While Raw started off strong and gradually became a chore to watch, SmackDown Live was at the other end of the spectrum. Whereas the show did not start off too strong, it gradually became more compelling as time went on.
One may say at the conclusion of the episode, that it was a good show, but the truth remains that there were patches of bad between the good interspersed through the episode. It’s time to critically analyse SmackDown Live, and examine which aspects worked and which did not, across the show.
#1 Best: The return of Zack Ryder
Last year, Zack Ryder had his moment at Wrestlemania, winning the Intercontinental Championship in a multi-man ladder match, but lost all momentum soon after. This year, his Hype Bro Mojo Rawley had his own moment when he won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and fared much the same way.
Their tag team was gaining steam, but an injury to Ryder put those plans on hold for the time being. We’re glad to see that Ryder is back and that these two immensely likeable men can finally get the run they deserve. If WWE pushes these guys, the sky is the limit, considering how much the fans enjoy watching them (especially Ryder) perform.
#1 Worst: Completely skippable show
Remember how you used to tune in week after week, to catch your favourite stars in action, back in the glory days of WWE?
The product just isn't as compelling anymore. Sure, the wrestling is better than ever before, but just take this episode for instance. We could have skipped it, and directly watched Money in the Bank.
We wouldn't have missed a thing at all, in storyline. Multi-man matches are always a good indicator of when WWE’s booking committee is out of ideas, and it certainly feels so, at this moment. So while the episode wasn’t bad, it was not very good either.
#2 Best: Good storytelling in the main event
While the show did not really advance too many storylines, the competitors in the six-man main event told a good story. It was based around Sami Zayn, who took most of the punishment during the match, and him crawling to the corner to make a hot tag and get his partners into the match.
He failed multiple times, thanks to some quick work by the heels, and some excellent selling from Sami Zayn himself. However, ultimately, Zayn scored an upset victory on his own, beating the significantly larger Corbin for the third time. Their feud looks like it’s going to last a while now, considering that these two men have some unfinished business.
#2 Worst: Same promo once again?
Jinder Mahal’s promos, while a play on the classic foreign heel storyline, were fresh and exciting at the start of his initial push. A few weeks in, he's repeating himself in every episode, both in English and his native tongue of Punjabi.
Mahal has got the look, decent in-ring ability and even shock factor on his side. Sadly, if WWE keeps feeding him the same 1980s-ish lines week after week, the sheen will definitely wear off.
Also, why does Mahal need to cut monologues in the middle of the ring? Maybe involve him in storylines, heading into his first title defence? Maybe give him a jobber to squash? SmackDown Live just seems devoid of ideas right now.
#3 Best: Best backstage attack ever
If you're a long time WWE fan, you’ve seen many instances of Superstars being blindsided and ambushed backstage. However, you've never really seen it in this manner. In the most recent episode of the Fashion Files, we saw Fandango find Tyler Breeze lying on his back, in the back.
He sketched out an image of the perpetrators based on Breeze’s description. They were stick figures! As ridiculous as this entire segment was, it was still entertaining in its own way. Go Breezango!
#3 Worst: The typical SmackDown formula
SmackDown Live has a formula, really. Every time, while booking a multi-person tag team match, they have the competitors come out one by one and cut promos on each other. This leads to a multi-person match at the start or conclusion of the episode at hand.
They did it with the singles competitors in the Money in the Bank ladder match, and now they did the same with the tag team division (in the past few weeks). A little unpredictability can go a long way.
#4 Best: Lana's finishing move
Lana may not be setting the world on fire with her in-ring skills, but the first move we saw from her this week looked impressive. For those who don’t know, the move is a Fisherman Spinebuster. We do hope she can pull up her socks and perform at the highest level against Naomi at Money in the Bank.
Will it be a genuine wrestling match? Or will WWE use smokes and mirrors to make up for Lana's in-ring shortcomings?
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