5 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Oct 20 - Results & Review)
4. Another Bit Of Build
Post-match, WWE hammered home the point if you missed it first time round.
Rey Mysterio called the LWO "family" backstage right after ignoring Escobar's loss, and he barely even looked at his so-called protege. In fact, Mysterio seemed more concerned with sucking up to Carlito, and that didn't go unnoticed by Santos. He wore an irritated facial expression.
It was more than that, actually; Escobar was wide-eyed and looked like he didn't know whether to burst into a fit of rage or if he's overthinking everything. In one match and segment, WWE provided more motivation for Santos to go rogue and question his mentor. That's efficient booking.
Re-watch the entire scene and you'll see that hardly anybody acknowledged Escobar at all until the end. Zelina Vega glanced at him a few times, Rey gave him a loose handshake, then Carlito finally turned attentions back to the rising star afterwards.
Fingers crossed this all pays off in a big, big way.