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The hopes were high after an astounding episode of SmackDown Live last week. The company certainly met the expectations of the fans this week with some remarkable matches and awe-inspiring segments.
Becky Lynch and Bayley tussled for the first time on the blue brand this week, and the double champion was victorious. Charlotte Flair assaulted her Money in the Bank opponent after the bout. Roman Reigns won a handicap match against the B-Team after explaining why he attacked Vince McMahon.
Kevin Owens was the star of the night as he provided an engaging segment. Owens and Kofi Kingston closed the show when the two men had a massive brawl. The Japanese duo Asuka and Kairi Sane sent a message to The IIconics after they defeated two local competitors. Interestingly, Jeff Hardy announced he needed surgery on his knee, and the Hardy Boyz had to relinquish the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Moreover, the male and female competitors from the blue brand were announced for the Money in the Bank Ladder matches.
It was a good edition of SmackDown Live overall, but it could have been better. Here we discuss three mistakes WWE made on SmackDown Live this week.
#3 The Intercontinental Title not featured in the build-up to MITB
Finn Balor won the Intercontinental Championship at the Show of Shows when he defeated The Almighty Bobby Lashley. The Intercontinental Champion switched brands for the first time at the Superstar Shake-Up. With the arrival of Finn Balor on the blue brand, several fans anticipated better treatment for the former and first-ever Universal Champion. Considering Balor is in the Money in the Bank Ladder match, he is not likely to defend the Intercontinental Title at XL Center.
Although Balor could go on to grab the briefcase, he needs to find his footing as a credible champion in the WWE. Judging by current booking, the brand switch might not have been the best option for the Leader of the Balor Club. Balor fought Ali and Andrade on the blue brand, but we will be expecting to see him against an established opponent for the Intercontinental Championship, regardless of the result at Money in the Bank.
#2 Bayley suffered another defeat
Things were looking good for Bayley when she got drafted to SmackDown Live at the Superstar Shake-Up. The Hugger had a sub-standard run on RAW over the last two years. Although she held the Women's Tag Team Titles till WrestleMania, her singles run was not very impressive.
Bayley, who is a former RAW Women's Champion, swapped brands for the first time in her career. Considering the blue brand is called the Land of Opportunity, the WWE Universe was hoping for better booking. However, the scenario seems the same in the new brand as Bayley suffered two losses in two weeks.
Bayley lost to Charlotte Flair last week as she failed to become the number one contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship, and she lost to the current SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch this week. Bayley is immensely talented, and remains popular amongst the fanbase. Hopefully, she will be booked like the star she is moving forward.
#1 No qualifying matches to decide the participants of two ladder matches at Money in the Bank
It was disappointing that this year's Men's and Women's Money in the Bank matches did not feature any qualifying matches. Considering the importance of the event, it seems to be another example of lazy booking on WWE's part. Alexa Bliss announced the names of both the male and female competitors set to take part in their respective ladder matches on RAW, and the blue brand also took a similar approach, devoid of any qualifying matches.
The Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor, Andrade, Ali and Randy Orton were announced as the representatives for SmackDown Live in the Men's Ladder Match; Mandy Rose, Carmella, Ember Moon, and Bayley were the four women to join the women's ladder match. Surprisingly, the participants did not earn the right to be in the ladder match, as has been the norm. This would have helped build some credibility for all the contestants, and given them some momentum heading into the pay-per-view.
If nothing else, qualifying matches also allow other superstars to showcase their singles acumen inside the ring in front of the fans - especially those who are usually not taking part in significant matches.
