.

50/50 booking meant Styles was always going to get his own back last night, but this was lazy. The writers took the previous week's successful angle, flipped the participants, and decided that was enough. Lame, lazy, and unsatisfying, it did nothing to add heat to their match.

This lack of creativity must be called out. Apologists may praise it as a subversion of last week's formula, and Styles turning the tables on an opponent who'd admitted to playing mind games earlier in the evening. This is a reach, though, and after well over a year of largely formulaic, repetitive television, Road Dogg and his team don't deserve the benefit of the doubt.