WWE SmackDown results, recap, reactions (Mar. 12, 2015): Really strong

WWE returned to the SyFy network for SmackDown last night (Mar. 12, 2015) from Detroit, Michigan with a show that featured all the latest build to WrestleMania 31 later this month in Santa Clara. That includes bringing Mark Henry back to make Roman Reigns look really strong, and that's not a bad thing.

Click here for the live blog. Now let's get to reacting to all the night's events.

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Look really strong

I feel like this might be the first time WWE got it all the way right with Roman Reigns and the seemingly neverending quest to make him look really strong.

Having Daniel Bryan talk about how great he is was fine and all, but that was about transferring heat, a losing endeavor if there ever was one. It was trying to manipulate fans into cheering for someone they didn't want to cheer for at the expense of the guy they did want to cheer for.

What we got last night was a back to the basics approach. Mark Henry is one big badass heel, the perfect foil for someone in Reigns' position. He's a bully, and he's really, really good at pushing little people around. But Roman is not some little person.

He was the bigger man, attempting to walk away from someone treating him like shit, and he only retaliated when it was appropriate to do so. And when he did, it was in the most badass manner possible.

Reigns always needed moments like this.

The Superman Punch in response to the face push. Then the follow up. Oh, that perfect follow up. While Henry rolls out of the ring, Reigns does his primal howl -- a spot that could be really fun at WrestleMania -- before casually exiting the ring, getting a head start, baffling the announce team -- and Michael Cole's "what the hell?" was perfect -- before delivering an insanely satisfying spear through the barricade.

This was an epic moment that was awesome watching live and is just as good upon multiple replays. THIS is what we need on the Road to WrestleMania. Henry's later endorsement in an interview with Renee Young may have been a bit much, all things considered, but it wasn't so over the top like past endorsements from Bryan and Paul Heyman.

Pro wrestling is generally simple. An awesome heel performer like Henry putting Reigns over like this was perfect.

More of this, please.

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Quick hits:

• Really lame of WWE to advertise Randy Orton returning to SmackDown and delivering a simple sit down interview with Michael Cole. It's a clear demonstration of why SmackDown is so second rate. Orton's big return was a pre-tape to talk about Raw.
• More or less satisfied with Daniel Bryan's explanation for entering the Intercontinental title ladder match at WrestleMania, mostly because it put over that title. Really, this match needed Bryan. He should be starting a war on the main event picture by doing everything he can to make the Intercontinental picture that much better. And you know what? He just might be able to pull it off because he is not, in fact, a turd.
• The tag team title scene is so obviously thrown together instead of fully fleshed out that's hard to care about what happens with any of these teams.
• Really ready for Damien Mizdow to turn on The Miz now.
• I love watching sworn enemies hold each other back from fighting each other. It makes so much sense to me.

A mostly average show that had some strong moments.

Grade: C+

That's it from me, Cagesiders. Now it's your turn to sound off in the comments section below with all your thoughts on last night's show. How did you like it, if you liked it at all?