5 Ways to make SmackDown Live great again

Immediately after the most recent brand split, SmackDown Live became the show to watch for the WWE Universe, as opposed to the significantly more stacked RAW brand. The show was aptly dubbed the 'land of opportunity' and the faster paced program would outshine RAW on a near weekly basis.

Somehow, the SmackDown Live of 2018 is not the same show. It feels rushed, uninspired and sometimes like a pale reflection of the great show that we used to watch, enjoy and love. In this article, we'll discuss how to get the SmackDown Live brand on track once more.

We'd love to hear from you in the comments below. Do you think SmackDown Live is still the strong show it once was?

If you disagree, read on and hear our suggestions out.

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#5 Rebuilding the women's division around Charlotte Flair

The Riott Squad seems woefully under-prepared for their role

Think back to how exciting Charlotte Flair used to be when she was feuding with Sasha Banks on RAW, creating history with every match. The Riott Squad was brought up from NXT as participants for the Women's Royal Rumble, and somehow they do not seem ready for the big leagues, as of now.

Somehow the women on SmackDown Live find themselves in multi-women situations more often than not, and that gets nobody over. Women such as Naomi and Becky Lynch, who could be stars if given the opportunity are often relegated to the background. Either woman could have an iconic rivalry with Charlotte Flair, just like Sasha Banks did.

Right now, can you even think of a WrestleMania opponent for Charlotte Flair from SmackDown Live, based on how the women have been booked? We propose a complete overhaul in the division, with better storylines and less multi-women gang wars.

Whether it's been the Welcoming Committee or the Riott Squad, both multi-women situations have just dragged the Women's Division down.

#4 Making the show about superstars, not Authority figures

The Shane McMahon-Daniel Bryan situation distracts from the actual show

Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan have been at odds ever around the time of Survivor Series. It would have made sense if Bryan was medically cleared for a match. However, since it seems like he won't be cleared in time for WrestleMania, it's all been a colossal waste of time. And it has distracted from the actual superstars.

All we see from the two men on a weekly basis is passive aggressiveness. In our opinion, the storyline should have ended long ago. We're in the same situation now, that we were in much long before Survivor Series 2017.

Remember how the Miz-Daniel Bryan storyline had no payoff, except for a glare during RAW 25? At least that story had compelling promos from the A-Lister and a more 'believable' plot...something this one does not have.

Instead of having the spotlight on these two men, couldn't superstars such as Tye Dillinger or Natalya have the attention focused on them for a change, instead of missing TV for weeks?

#3 Listening to the fans

Everyone wants Rusev Day, except for SmackDown Live

Rusev Day is so popular, that even fans at independent wrestling events are now chanting for the man, and his minstrel. Despite the rabid fan support, Rusev is often kept off TV. The same could be said of Tye Dillinger, whose 'ten' chants were over until he was kept off TV so long, that they were forgotten. These are superstars who got over on their own!

Listening to the fans can go a long way in making the product feel special. A happy crowd is, more often than not, an energetic crowd. And the energy of the crowd often translates from the arena to TV sets across the world, making the audience more invested in the product.

#2 Bringing back Talking Smack

Talking Smack was an integral part of SmackDown Live, when it was awesome

Before it was taken off, Talking Smack was a great way for us to see stars in a non-scripted environment. True, there are still episodes of Talking Smack that are filmed after pay-per-views, but it's not the same anymore.

And it was not just The Miz who benefited from the show. We had a chance to see Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal show that they have real personalities when they're not in scripted environments. Now that brand-exclusive pay-per-views are being taken out of commission, we wonder if this show will remain in any form at all henceforth!

The Miz was a former world champion before his Talking Smack promo, but the promo elevated him to a whole new level. We believe that a return of the show could really add a lot to the SmackDown Live product.

#1 Protecting the WWE Champion

Does the World Champion have to be pinned on TV, so often?

This past week, we saw AJ Styles take a pinfall at the hands of John Cena. Since Christmas, we've seen him get pinned on TV at the hands of Owens and Zayn. Somehow, this just kills the mystique of the World Champion. How many times does Brock Lesnar take the pin?

Despite the fact that he is a part timer, Brock Lesnar still has an allure about him. We know that he's the more dominant champion of the two, since we saw him defeat Styles at Survivor Series. Styles doesn't have Paul Heyman to cut promos for him either.

Somehow, protecting him on television would be the right thing to do, in our opinion. A show without a strong world champion is not really a strong show.

We hope that SmackDown Live comes back on track and Tuesday nights become our favourite time of the week once again.

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