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

Ups...

4. A Happy Rusev Day

Rusev is an absolute treasure. His popularity has all but saved the United States Title feud from complete and utter tedium, and he achieved the near miraculous feat of making a Jinder Mahal match almost seem interesting last night. That, in itself, is an Up, but their bout was smartly worked and logical, and delivered the right winner, strengthening its position.

With Sunil Singh attempting to sing his 'Maharaja' to the ring, Aiden English soon showed up, belted out Rusev's introduction, and got the crowd fired up. They cooled off during Mahal's predictably dull control segment, but the match was fine. Rusev's investment is undeniable. He always draws some of the night's loudest pops, and while the fact that he's still playing heel is laughable, the Rusev Day gimmick is money.

'The Bulgarian Brute' won with the Machka Kick, putting Jinder away in a shade under 10 minutes. This makes a WrestleMania victory unlikely (50/50 booking, etc.), but if he does dethrone Randy Orton, he'll be treated like a hero. The man can get anything over. Strap him to the rocket, and watch him soar.