7 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (July 10)

3. Finally, A Resolution

A warm welcome back to Andrade 'Cien' Almas, who wrestled only his third main roster match in the 12 weeks since his NXT call-up, renewing his rivalry with WWE's only true backstage shooter (I, II, III), Sin Cara, in a fun six-minute sprint.

While it's a shame that WWE put this feud on ice for so long, at least they came back to it. The company could've easily let the storyline drift into the ether without ever acknowledging it, and they didn't, instead letting Almas and Cara work a surprisingly competitive bout that won't be remembered months from now, but still delivered.

'Cien' gave his opponent a surprising amount of offence, and that's fine. Sin Cara is at his best as an underdog in fast-paced midcard bouts. He's always motivated, fired-up, and spirited, holding nothing back, even in defeat, and this was the case again last night.

WWE presented Cara as a worthy opponent for Almas. This made for a more enjoyable match, as 'Cien' straight-up squashing his former friend in a couple of minutes would've felt like a disappointment. The (slightly) longer format meant that Almas' win felt earned, and now, finally, he can move onto something more substantial.