There are nights when SmackDown feels like it could use a little less talking and a little more wrestling. Then there are nights when the talking is so fucking good that you really don’t give a shit.

This was one of those nights.

Here are seven things I liked.

Sami Zayn Is Delusional?

Is he? I mean, the man has a point.

He was World Champion. CM Punk returned and took his title from him unannounced on RAW. Then, when Sami was forced to enter a Triple Threat at SummerSlam, instead of being given a chance to reclaim his title like every other former champion gets when they lose it, the match was turned into a Fatal Four-Way by another unannounced return in Kevin Owens.

So, is Sami Zayn delusional? Or is he just being screwed like a Bangkok hooker?

Charlotte Flair Telling Tatum Paxley Not to Touch Her

It wasn’t just the fact that Charlotte told Tatum Paxley not to touch her. It was the look on her face when she said it.

Yeah. I laughed out loud at that.

Tatum Paxley’s Cemetery Drive

If there is a prettier finishing move in the whole of wrestling, I haven’t seen it.

Absolutely fucking gorgeous.

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes Face Off

Okay, can we all agree that SmackDown has more talking on it than it does wrestling? But when it’s this fucking good, does it really matter?

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes faced off ahead of their Sunday Night’s Main Event, and it was pretty epic.

Orton ripped into Rhodes for doing nothing last week when he ran down the Rhodes family, Rhodes’ wife and even Cody’s dog. He called Rhodes an addict, a junkie for the WWE Championship, and straight out called him sick.

Rhodes calmly stood up, looked at Orton and explained that perhaps he was sick. But if he was, then this Sunday, Orton was screwed.

Rhodes walked off.

Orton looked rattled to Hell.

And we just experienced pure fucking cinema.

Bakusai Debut and Beat The Miz and Kit Wilson

And lo and behold, in the middle of a wrestling programme, some actual wrestling broke out.

Bakusai debuted and took on The Miz and Kit Wilson in a pretty one-sided match, as you’d expect from a brand-new team being established as a threat to the MFT.

Shinsuke Nakamura was Shinsuke Nakamura, which is always a good thing. His tag partner Kyoki, formerly Hiromu Takahashi, is as brilliantly bat shit crazy as he ever was in NJPW, while The Miz and Kit Wilson filled their roles perfectly.

They then had a stare-down with the Tag Champions and their dad, Haku.

Ha-Fucking-Ku.

I never get tired of writing that man’s name, and I never get tired of seeing Haku, officially the toughest bastard to ever walk the face of the planet, show up in WWE.

Even if he is only there as the MFT’s manager.

R-Truth Doing R-Truth Things

R-Truth is an American national treasure.

While the War Raiders cut their half of the pre-taped hype promo seriously, Damien Priest followed suit. Then R-Truth piped up with “And so am I” when Priest had just finished explaining how the pair had held the Tag Team Championships eight times.

Together.

As a team.

He then started on the War Raiders, telling them how he and Priest were gonna take their AAA titles and their Luchador masks, neither of which the War Raiders actually wear.

Priest eventually reached the limits of his patience, looked completely fucking befuddled and walked off. R-Truth simply carried on with the promo, finishing the whole thing by speaking Spanish.

Fucking R-Truth.

Johnny Gargano vs. CM Punk

Forget the past six months of Gargano playing the role of a catatonic. Forget the fact that it took CM Punk offering him a shot at his WWE Championship to snap him out of it.

Johnny Gargano is back, and let’s hope he stays that way.

His match with Punk was a fucking barnstormer. Johnny Wrestling and CM Punk made you believe that the impossible was possible, and that Gargano might actually pull off the upset of the century. Especially when Sami Zayn started to interfere.

Zayn smacked Balor, Gunther and Owens with the belt when they all ran out to beat him down, before levelling Punk while Candice LeRae played distraction with the referee. But it was all for naught.

Punk kicked out at the closest three-count I have ever seen. Seriously, I was out of my fucking seat. He then levelled Gargano with the GTS and picked up the win.

Now, for the love of Satan, do something with Johnny Gargano.

And that’s SmackDown.

These were the things that made me laugh, got me out of my seat, or reminded me why I fucking love wrestling in the first place.

Sometimes it’s a killer promo. Sometimes it’s a ridiculous R-Truth moment. Sometimes it’s a finishing move that looks absolutely beautiful. And sometimes, after months of doing fuck all, Johnny Gargano suddenly remembers that he’s Johnny fucking Wrestling.

More of that, please.