7 Ups & 0 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Aug 25)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Bray’s Final Foe & The ‘Fiend’s’ First

LA Knight Finn Balor
WWE.com

Knight vs. Finn Bálor wasn't just a unique WWE match, but also a clash between Wyatt's final opponent and the first he wrestled as his 'Fiend' alter ego. No, there was hardly any reason for these men to scrap in storyline, but it was a fresh matchup and they went at it from the opening bell.

Seeing LA win, then WWE paying one last tribute to Bray as SmackDown went off the air, was heartwarming. Wyatt would've surely been proud of how much p*ss and vinegar Knight and Bálor had in their bones as they worked through the gears towards a popular finish.

Let's hope he was looking down with a smile.

Some matches become memorable for the message behind them more than spots worked for the sake of it. This was one of those, and you should go out of your way to watch it if you haven't already. What a genuinely nice way to cap off the night.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more wrestling, check out AEW All In 2023: 10 Things That Must Happen and AEW All In 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True!

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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.