7 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 23)

3. Mysterio Thwarts The Miz

WWE tried their best to put the World Cup ("to determine the best in the world," apparently) over huge last night, and the first teaser clash delivered on a higher level than the second (Orton vs. Hardy), with Miz and Mysterio living up to what old WhatCulture SmackDown Ups & Downs cliché: a good little TV bout that you won't remember a fortnight from now.

Rey made a fast start, going right after his opponents with strikes and a 'Rana. The pace continued as they brawled on the outside, before Miz inevitably slowed things down, controlling his sprightly foe with textbook grappling. An early Skull-Crushing Finale was escaped, as was a 619, and the duo would continue to seesaw back-and-forth for the best part of 10 minutes, before Mysterio found the adrenaline spike needed to put his opponent away, doing so with a splash following the 619.

In victory, Mysterio scored Momentum™ ahead of the World Cup, while Miz loses that which he gained from beating Rusev in seconds last week. The tournament itself is relatively meaningless. Our eventually victor will likely receive a prize akin to Braun Strowman's Greatest Royal Rumble belt, which will be forgotten about the moment their plane home takes off from Saudi Arabia, but the qualifiers and teaser bouts have been fun so far, and Crown Jewel will likely deliver on a similar level.