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

by Jamie Kennedy

1. A Super-Strong Debut

Matt Riddle Daniel Bryan
WWE.com

WWE obviously has a lot to sort out away from the ring with Matt Riddle, but his SmackDown debut was one of the best in living memory.

Not many workers get to debut by interrupting workers the standing of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan, and even fewer then get handed a clean win over a top heel who has just been crowned with a title. That was Riddle's lot on Friday night, and he must've been thrilled with his evening's work.

Provided his personal life doesn't get in the way of things and scupper WWE's plans before they even get started, Riddle is heading for big things. One wouldn't put it past the company to fall in love with his skill set and put him over AJ at Extreme Rules for the IC Title.

Again, that depends on how things shake out in the real world. The former NXT man could well be a linchpin on SmackDown for the next few years if all goes well. WWE are definitely into him - guys don't beat AJ Styles that way without some love behind the scenes.

What did you think of this week's SmackDown? For more like this, check out Ranking Every WWE PPV Of 2020 (So Far) and 10 Worst WWE PPV Matches Of 2020 (So Far)!

Advertisement
Contributor

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.