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

2. This Isn't Kofi Kingston

Randy Orton Kofi Kingston
WWE.com

Last night's opening segment was mostly solid. Randy Orton cut a typically strong heel promo to kick things off, claiming Kofi Kingston ran away from him in front of his wife and kids at SummerSlam, prompting the WWE Champion to take a page from 'The Viper's' playbook and attack him out of nowhere. If it had ended with The Revival running him off immediately after this, it'd find itself on the Ups side of this column.

But it didn't. Instead, Kingston went a step further, shouting that they'd find out "who's stupid" before grabbing a chair, putting it around Orton's ankle, and trying to Pillmanize him. Dash and Dawson appeared before this could happen, getting battered with the chair for their troubles.

Like the Bryan/Murphy situation, it stands to reason that Kingston would be upset and want to take things to the next level after Orton accosted his family at SummerSlam. Again, that doesn't mean he should though.

The WWE Champion doesn't feel like himself when he does things like this. This isn't Kofi Kingston. This isn't the spirited, pure-of-heart underdog we fell in love with on the Road to WrestleMania, or the beloved warrior we screamed ourselves hoarse for in New York. Yes, all characters need to develop, but Ankle-Destroyer Kofi ain't it, chief.

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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.