5 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 6)
1. Stealing The Show
Aiden English is an absolute gem. He openly dissed the Kansas City crowd during his introductory promo, but still had everyone chanting "Rusev Day" to set up his partner's United States Championship match with Bobby Roode. God bless that man, and long may his songs grace our screens.
The bout itself was excellent, too. Easily the best thing on last night's show, it was permeated with back-and-forth action, representing everything the division should be. In an ideal world, every United States Title fight would be fast, competitive, and exciting. Leave the over-the-top dramatics for the main event scene: this should be the workrate belt, and matches like Rusev vs. Roode will go a long way to establishing that reputation.
The fans were deeply invested in both, with "Rusev Day" chants firing up throughout. Sadly, though, it wasn't a happy holiday for 'The Bulgarian Brute.' He was put away after Bobby escaped the Accolade and hit the Glorious DDT, but he lost nothing in defeat. His popularity will never be harmed with performances such as this, which stand as a reminder of how under-utilised he is, and strengthen the argument that he deserves a bigger spot.
Fair play to Roode, too. His work can be dry, but he really comes to life between the ropes with the right opponent, and we can only hope for more bouts with the Rusevs of the world, and fewer with the Mojo Rawleys. A supplemental 'up' to Randy Orton's awesome post-match RKO-fest, too.