6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Mar 17)
1. The Payoff!
Wrestling's best storytellers never miss the chance to cram their segments/matches full of tiny details that people can come back to later on. For example, watch how Sami backed off and expressed some tentative fear when Owens walked towards him for the crowd-popping hug before SmackDown ended.
That staggering character work revealed his persona's current fragility and fears. Sami knew he needed KO's help, but he's struggling to trust anyone right now after events with The Bloodline/Roman Reigns/Jey Uso over the past few months. It's unreal to see a master at work like Zayn.
Plus, the crowd was hot for KO and Sami finally hugging it out and reuniting. Creative really has done a fab job of keeping this story going without pulling the trigger prematurely; the reaction to their writing on Friday should tell WWE that an Undisputed Tag Title match is the best choice to headline 'Mania night one.
Perhaps that's another behind-the-scenes battle for another day.
What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more wrestling, check out WWE 2K23: 10 Best Looking Characters and WWE 2K23: 10 Things You NEED To Do First!