7 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown: Happy New Year (Dec 30)

Ups...

7. They Beat The Sh*t Out Of Each Other

Sheamus vs. Solo Sikoa had touches of Sheamey's battles vs. GUNTHER about it, and that's a huge compliment to the in-ring opener. WWE has neatly presented Solo as somebody fans should give a toss about - he's an often-silent enforcer in The Bloodline, and he matches up well physically with everyone on the roster.

Bright days are ahead for this 'Uce'.

It definitely doesn't hurt Sheamus to eat a loss like this either. He's good enough, experienced enough and over enough to bounce back, and the actual bell-to-bell quality was really, really high here. Indeed, both guys kicked lumps out of one another like the other dude owed them money, and it was awesome fun.

Special mention for Sikoa's 'Samoan Spike' finish too. That's a killer visual, and one that's easy to execute for everyone involved. You can't beat a wrestling finisher that's pain-free but looks absolutely devastating regardless.