5 key talking points from WWE SmackDown Live (20 February, 2018)

#2 The dual-brand PPVs will help SmackDown Live

SmackDown's 'Land of Opportunity' days are coming to an end

WWE announced last week that, from WrestleMania 34 onwards, there will only be one pay-per-view each month and all of them will be dual-brand shows, bringing an end to Raw and SmackDown Live-exclusive events.

Many fans have expressed concerns about the change, mostly because lesser-seen Superstars will take even more of a backseat when it comes to PPVs if dual-brand shows are largely taken up by title matches (which they almost certainly will be).

But, let’s be honest, SmackDown Live has felt like a glorified live event for a long time now, with extended build-ups to title matches proving to be a bad idea since the brand split.

The dual-brand changes won’t help mid-card talents but it’ll certainly provide more entertaining storylines if WWE only has four weeks to build towards PPVs as opposed to six or seven weeks.