6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (4 Apr - Results & Review)
3. Rey Fenix Sparkles On His Debut
In January, ex-AEW star Penta looked like a million bucks during his Raw debut on Netflix. On SmackDown in April, Rey Fenix arguably couldn't match that, but WWE wasn't trying to do exactly the same thing anyway. They just let Fenix go out there against a well-suited peer and watched him whet everyone's appetites for more. Trust the process. There will be a lot more from this guy.
Rey's company debut went off without a hitch. It's easy to imagine the dude was super-stressed about some of his high-flying spots (this fan had palpitations once he started bouncing around on the ropes during his entrance; it was a real 'please don't fall' experience!), but he nailed everything he went for. There wasn't a lot of psychology and Fenix can definitely do even better, but the segment was all about introducing Rey as someone who'll be a force on the WWE roster going forwards.
Mission accomplished.
NXT's Nathan Frazer deserves a special mention too, because this was his SmackDown debut as well and he was great out there. Yep, Fenix was the undoubted star and he'll reach higher heights in the short-term, but Frazer surely received a pat on the back from old mentor Seth Rollins for his efforts. That had to feel good for one half of the NXT Tag-Team Champions.
WWE teased a match between Fenix and Berto from Los Garza immediately afterwards. Who else can get behind that? The Legado del Fantasma man is well-placed to bounce around for Rey, and if it gets us one step closer to Lucha Bros vs. Los Garza, then...hell yes.
Fab debut from Rey.