5 things WWE got right on SmackDown Live this week (1 May 2018) 

This week on WWE SmackDown Live, Miz TV opened the broadcast and during the segment, "the A-lister" claimed that Raw is the "B show" of the WWE.

However, while this week's episode of SmackDown Live was not a groundbreaking affair, the blue brand's creative utilised many of their prime assets exceptionally well to produce a well balanced and entertaining show that set the stage for Backlash 2018 better than Raw managed to.

From a heavily stacked main event scene to opening up a world of possibilities, the land of opportunity shined bright this week by highlighting their best parts and keeping fans excited about next week's episode.

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#1 Booking The Miz as the perfect heel

The Miz is WWE's number one heel

In the modern era of WWE, wrestlers cannot seem to garner the reaction they expect from the WWE Universe. Some babyfaces are mercilessly criticised for being bland, while some heels can't get the crowd to really detest them. However, if there is one Superstar in the company right now who can turn an enthusiastic audience into an angry mob in a second, it is The Miz.

The eight-time IC Champion kicked off SmackDown Live this week by hosting another edition of Miz TV, and the A-Lister's guest was old-time rivals, Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. Miz tried to implement his classic 'turn the guests against each other' strategy, which didn't work out for him initially, as Orton stated that he and Jeff Hardy are "cool" with each other now.

However, after an exciting tag team match, which saw Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton defeat Shelton Benjamin and The Miz, Orton planted Jeff with an emphatic RKO out of nowhere.

WWE is using the Miz considerably well, as he is a heel who understands how to break down a babyface physically and psychologically.

#2 The women's division has many future possibilities

The future of the women's division is intriguing

The SmackDown Live women's division may seem incredibly weak with huge wrestlers such as Ember Moon, Sasha Banks and Bayley all situated on Raw. However, if there is one thing the creative team has proved to the WWE Universe in the past, it is that they know how to utilise each member of the women's division exceptionally well. While that has not been evident over the course of last year, the post-2016 brand split booking seems to be coming back to the division.

This week on SmackDown Live, Becky Lynch, Asuka, and Charlotte took on Carmella and the Iconics. While yet another tag team match featuring women's wrestling is redundant, there were enough stories in this match to intrigue fans about what is to come. Earlier in the night, WWE showed the fans a very paranoid version of Becky Lynch, who was disappointed with herself for causing Asuka to lose her first match on the blue brand.

Also, WWE presented a very unusual, happy-go-lucky version of Asuka that didn't care about her second loss in the company, as Corey Graves stated that Asuka's failures might have essentially caused her to lose focus. Moreover, WWE set the course for Absolution's split, as Paige refused to give her NXT proteges a shot at the Women's Championship.

Other narratives too, such as Lana trying to break up Rusev and Aiden English's partnership, Naomi's involvement in the tag team division, and Charlotte's war with Carmella, all make for must-see TV. SmackDown Live's women division might appear weak on paper, but it is essentially stronger than ever.

#3 Delaying the arrival of hot new talent

WWE is doing the right thing by building anticipation

Ever since the 2018 Superstar Shakeup hit the reset button on SmackDown Live's roster, wrestling fans were thrilled to finally witness some of the hottest new additions grace the land of opportunity. However, fans are yet to witness the arrival of SAnitY or Andrade "Cien" Almas.

While that may annoy many in the WWE Universe, it is a smart move to wait for the most opportune time to debut these prime players on the blue brand in white hot fashion. Moreover, if any one of the blue brand's NXT call-ups had made their debuts this week, it would've been a disadvantage to them, as none of them could've performed at the Backlash pay-per-view.

Therefore, next week, when the company has tied up all remaining narratives and are ready to book new feuds and narratives, Andrade "Cien" Almas and SAnitY should make their first appearance on the main roster. By delaying their debuts, WWE has doubled their expected impact on SmackDown Live.

#4 The US Title scene is better than ever

Hardy and Orton can create magic together at Backlash

All the way back in 2015, fans were genuinely excited to witness a United States Title match, as John Cena elevated the mid-card Championship to heights never seen in decades. Since then however, the US Title has been reduced to a mid-card prop WWE, as disappointing reigns from a number of Superstars and the title's placement on the card has degraded the importance of the Championship.

However, when Jeff Hardy captured the US Title from Jinder Mahal, fans believed that he would bring back some of the old magic of this historic title. Now that WWE has strongly booked Hardy ever since winning this title, it is clear that they want to elevate it out of the slump it is in. Therefore, with the inclusion of Randy Orton, Shelton Benjamin and possibly the Miz, the SmackDown Live's mid-card scene is alive once again.

While many feel that the build to Backlash 2018 has been disappointing, fans can't deny that WWE has booked many exciting matches for the show, and the biggest of them all might be Jeff Hardy vs Randy Orton for the US Title. A rematch that has been a decade in the making, Orton and Hardy can steal the show at Backlash and prove to the world that the US Title scene is hotter than ever.

#5 The main event scene is stacked with megastars

The WWE Championship is once again becoming the company's top title at the moment

A few years ago, who would've predicted that AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and Samoa Joe would all be main-event megastars on SmackDown Live? These three world-class athletes are incredibly talented wrestlers who can carry any programme or Superstar on the roster.

This week on SmackDown Live, AJ Styles came down to the ring to shed a little light on his match with Nakamura at Backlash, and while fans expected Nakamura to interrupt him right out of the gate, a familiar rival came out to threaten the WWE Champion.

Samoa Joe has been on fire as of late, and this week was no different. He told Styles that after he is done destroying Roman Reigns at the Backlash, he is coming for the WWE Championship. This is obviously going to be the case, as reports indicate that Joe is in line for a massive push on the blue brand. Therefore, a dream match between Samoa Joe and AJ Styles can be expected at any one of WWE's big four pay-per-views this year.

But, it is difficult to judge whether the eventual match between Joe and Styles would even be for the WWE Title, as Shinsuke Nakamura has reached his peak on SmackDown Live and his heel persona screams World Champion. Everything right from small details such as his facial expressions, to the way he commands himself on the mic and in the ring, has been done to perfection.

SmackDown Live may be considered the "B show" in the company, but when three megastars are circling one title, it is hard not to get excited.