6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 20)

3. Paul Heyman’s Part In Things

Roman Reigns Paul Heyman
WWE

This, this was also world class booking.

Paul Heyman being the one to get in Roman's ear and suggest that he keep Sami around until after the Rumble match vs. Kevin Owens was a stroke of genius. That one simple moment put over Paul E's importance to the 'Tribal Chief', and it pushed Heyman's detestable sneak qualities to the fore.

That should be Paul's role - he's there to point out the minor details that a broad stroke player like Reigns might miss. Also, and this is crucial, Heyman saying he's never really trusted Sami immediately hammers home what's coming next. Zayn will be the breakout babyface fans are begging to cheer.

WWE should run a documentary on all the tiny plot points from this entire saga once it's done. There'd be so much to get through, and it'd be fascinating to hear Sami, Roman, Heyman and others reveal what was running through their minds when working through the story.

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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.