5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (21 Feb - Results & Review)
The Rock played WrestleMania mind games with Cody Rhodes on SmackDown.
Eyebrows were raised when news broke that none other than The Rock would be there live for Friday's SmackDown. WWE didn't give everyone a few days notice to get pumped. Nope, they dropped the bombshell late then the 'Final Boss' waltzed onto set to announce that WrestleMania 42 will take place in New Orleans. That wasn't his only piece of business on the blue brand though.
Rock's promo segment with Cody Rhodes will divide opinion. It's fair to let things shake out, because there's clearly a long-term story going on, but isolating this one skit makes things less...glossy. Whilst it's defo important to give stories room to breathe, it's also important to judge individual segments on their own merits.
That lengthy bit messed with Triple H's format sheets before SmackDown went on the air. As a result, parts of the broadcast came across rather spotty, but a few spirited matches raised the bar and kept things motoring along. Kevin Owens might've just dropped some handy hints for Rocky to follow in the future too. He's a master at getting to the point quickly, put it that way!
A cracking main event was bolstered by a fabulous opener. Annoyances still persist in the Women's Title scene though. Those who were worried about Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair before might want to avert their eyes from this week's show. It's OK to get even more concerned about the way things are headed on that front.
Here's all the good and bad from a hastily-reassembled Smackers before next week's Elimination Chamber.