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

1. Forged In Hell

Things have quietened down for Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt since the shack-burning incident. The Viper's betrayal sent Wyatt into hiding last week, but Orton stayed active by defeating AJ Styles to finally cement his number one contendership. Last night saw Orton hit the ring to address the crowd, and while the ensuing segment didn't represent either man's best work, it was an effective follow-up.

Orton explained that his relationship with Wyatt was just a ploy to get close to him before hitting the Eater of Worlds where it hurt. He successfully did that by destroying Sister Abigail's burial ground, but after promising to take everything that Wyatt had left, Orton was interrupted.

The WWE Champion appeared on the screen, and indulged in some of his hokier tendencies. Claiming that Abigail was "forged in hell, and her heart still beats," Wyatt stated that the betrayal had only made him stronger, then baptised himself in Abigail's ashes, adding at least one more level of creepiness to WWE's creepiest character.

If you're not excited about this feud, this segment probably won't do much to change your perception, but the performances were relatively strong. The initial Orton vs. Wyatt feud wasn't particularly compelling, but they have turned things around through their brief allegiance, and created a match worth of taking a prominent card position at WrestleMania. The one remaining question surrounds Luke Harper's involvement, though this will surely be addressed in time.