5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Dec 17)
4. Keeping It Basic
WWE also kept things straightforward in other matches too.
Ridge Holland cracked Cesaro in the ribs with his billy club pre-match. That turned their scuffle into more of an extended beatdown angle than a proper match, but it's sweet that they're keeping things so simple with the Holland and Sheamus alliance for now.
Sheamus should be causing distractions and setting traps for Ridge at the moment. They're still in that honeymoon period as a package, and it's not like Cesaro is damaged beyond repair by dropping to defeat following a pre-bell smack to the ribs with a weapon. If anything, that protected him.
It might be wise to stick Holland and Sheamus in the tag-team division for a while. Ridge could use some reps in matches with The Viking Raiders (for example) over the next month or so. He has a genuine chance to make it on the main roster if this booking continues.