6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (1 May - Results & Review)
4. Strong Opening Promo From Ricky Saints
Ricky Saints calling SmackDown “Friday Night Saints” might catch on eventually if he keeps saying it, although it's fair to say that fans in Tulsa weren’t exactly committing to it here. Back on the plus side, Saints has always been accomplished on the mic, but he was on for this main roster debut. The crowd then came alive for Cody challenging Ricky to a match.
Arguably, this segment didn’t need the extra dialogue after that moment, but this was still a strong start to the show with a fresh face and promise of Rhodes in action for the first time since WrestleMania. That's probably why people were so enthused by what they were seeing. There was a meaty pop for Cody revealing that he's finally been medically cleared following a grisly eye injury suffered vs. Randy Orton in Las Vegas.
Saints could be cast as a babyface going forwards, but let's be honest about something straight away: He's much, much, much more comfortable as a smug heel. That'd be the best route for him right now, at least until he's more established as a main roster concern. Getting booed by an audience who don't really know much about you is easier than cuddling up to them and forcing some choked cheers.
Triple H will be chuffed that Ricky more than held his own on the mic with the reigning WWE Champion though. That was never a given, but Rhodes cleverly avoided eating Saints alive verbally just because he could. They're friends behind the scenes, and it showed without turning this into a display of smiles and back-patting.