9 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Dec 11)

Ups...

9. Mysterio's Measure Of Revenge

Randy Orton Rey Mysterio
WWE.com

Rey Mysterio wasn't exactly heroic last night. He attacked Randy Orton mid-promo, bludgeoning him with a chair, dropkicking it into his face, then hitting the 619, prompting 'The Viper' to hit the bricks. Mysterio then stood tall to close the segment. The actions of a noble babyface? No, but it's impossible to blame Rey for taking such assertive action after all Orton has put the wee man through over the past few weeks.

The mask-tearing and constant disrespect have worn Mysterio down, and rather than standing around like the archetypal Dopy Smiling WWE Babyface™, he took matters into his own hands. This is good, because while we don't want guys like Rey jumping dudes every single week, heels and faces don't need to be black and white all the time. Shades of grey work in moderation.

The preceding Orton promo was fine, with 'The Viper' spending a few minutes putting over their feud and upcoming chairs match. Nothing out of this world, and nothing we haven't heard before, but it worked. Still, the segment was all about the beatdown.

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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.