5 Mistakes WWE made on SmackDown before Saturday Night's Main Event

With three events taking place back-to-back this weekend, the latest SmackDown had a huge task of selling Saturday Night's Main Event and Evolution.

The results were a mixed bag, as participants for the special show were featured, but several other prominent SmackDown stars were not. LA Knight, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa started and ended the show.

In between those segments, however, were another big title change (The Wyatt Sicks beat the Street Profits) and a polarizing segment featuring a non-wrestler.

With a lot crammed into the last few weeks, WWE made the following five mistakes on the SmackDown ahead of Saturday Night's Main Event and Evolution.

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#5. R-Truth pins Aleister Black on SmackDown

It's great that R-Truth is back with WWE and featured regularly on SmackDown. He's a reliable and entertaining veteran, but is closer to 50 than 40.

Truth has been passively feuding with Aleister Black while still seeking revenge on John Cena. The two squared off on SmackDown, but it was a quick match due to the overbloated prior segment.

The former 24/7 Champ brought a chair into the ring, but Black prevented him from using it. Aleister then picked it up, but the ref grabbed it. Truth then rolled up the former NXT Champion for the win.

Aleister Black shouldn't be pinned by Truth in a match with little to no consequences. Had Truth cheated and Black lost, it would have been more tolerable.

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#4. No entrances for Tiffany Stratton/Trish Stratton segment

WWE has made a big deal of promoting Evolution, the second all-female PLE in company history. Tiffany Stratton will defend the WWE Women's Championship against Trish Stratus at the event.

Due to a plethora of events over the last two months, the feud feels rushed. It's also not a good look when neither woman gets a televised entrance on the go-home episode of SmackDown.

They're fighting for the top women's prize on the blue brand, but were shown backstage before commercials and in the ring afterwards. If officials want people to heavily invest in the PLE, they shouldn't have rushed things or treated the combatants as competitors in a non-title contest.

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#3. The unlucky fate of the new United States Champion

Solo Sikoa defeated Jacob Fatu at Night of Champions to become the new US Champion. The victory came with loads of help from Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and the debuting Tala Tonga.

In his next two appearances, however, Sikoa has been booked closer to an enhancement talent. He was pinned in tag team action last week against Fatu and Jimmy Uso.

Jimmy pinned him again this week in another tag team bout. Big Jim was given a title shot via a social media announcement earlier on Friday. Having a new titleholder lose their first two matches after becoming champion is a huge misfire.

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#2. The Champ isn't here

John Cena beat CM Punk at Night of Champions on June 28. Since he's not in the plans for Saturday Night's Main Event, Cena hasn't appeared on either episode of SmackDown since then.

The problem is that he's the face of SmackDown and holds the company's biggest championship. Cena could have cut a pre-taped message or appeared backstage for an interview.

Cody Rhodes won King of the Ring and didn't show up either, but was on last week's show. He'll probably appear at Saturday Night's Main Event since he's from Atlanta.

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#1. Having a segment built around Jelly Roll and Logan Paul

SmackDown may have emanated from his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, but Jelly Roll's appearance on the show was a huge issue. A two-hour episode of SmackDown is not the right spot for a musical performance.

Those segments are better suited for PLEs with more time to play with. The musician performed briefly but was cut off by Logan Paul, a RAW star.

Paul trash-talked Jelly Roll until Randy Orton came out. Drew McIntyre then appeared and hit The Viper with a Claymore. Paul assaulted Orton once McIntyre left, but was saved by Jelly Roll. The Legend Killer agreed to have the musician in his corner for Saturday Night's Main Event in another backstage segment.

If Evolution is so important, why wasn't the Women's United States Champion featured at all since winning the title? Where were Carmelo Hayes and Santos Escobar? The questions keep piling up.