5 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (July 3)

2. A Hell-thy Tag Division (Sorry...)

Kane the Usos
WWE.com

The night's main event saw Team Hell No compete for the first time in years, and it was boatloads better than any Kane match in 2018 has any right to be.

It helps that Kane and Bryan were in there with a team as great as The Usos, but all four performers upheld their end of the bargain. Daniel, understandably, spent more time in the ring than his partner. Kane is old and out of practice, while Bryan has been working his rear-end off every single week. Thus, the former 'Demon' only entered the fray a handful of times, but he didn't look sluggish at all, even when grinding The Usos down in the opening stages.

Team Hell No had to win their return clash, and they did. The closing stretch began with The Usos superkicking Kane to hell. He kicked out, the brothers went to the top, but their Double Uce was thwarted. A Busaiku Knee Kick/Chokeslam combination then brought the bout to an end in just under thirteen minutes. An exciting conclusion to a successful match, though The Usos will have to wait a while longer to re-enter title contention.

The Bludgeon Brothers arrived afterwards, and their stare-down with Team Hell No closed the show. Their reign hasn't been great, but with this match as evidence, the Extreme Rules clash should succeed. Bryan will bring his working boots, Kane will be protected, and with Harper and Rowan two of the most convincing bruisers in the business, the face/heel dynamic should be spot on.

Advertisement
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.