6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (14 Mar - Results & Review)
The Street Profits win WWE tag gold on a muddled SmackDown in red hot Barcelona.
Cody Rhodes didn't have much to do over in Barcelona on the latest SmackDown.
The reigning WWE Champion cut a phenomenal babyface promo on last week's blistering episode of blue brand fare, but SmackDown's creative team didn't even bother trying to top that with more follow-on here. Instead, they had Cody blast The Miz with his finish then challenge John Cena to show up on Monday's Raw. That meant Rhodes fell somewhere between the 'Ups' and 'Downs'.
Don't worry, because there's plenty of good and bad to dig into elsewhere! This wasn't a love-in like the write-up on WWE's 7 March edition was, but there was still a lot to enjoy in Barca. The live crowd was a highlight itself - citizens in the beautiful European city showed their excitement for all things WWE. It's just a pity Triple H didn't give them a little more beyond usual 'house show with cameras' filler episodes that occur internationally.
Two matches in particular sagged, and there was a baffling gloss over job for one of SmackDown's main feuds after another, slightly better in-ring clash. This writer is still scratching his head over it. Sure, WWE can't give 30 minutes plus to everyone every week, but Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton is a marquee bout heading into WrestleMania 41.
On the plus side, a neat title change, some more Jade Cargill context, a hot bout rammed with local flavour and intense work between Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair all helped the show massively.
Here's all the yay and nay from SmackDown.