9 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (1 Nov)

6. The Miz Is The Biz

WWE can't create babyfaces. It's a truism being starkly proven by AEW's effortless production line of sympathetic heroes on Wednesday night, and further emphasised by the patchy introduction of the seemingly can't-miss Matt Riddle earlier in the evening.

Seth Rollins, believe it or not, is a babyface. The top babyface. That's the best WWE can manage.

As we've seen with Cody and co., when the hands are off the wheel, the promotion's superstars have the capacity to inspire. It's no coincidence that the WWE performers with the most freedom are the most effective, then, and that very much applies to The Miz. An elder statesmen who has outgrown the machine at this stage, Miz is given virtually free rein on the mic, and he put it to good use with an outstanding babyface promo opposite the interloping Tomasso Ciampa. World's collided, as the company's most natural heel in years subsequently squared off with the veteran.

It was awesome.

Benjamin Richardson

Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.

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