8 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 20)

2. The Magic Number?

Bobby Roode Randy Orton Jinder Mahal
WWE

It's been noted with some consternation just how many triple threat/multi-person matches there are currently booked for this year's WrestleMania, which brings to mind some uncomfortable truths considering the company will also promote a 30-man battle royal on the pre-show.

To spin it positively, the card suggests that the roster is so stacked with over talents that certain performers simply need to be on the card even if a singles feud hasn't fallen into place for them. The rather darker alternative is that the bloated roster is more overloaded than before, with bi-annual NXT raids simply filling cards instead of fulfilling creative concerns.

The second is truest reflected in what's almost certain to be one of the sleeper matches of the night at WrestleMania - that is to say, your nap break - as Randy Orton, Jinder Mahal and Bobby Roode trade chinlocks for a title of little value in front of a crowd with little care. Roode's babyface act already looks past its sell-by date without a more dynamic heel, Mahal remains completely improvement-free despite one of the most bizarre career years in wrestling history, and Randy Orton has (almost understandably) turned into some sort of Zack Morris figure that can't (or can't be *rsed to) escape Bayside High.

It would be one thing if the United States title had Kelly Kapowski's value to give 'The Viper' a believable reason to fight, but even the way he walks to the ring suggests the 'secondary' strap is merely an airport inconvenience.

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett