5 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 17)

3. Zayn's Return Delivers Instant Results

Kevin Owens Sami Zayn Randy Orton
WWE.com

Few WWE Superstars have been utilised as poorly as Sami Zayn in recent years. He's one of the company's strongest performers inside the ring and out, but he has never been pushed as a top guy, and is usually used as a gullible babyface foil for whatever heel the company wish to get over at the time. Big wins have been few and far between, and the upper-midcard appeared to be his career's ceiling prior to Hell In A Cell.

Fortunately, his shocking heel turn is already producing results. 'The Underdog From The Underground' pinned Randy Orton - one of the most protected wrestlers in the company - last night. It's a major upturn for Sami, and he has never looked closer to that elusive main event push.

The pinfall came at the end of a tremendous match, too. Zayn teamed with Kevin Owens to face Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura, and while not quite on the level of the best friends' pre-WWE classics in Ring Of Honor and PWG, it was a great TV main event. The action was fast, fluid, and exciting, the crowd were into it, and even 'The Viper' (so often derided for his poor workrate) went all out. A great way to close the show, and a great way to further Sami as a heel.

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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.