5 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE Smackdown (Sept 24)

Downs...

3. Roman Reigns vs. Luke Harper Was Disappointing

It makes perfect sense that WWE's creative team would continue this storyline with one-on-one matches. The Wyatt Family's ongoing rivalry with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose just begs for different combinations in singles bouts. That was the thinking behind Luke Harper vs. Reigns on Smackdown, but the execution simply didn't work. Despite the fact that many rag on Roman Reigns (more specifically, WWE's handling of the man), he can be an exciting in-ring performer. On the other side of the ring, Luke Harper is an athletic big man, one who isn't afraid to bump for his opponents. Sadly, Reigns didn't take full advantage of that fact. During the Smackdown match, Roman's strikes and moves felt a little light. The story is heated between both men and their respective partners, so the action should have been hard-hitting. This was a tasty confrontation going in, and should have been a highlight of the show. Disappointingly, it felt light and largely throwaway in the grand context of the rivalry.