7 Ups & 9 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jun 11)

1. The Wild Card Rule Is Awful

The Miz Drew McIntyre
WWE.com

The Wild Card Rule is the worst thing to happen to SmackDown since WWE's two main roster brands became separate entities in 2016, and has had a massive detrimental impact on what used to be the company's most enjoyable weekly show.

Drew McIntyre and co. invading from Raw means there's no room for anyone else. As a result, WWE are increasingly forced to cram segments with boatloads of wrestlers at a time, thus diminishing the performers' ability to stand out or get over. It also means there's no room for people like Buddy Murphy, who hasn't worked a televised bout since April, or Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ali, and many, many more, reducing SmackDown to nought more than a merry-go-round of the same old faces every single week.

Then there are the constant Raw recaps, which have once again taken over the blue brand since WWE's two mainline brands effectively became one again.

It reeks of the bad old days, when SmackDown was no more than Raw's gimpy little brother, and here's the worst part: it isn't going to change. This was reportedly done at the TV network's behest. It's here to stay, and SmackDown might be f*cked forever.

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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.