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

1. Where's The Heat?

Charlotte Flair Asuka
WWE.com

A glut of lame go-home angles was the prime reason for SmackDown's mediocrity. For the most part, the blue brand's biggest feuds limped over the finish line, with the writers delivering segments that offered little in the way of action, with zero major developments throughout the night.

Charlotte Flair and Asuka engaged in a brief spot of verbal sparring on the microphone, with 'The Empress' adding another minor dent to her mystique with her typically awkward lines. Nakamura and Styles bantered each other off, then, as discussed, mirrored last week's segment. The US Title fighters at least got their hands dirty, but it was nothing we haven't already seen. Shane and Daniel vs. Sami and Kevin? More bloody talking.

It's a shame that SmackDown took this route. Perhaps the writers were afraid of making wrestlers look weak heading into the Show of Shows, but that speaks to a bigger problem. You can't push everyone at once. When trying to do so, you succeed in pushing nobody at all. That's what happened here, and while WrestleMania 34 promises excellence anyway, it's impossible not to be disappointed by SmackDown's meek approach.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.