5 Ups And 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 14)

Ups...

5. AJ's Rage

Shane McMahon AJ Styles
WWE.com

The AJ Styles/Shane McMahon story went off a cliff later in the show, but their first few contributions were excellent. SmackDown opened with Styles demanding Shane's presence following last week's argument on Talking Smack, then cutting an intense, venomous promo on the brand's commissioner. Chastising management for essentially taking his WrestleMania match away after carrying SmackDown since the brand split, Styles came-off very strongly throughout.

The duo finally got violent later in the show. Shane arrived at the building halfway through the night, but AJ was in no mood for talking. Styles beat McMahon down in the parking lot, smashed his head through a car window, and walked away. Daniel Bryan was naturally furious, and after claiming he'd lost all respect for the former WWE Champion, he "fired" him, and banished him from the building.

These first two AJ/Shane segments were great, and escalated their rivalry in a quick, effective manner. While many fans would rather see Styles face a more credible opponent, few could complain about these segments, and the car window spot suggests that the match should be a great deal more heated than Shane's last WrestleMania bout. Here's hoping the feud continues down this route, rather than following the main event's example.

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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.