6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (June 19)

.....RUN!

Matt Riddle AJ Styles
WWE.com

This is the second week in a row that SmackDown has had three times as many 'Ups' as it did 'Downs', and that's a major positive for WWE.

Friday's episode featured a colossal (if ill-timed) debut that'll shake up the upper midcard scene, some seriously good duelling promos that will set up a couple of nifty pay-per-view matches and some really, really good pro wrestling action. Nobody can ask any more of a two-hour weekly than that.

The only serious downside came by way of familiar storytelling struggles with one of the brand's biggest rivalries; Jeff Hardy and Sheamus are let down by comedic flourishes WWE cannot resist, but they also need to be careful of their own wording. They have the power to make this angle better.

SmackDown was great overall though. It motored along at a nice pace, didn't linger too long on some of the lesser stories/feuds and left everyone guessing with the conclusion. Honestly, the future is almost as bright as Bray Wyatt's Hawaiian shirts.

Or that lantern he carries about. Before he blew it out, of course...

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.