6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Oct 1)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Roman The Godfather

Roman Reigns Paul Heyman
WWE

Then, somehow, it only got better.

Roman Reigns has added some mafia boss vibes to his gimmick lately, and they're both chilling and damn entertaining. The way he kept Paul Heyman on edge for potentially cheating on him with Brock Lesnar was superb, and the threat that he'd ditch the manager in an instant to protect his family adds up.

Prior boasts about being 'Head Of The Table' were not to be ignored. In storyline, this is a role that Roman takes rather seriously. Even Jimmy and Jey appeared nervous around their cousin once he banished Heyman from the room and told him to do the right thing come Raw.

Honestly, the way these guys work their segments is so, so good. Everyone, from Brock Lesnar and The Usos to Paul E and Reigns, worked this well. They were passionate, expressive, didn't d*ck around too much and added a new layer of intrigue to Raw.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more like this, check out 4 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Sep 17) and 4 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Sep 24)!

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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.