We are on the road to WrestleMania and only two weeks removed from what appears, on the surface, to be an underwhelming affair. In keeping with the theme, Raw had its moments but was generally just about average.
SmackDown was far more interesting, but not without its share of faults. Live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, we believe we can say without a shadow of a doubt that Smackdown won this week. Still, as always, we present the best and worst countdown from Smackdown Live.
#1 Best: Unseen footage from Total Bellas
When was the last time one actually laughed out loud during a show made by WWE? When The Rock delivered his outstanding and legendary promos back in the day? When Kurt Angle and John Cena had their rap battles? When Booker T and Goldust used to perform their hilarious skits? Suffice to say it hasn’t happened in some time.
We laughed our guts out as Miz and Maryse played John and Nikki Bella in a parody of Total Bella’s. The overwhelming theme for the segment was Nikki Bella growing ever excited that her man, Cena would propose to her. In every case, there was a swerve, that left us gasping for breath.
Especially when Nikki Bella expected a diamond ring and instead got a Diamond Dallas Page yoga instructional DVD.
When we first heard about unseen ‘Total Bellas' footage, we weren't excited at all. The Miz and Maryse made us care. Much like they've made us care about a match none of us wanted to see.
#1 Worst: Shane McMahon cannot wrestle
In the latest edition of ‘Bring It to The Table’, Corey Graves said that a match between Shane McMahon and AJ Styles does nothing for him and we’d have to agree with his opinion, after the final segment. Not only did Shane McMahon’s punches look terrible, he delivered an elbow on a prone AJ Styles, lying on the commentary desk.
Shane really needs to work on his skills in the performance center if he has to compete at such a high level. On the positive side, there’s probably no better wrestler in the world to carry McMahon than AJ Styles.
#2 Best: Unexpected title switch
When your first match is this good, it sets the tone for the rest of the show. The Usos and American Alpha have worked with each other several times in the past and their chemistry is off the charts.
This week, they probably had their best match yet with amazing storytelling, great psychology, exceptional pacing and a flurry of action that was sometimes very challenging for the announcers to call, considering how smooth and flawless the transitions were.
We assume that American Alpha gets a rematch at Wrestlemania for the SmackDown Tag Titles. We’re certain that both teams will bring their A-Game to such a grand stage and light the arena on fire. Way to go, guys. Kudos also to the creative team of SmackDown for making a title switch so close to WrestleMania 33.
#2 Worst: The burial of Tyler Breeze
Remember when Tyler Breeze was actually relevant and he used to have all those amazing NXT matches? Those days are far behind us now.
Not only did Tyler Breeze cosplay Nikki Bella during the John Cena-Fandango match (born out of their appearance at Southpaw Regional Wrestling presumably), he was also slammed by her to the mat and made to look like a jobber.
Both Cena and Bella locked in their submission moves in sync, making Breezango tap out in sync. After this, who will ever take Tyler Breeze seriously as a performer anymore? Maybe The Revival is better off down in NXT as well. If Breeze is being overlooked because of his size, so will The Revival.
#3 Best: The growth of Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin may not be one of the most impressive indie names but he has grown to become a very promising heel. During his NXT run, his matches would be lacking when compared to the other established independent Superstars.
At the beginning of his main roster run, he was still rusty. However, he’s come a long way and has started having solid matches. We’re glad he’s in a singles match at Wrestlemania and hope he becomes Intercontinental Champion very soon.
#3 Worst: Still no Mauro Ranallo at the commentary desk
While David Otunga did come back from his movie shoot and join the Smackdown commentary desk again, Mauro Ranallo was still missing this week. Ranallo is a man who's had several mental health issues in the past and has battled bipolar disorder. Should we be worried for the man?
This was a pretty good episode, except for this scarring mental image of Tyler Breeze.
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One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
