9 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (18 Oct)
Downs...
4. Fox Off
For the second week in a row, WWE kicked off an edition of their flagship show with a match featuring biggest star Roman Reigns and stakes that - stretched to the breaking point of believability - could be considered high.
For the second week in a row, WWE soiled a good match with a sh*t finish. Roman Reigns and Shinsuke Nakamura's mini-blinder for the Intercontinental Championship (and more on the match itself later), was going great guns until Baron Cobrin's interference and Daniel Bryan's save triggered some brand new sh*te later in the show instead.
Though not held as high a standard on clean finishes thanks to years abusing the format, this booking pattern is troubling to say the least. Reigns working openers because he'll be hoped to sustain the numbers is one thing, but the result being wrecked by outside forces every time will chase those same viewers away.
Considering the impressive scope of the brand's roster, the outcome of all this was a rather damning indictment on who Fox have faith in at the other end...