5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (11 Apr - Results & Review)

Downs...

4. Cody Tries His Best, But…

…segments without John Cena are a tough one so close to ‘Mania.

Cody was in a hard spot here, because he had to carry the entire segment himself without bouncing off anybody. In fairness, he acknowledged that, and put the heat on John for choosing not to make Seattle part of his retirement tour. Then, Rhodes showed off belts held by guys like Bruno Sammartino, The Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero and Cena himself (complete with a little "spinner" action).

Sadly, this wasn't the most must-see promo ever, and it could’ve actually been a complete waste of time had Rhodes not brought up the "spinner" title and Cena’s legacy. Yes, JC is set to be on SmackDown next week, but that couldn't stop this week's show from feeling a little overlooked by the creative team. Seattle's masses had to be feeling that too, because they certainly didn't pay for a Cody TED Talk about old title belts.

The Rock never really being brought up by either side is certainly a choice considering his involvement in Cena's heel turn too. Elimination Chamber went off the air in Toronto with everyone looking forward to a blistering final sprint towards 'Mania. Rock's new 'Corporation' with John Cena and possibly others sounded wonderful, but things haven't really panned out like that.

So, plaudits to Cody for doing the best he could with weak material, but that material was so thin it was practically see through. In the end, his speech boiled down to a pop for Guerrero's name and an excuse to spin one of Cena's old props.