7 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (April 28)

5. Right! Let’s Try This Again!

The OC AJ Styles Michin Valhalla Viking Raiders
WWE.com

Yours truly is giving WWE one more chance with The Viking Raiders, but only because he's excited to see them work some smash mouth bouts opposite new SmackDown draftees Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. This was a decent-enough start for The OC on Friday nights, but it's what happens next that really counts.

Erick and Ivar are cooked if they don't get a win or two soon.

They've been consistently undermined by WWE booking for years now. No more f*cking around, please. It shouldn't be difficult to reheat the heels by way of some stiff brawls with Gallows and Anderson. Besides, it's not like The OC lads would lose a step if they stared at the lights for their pals.

Side note: AJ Styles returning to action is a welcome boost for everyone. He's arguably past-his-prime now, but AJ can still work top matches in his sleep, and he'll be relied upon to carry this mini-feud on the microphone too.

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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.