7 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 1)

5. A Promising Rivalry

Sheamus Xavier Woods
WWE.com

The Bar were always going to be smart additions to the healthy SmackDown tag division, and last night saw them kickstart a feud with the most popular team on the brand: The New Day.

It started early in the night. The two teams met backstage, with The New Day mocking Sheamus and Cesaro for failing to win the Raw Tag Team Titles at the Greatest Royal Rumble. Pancakes appeared after much bantering, and Sheamus vs. Xavier Woods was booked when the European duo refused to eat 'em, closing a fun little segment.

The ensuing singles match was solid, but unspectacular. While the eight-minute runtime prevented them from breaking out of third gear, they did well with the allotted timeslot, and the finish worked for the story.

Cesaro cut Woods' rope-walk elbow drop off, then set his sights on Big E, taking the big fella out. Xavier re-adjusted, and flew to the outside, flattening 'The Swiss Superman,' before falling victim to Sheamus. He was quick to react, though, and soon, the Irishman fell to a roll-up and the 1-2-3, keeping him protected in defeat, while also providing a reason to get right back after The New Day next week.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.