6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Mar 24)

2. What A Way To Start

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It's always appreciated when WWE kicks off a TV show by going straight to the ring for a match rather than the usual in-ring preamble. That presentation feels fresh, 'cause it breaks the normal formatting and means viewers get to see some hot wrasslin' action before all the back-and-forth mic work.

Cody Rhodes vs. Ludwig Kaiser was a sweet way to get things going.

You've got to love the subtle story being told here. Cody is the everyman worker who never shirks an in-ring opportunity, whilst Roman Reigns is the arrogant champion who prefers to rest up before his biggest fights. Paul Heyman managed to sell that all over again by lining up Solo Sikoa as Rhodes' next hurdle on Raw.

Cody interacting with Imperium (and beating Kaiser) teases more Rhodes vs. GUNTHER later in the year too. Your writer is all for that, and it's safe to assume everybody feels the same/enjoyed seeing them work towards the end of the Rumble match two months ago.

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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.