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Over the last few weeks, SmackDown has been the better show as compared to RAW and the same was the case this time around as well, in my opinion.
Sami Zayn getting stripped of the Intercontinental Championship means that the mid-card on the Blue brand is finally going to be active that's what happened as the tournament to crown the next IC champion kickstarted on SmackDown.
Given that SmackDown is only two-hours-long, rarely do you get to see overstretched segments on the Blue brand which makes it a much more engaging show.
The attention was on Mr. Money in the Bank Otis and he continued to steal the show, being a part of both the opening segment and the main event. In addition to that, we saw a grappling masterpiece as well. That being said, there are so many things that WWE could've improved upon this week on SmackDown so let's get into it straight away.
#5 Giving Cesaro his due on SmackDown
If you've watched Cesaro in singles competition, you're probably aware of just how skilled a performer he is. And in case you haven't, just have a look at his pre-show matches against Drew Gulak and Jeff Hardy at WrestleMania and Money in the Bank respectively.
Despite how good he is inside the ring, The Swiss Cyborg simply cannot earn himself a title opportunity or a major feud where he comes out on top.
There was more dejection on the cards for Cesaro on this week's SmackDown as he was left out of the Intercontinental Championship tournament, despite fans clamoring that he be a part of the same. He even went ahead and reacted to the same on social media.
It's just disheartening to see such a hard-working Superstar continue to be at the back of the line. At the very least, WWE could've put him in the bracket so that The Swiss Cyborg could continue to show off his amazing skillset on SmackDown. But fans won't get the opportunity of even that.
#4 Having The Fiend make his presence felt during the SmackDown main event
It's pretty evident that WWE has hopped aboard the Otis hype train. This year's Mr. Money in the Bank is getting a lot of spotlight and deservingly too. He opened SmackDown this week as the guest on Miz TV and even made Braun Strowman perform the Caterpillar during the main event of the show.
With the women's Money in the Bank briefcase out of the way, it was understandable that WWE tried to highlight the possibility of an impromptu cash-in from Otis, irrespective of the fact that he's a babyface and so is the Universal Champion Strowman.
Having said that, you can almost guarantee that The Fiend making an appearance tonight on SmackDown would've certainly made a bigger impact.
It's evident that the feud between Otis & Mandy Rose and Dolph Ziggler & Sonya Deville isn't over. So don't expect Otis to cash in until this storyline reaches its conclusion. At the same time, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt interfering during the main event would make it clear that Strowman is still in for some menace from his former leader.
#3 Giving more clarity about the SmackDown tag division
The New Day is easily the greatest tag team that the company has seen in the last decade or so. They've continued to enthrall fans around the globe with their mischievous antics while also putting up barnburners inside the ring. Having said that, what's next for the SmackDown tag team division?
The Forgotten Sons cracked a backstage promo this week on SmackDown but let's not forget that they were also made to eat dust during the title match on Money in the Bank last Sunday. The same goes for Miz & Morrison.
So what's next for The New Day? What's next for the SmackDown tag team division really? For what it's worth, the future of Heavy Machinery is also up in the air as Otis had to look for a partner on this week's episode of the Blue brand.
SmackDown is supposed to be the home of tag team action and while Miz & Morrison did compete in a tag match to end the show, that certainly wasn't an indicator of where the division as a whole is headed.
#2 Avoiding repetition on SmackDown
Elias vs King Corbin was a fresh storyline of sorts when it happened on the Road to WrestleMania. Elias getting the unlikely win was also surprising, but a positive one. However, the two Superstars have engaged in a continuous back-and-forth on SmackDown ever since with no eventual payoff in sight.
Corbin succumbed to another roll-up pin on SmackDown this week, which suggests that we could get more of this rivalry down the line. At the same time. King Corbin is slated to take on Drew McIntyre next week on RAW, so losing on the Blue brand certainly made him look weak.
That wasn't all though as we saw Charlotte Flair return to SmackDown. Do we really want to see The Queen on RAW, NXT, and SmackDown? That's too much, in my opinion. Her appearance did eventually help in building towards the seemingly nearing split between Sasha Banks and Bayley.
Additionally, the match between The Role Model and Flair set for next week might also be an exhilarating affair, but will it help towards strengthening the SmackDown women's division? I'm not so sure about that.
#1 Making the Intercontinental Championship all about SmackDown
The brackets for the Intercontinental Championship tournament were finally announced on SmackDown this week and while most names were expected, one Superstar's inclusion did shock the WWE Universe.
The likes of Daniel Bryan, Drew Gulak, Sheamus, Daniel Bryan, Elias, King Corbin, AJ Styles, and Shinsuke Nakamura were announced as the participants for the knockout format tournament. And as you might've noticed, The Phenomenal One is attached to RAW, not SmackDown.
This certainly opens up the possibility of some great matches in the tourney starting with a revisit to the WrestleMania 34 feud between Styles and Nakamura. But can The Phenomenal One be considered as a realistic favorite for the title? For what it's worth, we still don't have enough clarity on how the inter-brand invitationals are going to work and how many times Styles can appear on SmackDown.
So while this could boost ratings for the Blue brand, it certainly takes away from RAW. As long as Styles is in the Intercontinental Championship tournament on SmackDown, ideally, he won't be involved in a serious feud on the Red brand, which will be a serious loss for fans tuning in on Monday nights.
