It was reported ahead of “SmackDown” tonight that at least one previously advertised match wouldn’t be going ahead, and when I read that, I automatically figured it would be Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre’s one-on-one that was previously announced by General Manager Nick Aldis last week. And, while false advertising, for lack of a better term, isn’t always my thing when it comes to wrestling shows, the all-out brawl between the two to get some heat leading into their reported (and obviously highly likely) WrestleMania match was fine by me. I was not a fan of many things tonight, but this was certainly one of them.
I like a good fight that continues on–and-off throughout the show. It means the brawlers really hate each other enough to continuously escape officials and security, and it’s almost always extremely entertaining. WWE also didn’t overdo the brawls tonight, surprisingly, and we got three good moments where McIntyre and Fatu were throwing hands.
The show started out with a car crash, quite literally, with McIntyre seemingly punching out Fatu’s windshield before dragging him through it. It was a hot start that had Fatu bleeding, and McIntyre came out to air his grievances in the ring. Fatu put a stop to that, however, and hit a big splash to the former Undisputed WWE Champion through the announce desk. It was an exciting way to start out of the show, and I really enjoyed it.
Later on, you had them interrupted a tense moment between Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga, which worked, and the show was then bookended by another brawl segment, one where Nick Aldis and officials had to run back to the parking lot to catch them after dealing with Randy Orton in the ring. The urgency of the rush from that chaotic scene to another was exciting and actually felt meaningful. While Fatu and McIntyre falling off the transformer area, scaffolding… thing, was a little cheesy with the camera angle, it was a fun way to end the show.
Fatu and McIntyre’s WrestleMania match has yet to officially be announced, but I like it. I’ve already basically forgotten about the pivot from McIntyre as champion back to Rhodes, and the fact that I really thought we’d be getting a triple threat match between these two and Rhodes for the gold at ‘Mania, and I’m sure that’s what WWE is going for at this point. Maybe I’ve just accepted what WWE has given me, but I want to see a McIntyre vs. Fatu stipulation match, probably a street fight, at WrestleMania. They work well together, and if tonight was any indication, that’s going to be one hell of a match.
Written by Daisy Ruth
