6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (8 May - Results & Review)

1. The Gingerbread Man Funeral

Sami Zayn Trick Williams Gingerbread Man Funeral
WWE.com

Look, they really tried to go all in on the comedy with everything here. Some of the spots showing Gingerbread Man in attendance for various historic WWE moments did get giggles, but the whole thing gobbled up far too much time on a 'go home' broadcast before the next PLE. It's also ringing true that the heelish Sami Zayn is pretty much bang on when complaining about how ridiculous it all is.

Unfortunately, that Trick Williams song/rap (complete with backing singers) was also cringe as hell. Maybe it was supposed to be, but making an ultra-cool new babyface like Trick look cringey isn't the right call. Further, Sami saying “this is ridiculous” summed it up. Same goes when he added: “Television time on SmackDown used to mean something”. This was a miss, at least for this fan.

Sami’s intensity and seriousness is exactly what this rivalry needs, and it only spotlighted how daft the Gingerbread Man stuff is. Lil Yachty posing as Gingerbread then sitting up like The Undertaker was parody-style nonsense. Nah, wasn’t feeling this - as if that isn’t obvious! It might have raised a few laughs for some fans, and that's great if it did, but generally yours truly believes WWE have been doing Zayn and Trick dirty by seeking cheap giggles.

Comedy can work in wrestling, but it needs to fit. If anything, Sami should be getting cheered for cutting through the crap and vowing to straight up wrestle that United States belt away from Williams just to shut his mouth.

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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.