5 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 28)

2. Shoehorning Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33 has been a grim inevitability for a while now, and it finally started taking shape last night. One week removed from Styles' controversial draw with Luke Harper in a number one contender's Battle Royal, the duo fought for the right to face Bray Wyatt in Orlando, and it was mired in controversy.

AJ thought he'd scored the victory with the Phenomenal Forearm after just over ten minutes, but Harper's foot was on the ropes. The referee made the three-count, AJ celebrated, and out came Shane to break the unfortunate news. A contrived piece of booking, as Styles eventually pinned Harper anyway, and when it was over, it was hard to shake the feeling that Shane's involvement had derailed what should have been an excellent match.

Styles vs. Harper was a fun throwdown regardless, but it could have done without Shane being shoehorned into the action. It hurt the match's overall quality, and while it led to some verbal sparring on Talking Smack afterwards, it's a shame WWE couldn't find a way to tell the Shane vs. AJ story without blemishing Harper's big match.

Furthermore, we're now consigned to four weeks of watching one of the best wrestlers on the planet feud with an authority figure. Great...