7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (3 Jan - Results & Review)
6. A Match That Played To Their Strengths
One of the best things about Triple H's WWE since he claimed control from Vince McMahon is his general propensity to highlight strengths more than weaknesses. That isn't always true across the board, but it certainly is for workers like Shinsuke Nakamura and Andrade. They've been doing some of their best company work ever recently, and Friday night was the latest slice of positivity for both.
Naka vs. Andrade was really, really good. It's fair to say that neither guy is particularly strong on the mic, but they're both fabulous inside the ring. Again, Trips has done a good job of shrouding Shinsuke in mystery lately by tweaking his character to become some quasi-Mortal Kombat villain who carries an edge. Meanwhile, Andrade is a known workhorse who's been chasing the United States belt for a while.
Their exchanges were lively, but crucially made sure Nakamura remained menacing and calculated in his approach. His match-winning Kinshasa looked awesome, for example. Shin's facial expressions before hitting the knee strike sold it perfectly, and so did Andrade's 'out of it' eyes. There was a lot to like here from first minute to last, and that includes LA Knight's attack afterwards.
The ex-US Champ then promised he'd win the title back. Being fair, it's a little strange he's claiming Nakamura "stole" the championship, but everyone's looking forward to their main event title rematch on next week's show regardless.
Straightforward and classy pro wrestling with a definitive finish and then some lead in to what's next? You've got to love it.