6 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 9)

2. A Break From The Norm

Becky Lynch Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

Breaks from the norm are always welcome from companies as vehemently formula-driven as WWE, and in starting last night's SmackDown with a match, the company gave the show a completely different feel. Kudos for that, and kudos for stepping away from the same weekly clichés.

Kicking things off with Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair meant we didn't have to sit through the textbook weekly revolving door opener. Those segments are usually solid, functional, and often fun, but rarely anything other than a 6/10. Though they're never awful, you get bored of watching slight variations on the same thing every single week. Thus, moments like this will always be an Up, and WWE deserve credit for starting last night's show hot.

They can't (and won't) do things like this every single week, but it'd be great to see the company flip the script more often.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.