5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 17 - Results & Review)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Santos Escobar Delivers

Santos Escobar Zelina Vega
WWE.com

Not even dreaded "WHAT?!" chants could stop Santos Escobar from powering his way through a crucial promo justifying his heel turn on ex-mentor Rey Mysterio. Evansville's chants were uncalled for too, because Santos turning on Rey is a compelling story with realistic motives.

Escobar ploughed through all of his material with aplomb here.

Zelina Vega slapped him for being a dirtbag, and then Santos kicked old pals Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde to the curb. WWE moved quickly to announce Escobar vs. arch nemesis (one of them, at least) Carlito for Survivor Series. That'll be a fun time-burner before Mysterio is able to return from knee surgery.

Santos referenced that hospital visit by brutally saying he hopes Rey's leg gets amputated. That cruel line was straight out of Dominik Mysterio's heel playbook. No, no that is not a complaint. Escobar also mentioned Dom Dom, and said he agrees with Mysterio Jr Jr's assessment of his father.

Top work from someone with serious potential.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more like this, check out AEW Full Gear 2023: 10 Things That Must Happen and AEW Full Gear 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True!

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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.