7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (5 June - Results & Review)

2. Saints & Hayes Built To This!

Their matches on the 15 and 29 May editions of SmackDown varied in quality, but last week’s double countout was a step in the right direction for Ricky Saints and Carmelo Hayes. Then, Friday’s showdown in Italy was complete fire from start to finish. The locals in the crowd were right into everything these guys tried, and it’s clear they’ve been building some chemistry in recent matches.

That bodes well for a coming Triple Threat with Trick Williams. Assuming that's the plan.

Saints cheating to win by hooking the tights firmly establishes him as a heel and probably shoves him into the conversation for the United States Title. WWE packed in some good show formatting with Trick watching the bout backstage then talking about KOTR too. That was slick, and it kept SmackDown moving without completely ignoring what had just happened in the prior segment.

Look at it this way: Events in previous weeks between Saints and Melo were worth persevering with for the match they had on Friday in Europe. This is the kind of combo that'll tear the house down on PLE if they've got a killer story to work with and some stakes (a title on the line, for example). That's worth keeping in mind for Hunter and creative for the rest of the year.

Maybe this fan was too hasty in worrying about Ricky on the main shows. He looked dazzling at times in this bout, and Hayes has blossomed into one of the most dependable stars on the entire roster. More, please. Much more.