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

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Mind Games From KO

Cody Rhodes Kevin Owens Tag
WWE.com

Cody Rhodes shot Kevin Owens a knowing look when it seemed KO was going to crack him with the WWE Title right before SmackDown went dark. Instead, Owens quickly handed the belt off on his way past Cody and shouted at A-Town Down Under. He was absolutely about to knock Rhodes into next week, wasn't he?

The scoundrel.

WWE went with more of the same teasing here, but there was the added wrinkle of Cody questioning if he can trust the guy he handpicked for a title match in Berlin. Together, the pair beat the rapidly fading duo of Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, then posed for their adoring public.

The match was nothing special, but the ongoing 'will he/won't he?' of KO potentially turning on Cody elevated things. That turn is surely incoming, although Trips could wait until after Germany to make it happen. Then, their feud can tie in with Randy Orton's Legacy beef vs. Rhodes.

Just a guess, but an educated one if you've been paying attention to the way Randy stared at Cody's belt previously.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more wrestling, check out 10 Forgotten WWE Stables You Totally Don't Remember and 10 Shocking AEW Plans You Won't Believe Almost Happened!

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Contributor

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.