9 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown

5. A Different Side Of Kevin Owens

With recent weeks painting Kevin Owens as a defiant, badass antihero, it was cool to see another side of his character last night.

Shane McMahon handed him a hefty $100,000 fan seven days ago. That's a shedload of money and after initially reacting by hurling a table at McMahon's office TV, KO had had time to contemplate. This led to him approaching the former Commissioner in earnest, effectively grovelling as he asked Shane to reconsider, noting the huge, detrimental impact it was having on his family. He appealed to McMahon's sensibilities as a father in doing so, though Shane was only willing to say he'd reconsider.

The duo reconvened later in the evening, with McMahon agreeing to pull the fine on the basis that Owens would be fired if he ever put his hands on a "WWE official" again. A relieved KO offered a handshake. Shane declined, saying "we're not quite there yet," so Owens bounced.

KO is a three-dimensional character, not just an antihero caricature. If the Shane storyline must continue, this was a good way to keep it fresh, despite what happened next...

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Channel Manager
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.