5 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 21)

by Andy H Murray

1. X Marks The Spot

Last year's Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt feud was a mess, and quickly diverged into the hokiness that has blightedThe Eater of Worlds throughout his WWE career. They steadied the ship with their allegiance, however, and have since created a surprisingly compelling WWE Championship program. Last week saw Wyatt "reborn" in Sister Abigail's ashes, and he took things a step further on last night's show.

Renee Young interviewed Orton after his win over Corbin, but it was abruptly interrupted. Bray's cheesy lighting effects kicked-in, and suddenly, The Viper was surrounded by men in goat masks. Randy tried to fight, but the numbers eventually overwhelmed him, and with his challenger subdued, Bray finally arrived and marked Orton with a red X. "You exposed my one flaw," he said, "but what you didn't know was that one flaw would become my greatest strength."

Your enjoyment of this feud likely depends on your tolerance for Bray's character. It's nowhere near as daft as the last time Orton and Wyatt were feuding, but the rivalry has become just as much about mysticism and the supernatural as pure, unbridled hatred. Still, they're well positioned to have one of WrestleMania's strongest matches, and we'll likely learn what the X means next week.

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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.