7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (3 Jan - Results & Review)

Ups...

7. Getting Everyone Involved!

Motor City Machine Guns DIY Pretty Deadly Los Garza
WWE.com

Sure, the Machine Guns needed to show more fire than they did during the first half of their title showdown vs. DIY, but that was already moaned about in the 'Downs' section. Moving on, the rest of the match and segment worked a treat. Pretty Deadly and Los Garza got involved, which led to the referee throwing the match out. It'd be easy to shake your head at that kind of finish, but stick with it.

All of it makes sense within the framework of the story being told.

Deadly are stirring the pot backstage by telling lies aplenty, Garza called them out on it, and now both teams are in the mix for tag title shots of their own someday. Why? Well, DIY vow to make PD number one contenders if they keep helping them beat MCMGs, and Los Garza will be thrust into the mix by Nick Aldis if they keep popping up. That's cool - this gives these squads something meaningful to do every week.

Recent scuttlebutt suggests WWE plan to give some overlooked acts more time to develop on SmackDown in coming weeks and months so they don't end up on lists looking at the roster's biggest losers. If so, then that's laying down the gauntlet to under-utilised teams like Deadly and Garza. Now, it's up to them to meet management halfway and deliver the goods. They're off to a decent start on that front.

The second half of DIY vs. Guns banged, and writers laid foundations for some PD and Los Garza-inspired interference earlier during a backstage skit. No complaints with any of this. It's a fine use of the tag division.

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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.