7 Ups & 8 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 7)

7. Oh Hey Buddy

Former 205 Live standout Buddy Murphy finally debuted on SmackDown last night... sort of.

Rather than appearing on the broadcast, Buddy challenged Ali, his former Cruiserweight rival, in an untelevised YouTube clip. This presumably went down during a commercial break.

Murphy and Ali always make magic when booked against each other. This means their match will almost certainly rule, but debuting a wrestler via dark segment is a great way to tell the audience that they don't need to care about them. They've done big Buddy dirty here, and while there's every chance he'll get over, not debuting him in the coldest manner imaginable would've been nice.

Advertisement
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. 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.