6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (June 16)

4. Brawling Brutes Look Strong

Sheamus Ridge Holland Brawling Brutes
WWE

That gauntlet opener was a great use of Sheamus and Ridge Holland. Some folks are tough on Ridge, but working extensively with Sheamus will do him the world of good. He isn't even bad; rough around the edges, sure, but the guy seems to take a verbal beating on socials just because that's popular to do post-Big E injury.

It seems unfair.

Back to the match. Sheamus did most of the heavy lifting for his squad, but that's alright. He and Ridge beat The Street Profits, OC, LWO and Hit Row before succumbing to Pretty Deadly late on. It was some shift from the Brawling Brutes boys, and there's definitely something to Sheamus and Holland as a powerhouse unit.

Gauntlets can be tough for promotions to book because someone inevitably has to go on a winning run before getting knackered and losing. The Brutes filled that spot on Friday, and they did it well. Speaking of Pretty Deadly...

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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.