WWE SmackDown’s Smacks & Downs: The Fiend finally has character development

Smack: it’s understandable why the match was booked this way

Down: the booking was still questionable at best

As I mentioned earlier, the “KofiMania” playbook is in full effect…but for Heavy Machinery.

A reminder of the teams involved: The New Day, Heavy Machinery, Lucha House Party, The Usos, The Miz and John Morrison, and Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.

Here’s where I understand why this match played out as it did. Kofi Kingston had more star power prior to “KofiMania” than Heavy Machinery does now, but it is inarguable that Kingston (and The New Day by proxy) emerged a bigger star when he won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35.

With that context, it makes complete sense why they would have this push for Heavy Machinery.

Say what you want about their act and Tucky’s acting skills (they’re not great), there is a genuine connection with the crowd. Just listen to the crowd as Otis does, well, anything:

That kind of fan support was built organically over a long time.

On the positive for Tucky, he is extremely talented in the ring. His amateur wrestling background shows in his fluidity, an uncommon sight for a man of his size. Throughout the match, he kept taking punishment, and with some well-timed antics, helped build to a pretty loud reaction on the hot tag to Otis.

Now here’s where the macro plan crumbles when examined on the micro scale.

The first match against The New Day was good for what we saw (come on, commercials!), but the end sequence was sudden and left fans stunned. The announcers framed it as a huge upset (it was), but how it happened was troubling.

After easily dispatching of Lucha House Party (as they should have), The Usos lose a very quick match on a crucifix pin when Jey Uso went to pin Tucky after connecting with a superkick. Tucky then won with an inside cradle on John Morrison. At least The Miz and Morrison proceeded to layeth the smacketh down on the two post-match, including a wicked double stomp-Skull Crushing Finale combo.

If you’re going to put a team over so heavil…strongly who doesn’t have that cache of accomplishments, then winning with leverage pins over two of the top tag teams on SmackDown, and rather unceremoniously against another in The New Day, doesn’t really make me think as a viewer that they are as good as those victories.

Think of it like when the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Orlando Magic (of all teams) in January. We all know which of the two teams is actually good and which team has lacked an identity for most of the last decade+.

These types of matches are also tough because most fans understand a heel is generally going to win a match that gives the competitor(s) an advantage. It’s just not a very babyface tactic to emerge last in what will be a grueling match with tremendous punishment.

While I understand why and how this match unfolded, the details in the structure of the match left much to be desired.

At the very least, it did give us this moment with “BIG MEATY MEN SLAPPING MEAT!”

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