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

Down: did this segment make you excited for the show?

Look, I understand the need to hype the Hall of Fame class to draw viewers and attendance (especially with Covid-19 concerns), but was this necessary?

It seemed like Sean Waltman wasn’t sure when to step in, and Alexa Bliss was unusually underwhelming on the mic. Kevin Nash looked like he didn’t really want to be there. Nikki Cross wanting that selfie was cringeworthy considering I’m sure she could have done the same in the back.

It really was just a setup to have Braun Strowman “Too Sweet” the three men for that rub. That could have happened easily in a backstage segment where Nash gives his nod of approval as a legendary big man in the business.

The only bright spots were Sami Zayn and Scott Hall. As weird as that last part sounds, Hall’s comedic timing was just great. When Nash quipped that you needed “Scott Hall and a cattle prod” to beat Goldberg, Hall’s timely response was, “That was a shocking finish,” drawing a hearty laugh from the crowd.

Zayn, along with his usual wonderful heel manager self, had a nice line of his own. After highlighting both Hall and Nash for winning the Intercontinental Championship during their careers, he turned to Waltman (who didn’t win one) and said, “Well, at least you know how much the Intercontinental Championship weighs since you carried these guys’ bags for so long.”

Ouch.

These reads weren’t enough to save the segment, however, and left me not caring for the match on Sunday. If Strowman wins, then the other three look like utter fools for losing. If they win, then of course they should have; it’s 3-on-1!