4 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 31)
Downs...
4. Captain Fantastic
WWE.com
Of course Shane McMahon is the captain of Team SmackDown Live!, of course he is.
The Survivor Series mens elimination match should be, objectively, one of the best matches of the year. WWE have proven themselves excellent at booking chaotic multi-man clashes in recent years, with last years Raw Vs SmackDown encounter over-delivering a fabulous 50 minute thriller.
It was in there where Shane McMahon received a concussion for his efforts, kabonging hard on the mat after Roman Reigns speared him out of midair. In kayfabe terms, he was his both his team's weak link and strongest weapon. A risk taker that the team apparently couldn't possibly do without, 'Shane-O-Mac' delivered what he promised but took himself out of the contest as a result.
Things are different this year. Shane defiantly included himself. God forbid his roster even have a sniff of a top spot when he's been called out by his sister in the latest grim chapter of an unending family p*ssing contest. Don't believe the hype around this most recent battle for 'brand supremacy' - that's what this whole thing has always been about. And it always will be.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
