6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (May 12)

3. Opening Up With Some Legends

Edge AJ Styles Rey Mysterio
WWE.com

OK, let's address one of the major talking points coming out of this one: There was a bit of a botch near the end, and that seems to have spoiled the whole match for some. Seriously? Edge vs. Rey Mysterio vs. AJ Styles was the best version of itself in 2023. It was never going to be some blistering bumpfest.

These guys are on the back nine of their respective careers, so simply seeing them share a pro wrestling ring together at this stage in the game feels priceless. Nobody thought they'd be seeing this sort of match in 2023, put it that way. That's worth treasuring alone.

Besides, the opener had sparkling moments.

WWE pieced together a story of heartbreak (Edge's World Heavyweight Title dream dying), joy (AJ roaring back into the main event conversation) and what might've been (Rey coming close). It was really well done, and felt like history being made live.

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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.