5 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (April 5 - Results & Review)
1. Buddy Buddy
Later, LP showed up at the venue and was cornered by Randy and Kevin.
Owens and Orton are still playing buddy cop movie leads during this rivalry, and it sucks. There's absolutely no friction between them, which hasn't helped the build towards this weekend. Here, everyone went through the motions, and Paul very-nearly came out looking more sympathetic than intended.
What's the end goal here? If it's to dilute how good Owens and Orton are and possibly put some support behind the unlikable Paul, then...mission accomplished? Yep, Randy gunning for the United States Title without KO there as a third wheel would've been the better way to go in retrospect.
Things might've been a tad different had WWE booked any tension or heat between the babyfaces, but they haven't. As a result, even that'll come out of the blue during Sunday's match. 'Mania 40's US Title sprint has been a textbook example of how not to book a three-way story.