8 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 27)

2. Big E & Orton Bring The Heat

Big E Randy Orton
WWE.com

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.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.