5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (23 Aug - Results & Review)

Downs...

3. We’re Gonna Need More Than That!

Santos Escobar Legado del Fantasma Baron Corbin Apollo Crews
WWE

Here we go again, people.

Apollo Crews will 100% rinse and repeat failure on the main roster if he's just going to stand around giggling at all of Baron Corbin's jokes. Actual character development is sorely needed, and it's unclear why WWE don't seem to grasp that with Apollo. Being occasionally flashy in-ring isn't enough.

Crews needs more. There's no hard or soft edge to the guy's personality on-screen - he's just sort of there, and has that paper-thin characterisation that Vince McMahon so loved towards the end of his time in charge. One dimensional characters can fly for a while, but only if the one dimension they have is interesting.

Previously, your writer has spoken of the need to give Apollo and Baron time to find their feet as a tag. That's fair, but creative can't hide the pair away in nothing skits like this and expect fans to respond. Crews, in particular, came out looking like a background cast member in some old 24/7 Title promo from 2019.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.