5 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Nov 21)

by Andy H Murray

1. Bryan's Plan Backfires

SmackDown Lumberjacks
WWe.com

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were at the heart of SmackDown's biggest narrative last night. They've been a constant nuisance to Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan since reuniting, and the show began with the Commissioner threatening their jobs - a move that sowed discontent between him and his General Manager.

Bryan and McMahon quarrelled over the subject later in the evening. Then, in the night's main event, Kevin and Sami faced The New Day as punishment for their transgressions, with the entire male roster surrounding the ring. The lumberjack stipulation was installed to ensure the heels took a beating, but things didn't pan out how the authority figures had anticipated, and they walked away with the victory.

The match fell into disarray when Baron Corbin accidentally struck Bobby Roode, and the 'jacks were soon brawling among themselves, not Zayn, Owens, and The New Day. This confusion allowed Sami to steal a roll-up on Kofi Kingston, but KO bailed, leaving his supposed 'best friend' at the popular trio's mercy.

It devolved into the usual lumberjack cliches, but the bout succeeded. The action preceding the breakdown was solid, with Zayn and Owens once again proving their status as WWE's most annoying heels, though Kevin abandoning Sami raises big questions about their partnership. Here's hoping the company weren't teasing a split, and this all leads to a big pay-per-view showdown with The New Day sometime down the line.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.