6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (May 13)

5. That Opener

Sami Zayn Riddle
WWE.com

From there, Sami and Riddle went on to have a cracking little match. It was always going to be good, 'cause these guys are excellent when they're handed enough time to tell a story, and both play their respective delusional heel/stoner babyface roles to a tee.

This one clicked from minute one.

There was a nice level of intensity to Zayn's work. At times, it was almost like he was channelling the spirit of The Bloodline t-shirt he was wearing by going all Roman Reigns circa 2020 on Riddle. Man, Sami really must be considered WWE's best utility player in 2022. He fits into almost any situation and gets something out of it.

It was also cool to see Riddle bring back his Bro Derek for the finish. That's something Randy Orton has been harping on about during recent promos, and this continuity between tag partners enhanced the match further.

Great work.

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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.