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The build to WWE SummerSlam has officially begun, and the blue brand left its older red sibling in the dust as it began laying out its feuds for the biggest party of the summer. With the exception of its catastrophic women's division (more on that in a moment), it's an exceptionally strong lineup, and all of the blue brand's feuds are better than the red's, doing far more in two hours than Raw did with the three it gets every week.
It's a testament to SmackDown's roster. Now let's see if the writing can stay this good. That's always the challenge. With the competition SmackDown faced last night, there was an incentive to do something good. Will that stay in place as the build continues?
In addition to all of this, an NXT call-up finally made the major splash we've all been waiting for.
Who got the most out of last night? Let's take a look.
Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas
Undoubtedly a way to counter stiff competition in the MLB All-Star Game, this match was the first on the show. Andrade "Cien" Almas has had some of the best matches all year (for those unaware, his matches with Johnny Gargano and Aleister Black remain two of the ten best of 2018), so putting him in the ring with AJ Styles was guaranteed to draw attention. It lived up to the hype.
This match did everything it needed to. It showcased Andrade's skills in a major way, presenting them to a wider audience, made the champion look like an actual champion, and teased a bigger, better encounter in the future.
Andrade tapped out pretty quickly to the calf crusher, but that won't matter much in the long run. This was a performance that established his presence on the blue brand. Let's hope he gets something good for SummerSlam.
Winner: Becky Lynch
Help us, Becky Lynch, you're our only hope!
The Irish Lass Kicker finally moved back into title contention last night. A match at SummerSlam is guaranteed, though of what kind and how it happens remains to be seen. She'll take on Carmella next week.
It now falls on her shoulders to end this catastrophic reign and make SmackDown's women's division watchable again.
Will she do it? I have my doubts, unfortunately. But for now, this was a longtime coming for long-suffering Becky fans.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe looked like a beast last night on his way to what will certainly be a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam. It already has a big fight feel, and the promos should be fantastic.
There's no doubt that the WWE Championship picture feels stale, so I'm hoping that Joe wins to shake things up. There are a lot of babyface challengers on SmackDown, and probably one more on the way from NXT soon (read: Aleister Black), that would be served well under a Joe reign.
Winners: Daniel Bryan and The Miz
It's finally happening!
Daniel Bryan and The Miz have begun their feud. Attacking Miz during a fantastic Miz TV segment, Bryan made it clear that his days of waiting to punch Miz in the face are over. Their match at SummerSlam is one of the most anticipated on the card and should be one of the best.
After spinning his wheels for months, it's finally time for Daniel Bryan to get the comeback we've been waiting for.
Winner: Randy Orton
A heel Orton returned during this match, causing a disqualification and looking better than he has in years. This was a very long time coming for the Viper.
A three-way match at SummerSlam will likely be the result. It's a big step up for the US title scene compared to the morass it was in during 2017 and the first part of this year. While all three guys aren't as great in the ring as they once were, it should still be a fun match that firmly stacks the odds against Jeff Hardy without making him look like a moron. That's about all you can ask for when it comes to babyface booking these days.
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