6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 25)

Downs...

3. There Was No Need To Start Again

The Viking Raiders Valhalla Erik Ivar
WWE.com

Remember when Erik and Ivar started becoming squash match machines and rebranded themselves as The Vicious Viking Raiders over the summer? WWE don't, and they don't want anybody to talk about that either. Why? Well, they're trying to repeat the trick like it's some original move.

The Raiders started moving onto longer matches before Erik's foot injury during a 'Viking Rules' match vs. New Day in September. That was a welcome change of pace, but the pair are back to working squashes like that never happened. Meanwhile, WWE's announcers are weirdly pretending this is a new direction because Sarah Logan has been re-dubbed Valhalla.

OK then.

There was nothing of value in The Raiders squashing Hit Row. On that note, somebody light a candle for Top Dolla', Ashante Adonis and B-FAB, because they're sinking fast. Triple H has blatantly lost interest in the trio, and so they became jobbers here.

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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.