6 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jun 26)

1. Hell Yes

How the hell did WWE make this work?

An overweight, over-the-hill Kane, who was last seen doing his very best to halt Braun Strowman's momentum in a universally maligned program, just drew one of the pops of the year. That's miraculous, and the writers deserve immense credit for delivering an objectively successful set piece.

The Bludgeon Brothers had Bryan at the their mercy. They were on the verge of destroying the former General Manager, when, out of nowhere, Kane's music hit. The man who would be Knox County mayor marched down, put the pain on the SmackDown Champions, and soon, he and his former partner were left standing across the ring from each other.

They embraced, and the crowd went nuts. It was the kind of organic, feel-good moment we don't often see on WWE television. That's why it was so refreshing. Nothing about this felt forced or contrived. It was completely natural, and if the company aren't going to push Bryan as a main-eventer, bringing Team Hell No back is an excellent shout.

For many fans, tagging with Bryan was the last time Kane was truly enjoyable. Their reunion raises a number of medium and long-term concerns, but for now, let's just bask in the moment.