By Chris Shore

WWE Smackdown Hits

Kane vs. Randy Orton: Even though neither guy really gained much from this match, it was one of those times when you can just enjoy the match for what it was. Both guys worked hard and made the most of the street fight stipulation without taking it too far. The spot with Orton and the announce table was certainly scary, but it does not seem to have been as bad as it looked as he finished the match and the dark match main event. Just a really fun and very good TV main event.

Mark Henry: I am someone who has never thought much of Henry, and certainly not as a babyface. But his new heel run is blowing me away. He and Big Show managed to have a good match at the PPV, and this week just built on that with a stellar promo and an eerily calm post-match attack on Kane. Henry should have been positioned as a monster for some time. Glad to see WWE finally getting it right with him, and him running with the ball.

Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett: Usually two heels fighting is the worst possible matchup because there is nobody to cheer. The Minneapolis crowd chose Sheamus, and we might be seeing the beginning of the crowd turning Sheamus much like they did with Orton. Not only am I OK with that, I kind of welcome it because I wouldn't mind seeing these two lock up in a feud. Their brawl on the show teased a potentially fun program.

Daniel Bryan vs. Heath Slater: This wasn't a great match on TV, but it was pretty good and worth a hit here. I've always thought Slater can go in the ring, and we all know what Bryan can do. But Slater's gimmick hurts him so much because I just don't care. And neither does most of the "WWE Universe" apparently. I don't know if he's fixable (I don't think he is but I was wrong about Henry too), but if he is they need to pull the trigger and get him a new look so that his in-ring work isn't overshadowed by my desire to turn the channel.

WWE Smackdown Misses

World Title Follow-up: Christian has been marginalized by all of his clean losses to Orton and his cheap win at the PPV. WWE did him and the feud no favors last night with the weak showing on the mic from Christian and the weak match he had. I was one of the people who defended the decision to move the belt onto Orton, and I still do. The feud started well, and then like so many things in WWE, it just lost its way. They need to find a way to re-energize this feud or move away quickly.

Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson: Has there ever been a Champion vs. Champion match that meant less? Back in the day (yeah, I said it) if two champions met it was huge. Now not only is it not hyped, it's actually a replacement match for an advertised title match. I'm still not sure why we didn't get that match, and I don't know that it would have been any better, but this match was just bad. Really, really bad.

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