8 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 27)
2. Big E & Orton Bring The Heat
Randy Orton and Big E's nine-minute TV brawl had more heat than 'The Viper's' SummerSlam clash with Kofi Kingston. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but credit to E and Orton for making the most of last night's slot.
The New Day man was full of blood and thunder after the Kofi assault and coursed on this to take the early advantage, lobbing Randy into the steps after his opening flurry. More a fight than a wrestling match, it saw bodies dumped over the barricade, multiple announce table tosses, and a nasty-looking bump as E missed his apron splash, crashing into The Hardest Part of the Ring™ as a result. This fit the micro-storyline's tone perfectly and the whole package came off stronger than anything Randy has done with Kofi over the past few weeks.
The conclusion came when The Revival interfered, striking E as he hit the ropes, facilitating Orton's RKO victory. An effective outcome for an effective match.