5 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 7)

3. Pre-Match Promos From Kevin Owens And Dean Ambrose

If WWE need a template to work from for future feuds, they should look closely at Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens. Both men play their characters expertly, something which was never more clear than during their respective pre-match promos. Ambrose comes across as a fighting champion babyface, whereas Owens comes out looking like a dirt bag kind of guy who will do anything to win. It's a simple story, but it works wonders. Smackdown allowed both to wax lyrical before their main event match for the Intercontinental Title. Big bouts should be previewed by letting both competitors air their thoughts, it's something people see a lot in UFC. In truth, the presentation used by UFC is something borrowed from traditional pro wrestling anyway, so it's something WWE must make more use of. Ambrose and Owens were given the chance to give some final hype for their match, and it was effective. If people were sitting on the fence wondering whether or not they should watch, Owens calling Ambrose a cockroach and the champion referring to the challenger's tag of being a prize fighter should have convinced.