8 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Aug 28)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Paul Heyman Guy

Paul Heyman Roman Reigns
WWE

Roman Reigns needed to be freshened up.

It would've sucked had he returned as a hell hound at SummerSlam and then marched out all smiles and "Believe That" catchphrases on SmackDown. Instead, WWE kept Roman locked away for 99% of the broadcast and then revealed that he's in cahoots with Paul Heyman.

Reigns linking up with the 'Advocate' is a strong decision. He's officially heel now, and the union removes any fears that he might go back to his old ways. Further, the way WWE panned the camera over to show happy Heyman was decidedly old-school - this kind of cliffhanger ending is another thing they don't do enough of in the modern era.

The final image fans saw before Payback was Reigns in Heyman's pocket. That's powerful, and raises several questions WWE shouldn't answer until they're good and ready.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more like this, check out WWE Payback 2020: 10 Things That Must Happen (published before SmackDown) and 10 Wrestling 'Truths' We’ll Never Get An Answer To!

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Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.