5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (30 Aug)

4. Winner: Heath Slater

Heath Slater
WWE.com

Heath Slater is SmackDown Live’s most unlikely success story, and he’s more over with the crowd at the moment than he has been at any other point in his career. The “free agent” story is working wonders for him, and if it results in a satisfying conclusion, it could see him finally elevate from the enhancement talent doldrums and become a credible WWE midcarder.

Depending on your sense of humour, you’re either going to love or hate his work this week. He and Rhyno advanced in the Tag Team Tournament, but also partook in a questionable vignette set in Slater’s trailer park home. Renee Young travelled to West Virginia to link-up with Slater, his horribly stereotypical white trash “wife,” and Rhyno, who just happened to be hanging around for no apparent reason.

As Rhyno sat stoically eating Cheez Whiz and crackers, Slater ran through the trials and tribulations he’d faced thus far and promised that when he and Rhyno win the titles, he’s upgrading to a doublewide trailer. The segment was a clichéd trainwreck, yet much like TNA’s Final Deletion, it was oddly entertaining. Slater, Rhyno, and Young delved into ScyFy-channel esque “so bad, it’s good” territory here, making this the best worst segment of 2016 thus far.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

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.