4 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Aug 21)

1. A Sudden End

Before digging into this one, it's important to state that Jeff Hardy isn't a poor Intercontinental Champion.

In fact, had this been booked over a longer period, he'd actually be a pretty good one. The problem is that AJ Styles was the perfect wrestler to play IC Champ in 2020, but his own reign barely got started before WWE whisked the rug from beneath his feet and put it on "Redemption Tour" head boy Jeff.

Admittedly, seeing AJ attack Hardy during the Retribution chaos and try to weasel out of the bout was good fun. However, his IC run feels like a wasted opportunity when it could easily have been one of the best reigns of the entire year. Now, he's in the challenger role again.

That's a role that suits Hardy better. WWE should've teased this one for months before Jeff finally put Styles in his place and exorcised some more of his demons. The rush through this feud has been unnecessary, especially when Jeff vs. Sheamus lasted for ages.