5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 24)

2. Sheamus & Jeff Sitting Down Together

Sheamus Jeff Hardy Bar Fight
WWE.com

It's easy to see what WWE were going for here.

They wanted to present Sheamus and Jeff Hardy as two battle-weary gunslingers sitting down to talk before fighting. It's the old cinematic 'calm before the storm' trick, and it might've worked well had the feud been presented with some begrudging respect issue. It hasn't though, and therein lies the problem.

Sheamus has been appearing via video link in his "home bar", or sneaking up to attack Jeff from behind. He's also been poking fun at some super-serious substance abuse issues, but Hardy was happy to sit there and chew the fat with him before their 'Bar Fight'. Why?!

It didn't make a lick of sense that Jeff would be so calm and measured. The same goes for Sheamus; he should still be seething that Hardy hurled urine into his face on live television and embarrassed him in front of the watching world. This was a poor presentation choice.

Imagine 'Taker and AJ Styles sitting down to share a pint before 'Boneyard'? It wouldn't happen.

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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.