6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Sept 22 - Results & Review)

3. A Really Good Pivot

AJ Styles John Cena
WWE.com

WWE had to scramble like Lamar Jackson in the pocket and sprint down field for a quick 10-yard completion due to LA Knight's COVID issue coming so late in the day before SmackDown. The good news? Installing AJ Styles as a possible partner for John Cena at Fastlane was a top contingency plan.

That worked.

Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa then beating the snot out of Styles made them look like monsters too, which was welcome. Props must go to the writers for whipping all of this up on short notice. Unless, y'know, AJ's beatdown was planned all along. Maybe it was, but WWE sidestepped the Knight problem well here regardless.

Being able to call upon a star the level of Styles really sells the depth of the roster. Also, and this is worth saying, fans were into the thought of Cena and AJ letting bygones be bygones ("Beat Up John Cena" is over, people) for a tag on the next PLE.

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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.