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

4. Excuses, Excuses...

Kevin Owens Xavier Woods
WWE.com

Make no mistake: Kevin Owens was kept off most of this week's SmackDown because WWE and Vince McMahon don't see him as a star on the same level as Raw's AJ Styles, not because "it's his birthday." This transparency dripped from the first-hour segment in which KO explained his absence.

'The Prizefighter' appeared later in the show, attacking Xavier Woods to distract Kofi Kingston during the main event. Scant contributions from the man who'll challenge for the WWE Championship at Money In The Bank.

Owens was de-prioritised so that WWE could book a filler title defence in a desperate attempt at salvaging this week's TV ratings. That's it. Let's not pretend that this was some kind of compelling one-night story: it was a cynical substitution designed to stop viewers from changing the channel in the second hour, and another example of McMahon's growing anxiety as WWE's viewership circles the drain.

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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.