Since the beginning of this modern brand split, SmackDown Live has been hailed as the land of opportunity. Jinder Mahal, Tyler Breeze, and Fandango certainly serve as current examples of this.
However, not every wrestler is currently preparing for their title match for this Sunday’s Backlash. Some are still waiting for their chance, including Lana, Rusev, and The Colons.
This night of SmackDown Live had a few moments that showcased that very fact, like when Primo & Epico were denied a standard entrance. Also, in Rusev’s case, he completely missed this show despite specifically saying he'd be here a week ago.
Does creative know that the guy who rode a tank into WrestleMania to face John Cena is ready for a title match? Can somebody tell them?
Several of these moments of opportunity denied made this list of the biggest botches and outrageous moments from SmackDown. Also appearing is an outrageously funny moment from this week's Fashion Files as well as a sign that capitalised on recent online banter. Continue on to see what made the cut.
#5 Please define “soon”
Remember when Emma attempted a character transformation? Of course, you do.
How could anybody forget the video package that aired every week on Raw for about four straight months? If felt like Emmalina would never show up and when she did, it was to say that the experimental gimmick had already died.
It appears that the gimmick has not died but been passed along and slightly tweaked into whatever this chair dancing Lana stuff is.
Lana first received the “coming soon” re-packaging on the April 11th episode of SmackDown. After last night, this has made six weeks of us being told that the now Rusev-less dancer will be in action imminently. Keep those fingers crossed that this delay doesn’t reach anywhere near the comically long re-debut of Emma.
#4 Fashion Files are a hit
Breezango’s catapult to the top of SmackDown Live’s tag team division may have seemingly come out of nowhere but it is definitely a push that has worked. Both Tyler Breeze & Fandango are all-in on this ridiculous parody of Law & Order and we all benefit from their wit.
There were several beyond funny moments from this edition of the Fashion Files but it’s the focus on The Uso’s merchandise that stood out the most. Holding up a t-shirt, it became clear that the two have apparently never heard the slang term “ish” before. They did their best in reading it out aloud.
They even referenced the gag again at the end of this promo, after they both convinced each other that they could win at Backlash. Fandango said that they’d be wearing the SmackDown Tag Titles this Sunday, to which Tyler followed that up with, “and then finally, our Day One will be H!” It’s adorable how hilarious they are.
#3 Back to their losing ways
The Colons, formerly known as The Shining Stars, came to SmackDown Live with a surprising bit of fanfare. They dropped the silly travel agent gimmick, dressed slightly cooler, and even started using their real last names.
There was even a fun surprise beatdown of American Alpha upon their arrival. It felt like they were going to be treated like more than just tag team fodder. However, this edition of SmackDown showed that there are no serious plans to use them as anything other than an enhancement duo.
The Fashion Police have a tag title shot at Backlash, so a win right before the Pay-Per-View made sense. Not only were Primo & Epico that team hand-picked to lose but they also got the jobber entrance ...which is when a wrestler or team comes to the ring during the untelevised commercial break.
To add to this, their match was already underway when the show came back on the air. It was painfully obvious that the team challenging the Number One Contenders had no chance whatsoever.
#2 We were promised Rusev!
We just covered Lana’s perpetual “coming soon” paradox that we’re currently stuck in, but it should be noted that her husband got a similar treatment. Rusev has been saying for a while that he wanted to debut for SmackDown Live with a title shot.
As of last week, he recorded this video to explain that he was going to show up on the next episode to figure out what his hold up was. That promised debut should’ve happened at some point during this show but never did.
Also read: Reason why Rusev was not on SmackDown Live
The above gif is actually from last week. It serves as evidence that this Tuesday night gave television time to entertain with precisely one less Bulgarian Brute than previously advertised.
#1 ...dive sign
If there are any awards for the best sign of the night, this person wins. Most people who are reading online analysis from last night’s wrestling show are likely aware of the immense amount of drama this past weekend that Randy Orton found himself at the centre of.
Randy’s now infamous retweet of a Rip Roger’s tweet (that contained a text image that he got from someone before him) unintentionally gave birth to a new wrestling catchphrase: “...dive”.
This fan brought this homemade sign of the new Orton phrase onto the hard camera side. They even had enough patience to wait throughout the entire show until Orton’s main event to hold it up. So there Randy was, circling the ring opposite Baron Corbin when the very thing he Tweeted out just days prior served as his backdrop.
The outrageousness of Sasha’s loss took the top spot this week, but what other moments caught your attention? Let us know about them in the comments below. Also, if you see any future Raw or SmackDown botches let us know while the show is still airing by sending them to Mitch on Twitter @MitchNickelson!
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