4 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (24 July - Results & Review)
Downs...
4. They’re Working Hard, But…
...this was tough to buy.
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk traded verbal bombs, and Cody confusingly said he both respects and loves Punk but doesn’t like him. Huh? Punk closed the duelling promo by saying he’s going to beat “Dusty’s kid”, so Rhodes called him back to get the last word. Personally, this fan wonder if there’s anything in him effectively holding up the Four Horsemen sign. He was talking about becoming WWE Champ for the fourth time, to be fair, but it was noticeable for a retro enthusiast like yours truly.
Overall, it felt like something was amiss here. This latest confrontation between champ and challengers didn’t carry the same intensity or ‘real people having a real conversation’ aura of their bickering during the SummerSlam Kickoff post-Saturday Night's Main Event. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it didn’t come close to touching that or setting things alight before they meet in-ring with the title at stake.
Punk should be above low-hanging fruit like the "Dusty's kid" line too. Yes, even if he's going to turn heel. It's up in the air whether he or Cody will go rogue on the next PLE (many expect one will), but regardless: There was no need for CM to effectively ridicule the Rhodes name whilst he's annoyed at perceived disrespect from Cody. That kinda trashes your own argument, Phil.
Both men are putting their all into these segments, but this one fell a little bit short of greatness. It was bang average, which is a shame.