6 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Sept 11)

by Andy H Murray

1. Samoa Joe Does It Again

Samoa Joe Story
WWE

Put this promo in the wrong performer's hands and it would be a complete disaster. Imagine, for a moment, if WWE had handed the nursery rhyme script to Roman Reigns on Raw. 'The Big Dog' would've come away look like the biggest dweeb around, having soundly embarrassed himself in a moment reminiscent of his "sufferin' succotash" stinker a few years ago, and we'd all be laughing at him.

Fortunately, Samoa Joe knocked it out of the park, delivering this deliciously daft diatribe to the standards that have made him SmackDown's MVP in recent weeks.

Joe's story time saw him spin a yarn about AJ Styles building his house and leaving his family, before a revered warrior arrived with a plan to become their new patriarch. Said warrior did just that, and in the end, stood as the new champion and man of the house, bidding goodnight to "Wendy, little Annie, and little AJ."

This was essentially Joe's usual anti-AJ promo wrapped up in a completely different bow, and it worked spectacularly. The challenge came off as an awful, creepy piece of sh*t, and the real star of the Styles feud. Whether this means he'll leave with the belt at Hell In A Cell is up for debate, but he has earned his spot.

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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.