7 Ups & 7 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 14)

1. Copy & Paste

Elias Shane McMahon Roman Reigns
WWE.com

Criticising WWE's over-dependence on revolving door talking segments is nothing new, but the problem has been particularly pronounced over the past few weeks, with the Wild Card Rule reducing Raw and SmackDown's opening slots to copy/paste jobs.

These things invariably kick off with a Superstar from the opposite brand hitting the ring, or interrupting a home-team player. More red and blue stars follow until we end up with a big, ugly stramash, a bunch of unproductive and unengaging dialogue, before a match is made, a brawl breaks out, or both.

Last night's fit the formula to a tee. Roman Reigns, The Miz, and The Usos came over from Raw, filling the Wild Card quota in the first segment. Shane, Elias, Rowan, and Daniel Bryan balanced them out. It was boring as hell. WWE effectively ran the same dull angle they've been peddling on their main roster brands since the Wild Card gimmick came into play. It's almost as bad as those 30-minute Authority openers from back in the day. Almost.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.