5 Ups And 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 30)

1. Orton And Mahal Mail It In

Jinder Mahal Randy Orton
WWE.com

Jinder Mahal's Punjabi Celebration fell flat on May 23rd, but last night's contribution from the WWE Championship feud makes it look like the year's most extravagant and interesting segment. It was as dull as it gets, and as with the Highlight Reel, it served only to remind the fans that these guys exist and that they're feuding with one another, rather than pushing the storyline forward.

Having missed the previous show, Randy Orton hit the ring and ran through his glittering legacy, stating that losing to Mahal was an embarrassment by comparison. He promised to retake the title at MITB, dropping a needless comment about "doing things the American" way, before Jinder appeared on the big screen, drawing big "USA" chants from the crowd.

This was the typical "I'm going to win"/"no, I'm going to win" segment that WWE tend to go to when they don't have any ideas for how to progress a feud on a given week. The only thing it successfully accomplished was giving Orton and Mahal a presence on the show, but neither man gained anything, and by the end, they were both in the exact same position as they were before, rendering the segment pointless.

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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.