6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Mar 4)

Ups...

6. The Opening Promo Sprint

Ronda Rousey
WWE/BT Sport

Onto the good stuff.

OK, so nothing special or unmissable was said during the starting promo train that kicked off this week's SmackDown. However, those little inserts from Paul Heyman, Ronda Rousey, The Viking Raiders, Ricochet and more all helped set the scene for what fans could expect from the night.

It was a neat way to jumpstart SmackDown, and was way better than a series of graphics with commentary hype backing them up. Hearing Ricochet explain why the Intercontinental Title is important to him, or what Rousey planned to do to Sonya Deville, was ideal. Best of all, none of the promos overstayed their welcome.

This is something WWE has tried before on occasion, and it's a technique they should come back to. It's fine to start shows with these snappy interviews instead of a lengthy 15-minute interruption-heavy segment. It really, really is.

Advertisement
Contributor

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.