Best and worst of SmackDown Live: 15 August, 2017

Raw really stepped it up last night and until the last five minutes, SmackDown Live really did not. Before the show concluded, I had a very different opening paragraph in mind and the last five minutes forced us to revisit and rephrase it entirely.

This episode of the blue brand from Providence, RI honestly proved one thing. Going in to SummerSlam in Brooklyn, Raw has a significantly better showcase of matches.

However, let's not discredit the fact that this show had its moments too. Let's jump into the thick of things, and examine the best and worst of SmackDown Live, the 'go home show' before SummerSlam 2017.

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#1 Best: Tensions galore

The dynamics of this match leave much to the imagination!

This is a program that has been booked right, ever since it was announced. While Kevin Owens and AJ Styles haven't had the dynamic one would expect from Superstars in their league during their matches, the additional component of Shane McMahon has made their contest feel far more special.

We do not know which way the pendulum will swing and whom Shane will favour come SummerSlam this weekend, and that gives us something to look forward to.

Yes, some of the segments are a little childish, but even in the childishness, there is an attempt at telling a compelling story. We are sure that Kevin Owens and AJ Styles will step it up for SummerSlam in Brooklyn, and when they do, it will be interesting to see how Shane gets caught in the fray.

However, not all was perfect with this particular show.

#1 Worst: Using Becky Lynch as enhancement talent

Couldn't some other woman have taken the fall?

Natalya had a showcase match against Becky Lynch ahead of her big match against Naomi at SummerSlam 2017. But that's only on paper as nobody in the entire WWE Universe really seems to care about the said contest.

It was inevitable that Becky Lynch would take the fall in such a contest, and while we knew it beforehand, it was still painful to watch the first ever SmackDown Live Women's Champion and arguably the most over female babyface in the entire roster, tap out to a woman who does not have nearly as much equity as the "Irish Lass Kicker" does.

Wins and losses do matter. Just ask Bray Wyatt. People take you far less seriously if you are getting pinned all the time on the main roster. It seems like Becky is now essentially the female Bray Wyatt.

We do hope WWE realises the gold mine they have in Becky Lynch, a woman who gets a genuine babyface reaction in 2017 (which is quite a rare feat) and stop using her as just another wrestler on SmackDown.

#2 Best: Last visit to Fashion Peaks

Will Breezango solve their mystery at SummerSlam?

In a roster where Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn, Erick Rowan and Tye Dillinger don't get enough TV time, Breezango have found their niche and entertain us by changing the pace of the show, week after week.

We suspect that their case is quickly coming to an end, and they will have a new program come SummerSlam in Brooklyn. Their skits are WWE's equivalent of the Final Deletion program on Impact Wrestling, that made Broken Matt and Jeff Hardy popular and relevant yet again in 2017.

Kudos to Tyler Breeze for representing Renee Young, for no earthly rhyme or reason again.

#2 Worst: Absolutely terrible promos

There were three examples of bad promos, this week!

While Jinder Mahal seems to have slightly improved on the microphone as compared to usual, there are others on the rosters who are still not there. Primary among them is Shinsuke Nakamura, who really should get someone to speak for him. English is not his native language, and even his histrionics cannot save him from sounding very strange indeed.

Tamina Snuka is yet another glaring example of how not to cut promos, making her program with Lana seem rather tepid. Lana is almost shooting on Tamina, when she tells her people don't really notice her. She really needs to step it up in the promo game.

Unfortunately, Tamina's tag team partner Naomi is just as bad. She was on commentary this week, and it was obvious that she is not nearly as good on the microphone as she is, inside the ropes.

#3 Best: Massive match, at least on paper

This was definitely a first-time big match!

No, Tom Phillips, this was not the biggest match in SmackDown Live history. What it was, however, was a big first-time clash. It could have qualified as a pay-per-view worthy match, and even though it wasn't Cena's best match, it was still a fun main event.

Cena, as usual, brought his A-Game and allowed Mahal to look like a Superstar by kicking out of the AA. The match was even booked in such a manner that Mahal did not have to take the fall and suffer a pinfall going into his big SummerSlam match.

Unfortunately, this is the clearest indication that Cena will be heading to Raw following SummerSlam. WWE probably wanted to get this match out of the way before he did make the switch!

#3 Worst: Wasting a really big opportunity

Now, we finally come to the main story from this week's episode of SmackDown Live

At the conclusion of the main event on SmackDown Live, Baron Corbin cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, and still could not become champion. We do not know why WWE put the contract on him, to begin with, instead of someone who could have used it, like Zayn, and why he would cash it in, in such a manner, during a random episode of SmackDown Live.

This was the only real 'eventful' moment from the show, and should get people talking on social media, very soon... so that's a positive, in our opinion.

However, we honestly believe that WWE could have used the contract to actually try and tell a story... something that will not happen thanks to the events that unfolded this week! In our books, this will count as a lost opportunity.

#4 Best: Out of nowhere

We really never see Orton coming!

Kudos to Orton for attacking Rusev out of the blue, and quite literally, hitting him with an RKO outta nowhere. There's nobody more nimble at this than Orton and he's ade a career out of doing this. However, it's a treat to watch him in action every time.

We end this week's episode with the sincere wish, that WWE does not squander away Carmella's opportunity like they did with Baron Corbin.

Having Carmella actually cash in her contract would really be fabulous!