5 Big positives that came out of airing SmackDown from an empty venue

By Riju Dasgupta
Modified Mar 14, 2020 10:11 IST
Amidst all the negatives, there may be some positives too
Amidst all the negatives, there may be some positives too

Yes, I know that the WWE Universe is everything when it comes to watching the men and women of WWE performing live. It is the roar of the crowd that makes WWE moments feel special.

But I would have to add that I didn't think that WWE airing live from the Performance Center was a step down in any sense, to be very honest. And I will elaborate as to why I thought the same in this article, considering a lot of positive developments came out of the said show.

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you agree or disagree with my assessment. Pro wrestling, from a fan's perspective, is a matter of opinion, and yours can definitely differ from my own.

So, with that said, here are 5 things that I thought made the show special.

#5 Triple H

In so many ways, Triple H carried this week's show with some incredible work at the commentary desk. He also broke the fourth wall on a number of occasions and probably offended a purist or two, but the fact that he was clearly having a ball with Michael Cole was reason enough for the audience to be engrossed in what he had to say. Cole has incredible chemistry with Triple H, and dare I say, his chemistry with The Game is better than with Corey Graves.

Triple H also joked about the fact that reports surfaced about him getting demoted and he was even busier after the said demotion. But he was the right man behind the desk for sure, if you consider that he was the man who welcomed us into the WWE Performance Center.

Would any of us mind seeing him at the desk again? No. Definitely not me.

#4 Made Bray Wyatt's promo seem scarier

As integral as the WWE Universe is to the proceedings, sometimes they get into 'troll' mode and they chant 'what' at the performers who are trying their best to get a storyline over to build a match for WrestleMania or some other pay-per-view. This can be especially disturbing when the performer in question needs to be dramatic and scary, like Bray Wyatt.

So, when John Cena finished his fantastic promo about why Bray Wyatt isn't the future but other names such as the ones he mentioned were, a booming laugh rang out through the room which felt spooky and very genuinely scary. Bray Wyatt's promo was ideal for the venue because it could have been lost and underwhelming before a loud crowd and his laughter wouldn't have necessarily had the same kind of impact.

I was glad that Firefly Funhouse Bray Wyatt came out to confront John Cena and not The Fiend because this was perfect for the venue. Could we also see The Undertaker in such a setting on RAW?

#3 Increased interest in the product

It's human nature. Whenever there is a potential car crash imminent, human beings are drawn to it immediately.

And such was the case this week because one did not know how the show from the WWE Performance Center would really pan out, considering the fact that fans are the lifeline and the lifeblood of the company. Could Vince McMahon and his cast and crew be able to put on a show that is worthy of the benchmark that they have set over so many years?

The answer is a resounding yes and one must also remember that whenever WWE is backed into a corner, they seem to hit it out of the park. The best episode of SmackDown in the recent past is when the men and women of WWE were unable to return in time before the build to Survivor Series, and as a result, the top NXT talents invaded the show and put on a show for the ages, that people still talk about fondly so many months later.

#2 Introduced to the world to the WWE Performance Center

Sure, a lot of our readers probably know about the WWE Performance Center, the state-of-the-art facility where some of the top names in the industry have come from. But one must also remember that there's a vast contingent of casual fans who do not follow the product as closely and as intensely as you and I do. And this is the audience that tunes in to catch RAW and SmackDown on a weekly basis while switching channels.

This audience had a first-hand foray into the WWE Performance Center which is a facility that people like Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns, and so many others have come from, as Triple H explained at the very top of the said show. It was also very cool to see a change of setting in a sense because the 'stock and store' nature of the SmackDown sets can be a little unexciting at times. I wouldn't really be opposed to WWE doing more shows in the Performance Center, or even segments in the future when the situation is much better.

#1 Showcased to the world that WWE Superstars do not slack

Behind the bright lights, the dazzling stage, the pomp, and the pageantry, the men and women of WWE are just regular individuals like you, and I are. They could have chosen to be home with their family, friends and loved ones but they chose to come out and entertain.

And this is only a glimpse of the commitment that these men and women have to their craft, and what we do not see on TV is how little time they have for rest and relaxation as WWE Superstars travel across the world for our entertainment. Kudos especially to John Cena, who chose to lead the path, even as a part-time performer and showcase to the world why he is one of the greatest performers ever.

And like Roman Reigns said, there are a whole bunch of full-time performers in the cast as well that one tends to undermine and troll online, who deserve all the praise and accolades in the world for doing what they do, in good times and bad.

What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.