5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (11 Sept - Results & Review)

Downs...

3. Lame Duck Match & A Turn Without Emotion

Damian Priest and R-Truth lost their AAA Tag Title match to The War Raiders, then Priest turned on Truth. This one was on the cards, so the title match was rudderless. No amount of samey backstage skits over the past couple of months was ever going to change that. At least Mexico City gave The Raiders more of a welcome than most live crowds would. Got to take your wins where you can find them, lads!

Sadly, the match never properly got going and there was never any threat of a title change. Post-bout, Priest's turn lacked any and all emotional weight too. It’s incredible how far Damian has slipped since the Judgment Day and World Champ days. Hopefully, he can rescue things going forwards, but a berth in AAA may be on tap for this big dude to see if he can turn the ship around.

He's gone from being one of WWE's most impressive new headliners to someone guffawing at Truth's antics behind the curtain. Now, he's back on his own again. That's a start, but it won't mean a darn thing unless Triple H actually has a plan for Priest. His babyface run, aside from teaming with Rhea Ripley, was a bit of a washout.

It remains to be seen if WWE's fanbase will get behind Truth as he looks for some revenge. The veteran can play a good underdog when he has to, but he might want to ask Chelsea Green for some tips heading into this one. On the other side, Damian has to up the menace if he wants to succeed as a heel. He could do worse than having a word with Gunther.