8 Ups & 2 Downs For WWE SmackDown Superstar Shake-Up

6. Moving Pieces

AJ Styles
WWE.com

WWE Champion AJ Styles opened the show. Understandably fuming with serial d***-puncher Shinsuke Nakamura, he called 'The King Of Strong Style' out, claiming that he wouldn't leave the ring until the Japanese villain appeared. It was Aiden English and Rusev who answered, though, with 'The Shakespeare Of Song' delivering a typically entertaining promo, serenading 'The Phenomenal One' with a few choice bars, prompting AJ to challenge big Ru-Ru to a singles bout.

The ensuing match didn't last long, with English interfering after just 27 seconds. Still, it was exactly what it needed to be. Bryan arrived, with the post-match brawl prompting Paige to set up the evening's main event. Job done.

This makes the segment tough to criticise. Was it formulaic? Absolutely, but AJ cut a solid promo, English was fun, and it all made perfect sense from a booking standpoint. It was certainly infinitely more entertaining than some of the tripe we've been served in this slot over the past few months, so mark it down as a win.

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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.