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I think WWE has really stepped it up on the road to WrestleMania 35. RAW was a good show and it delivered on all fronts. I thought SmackDown Live would not be able to hold a candle to RAW honestly. But truth be told, it was a pretty solid episode too.
There were surprises, twists and turns galore. So much so, that I'm really excited about WWE Fastlane. I think that the product feels fresher, newer and there's an air of excitement to everything at the moment.
Of course, if you disagree with my assessment, please post a comment below and let me know your thoughts as well. I'd love to hear what you thought about the show.
As always, thank you for reading 'Best and Worst' of SmackDown Live.
#1 Best: Kevin Owens comes back
We had been seeing the vignettes for weeks on end and finally, Kevin Owens returned to action on this episode of SmackDown Live. He would replace Kofi Kingston in the WWE Fastlane match and earn the hatred of the entire WWE Universe. It is clear now that Vince McMahon is the one heel authority figure in the new McMahon regime.
Now, I know that a lot of our readers will call this a 'worst' because of Kofi Kingston being replaced in the big match. But this is clearly an angle and WWE has much bigger plans for Kingston at WrestleMania 35 in just two months. So if you stick around for the ride, you'll see a much better and bigger match for the crowd favourite.
As for Owens himself, he looks great, having shed a lot of weight. He's moving great in the ring as always.
I'm excited to see Bryan take on Kevin Owens.
#1 Worst: Owens teaming up with Kofi Kingston
When this match was first made, I wondered in puzzlement why this was the case. I mean Kevin Owens and Kofi Kingston should not be friends considering that Owens took Kingston's spot. And yet, the two men teamed up for the main event. They coexisted so well that they even won.
Nothing was achieved through the match and no storyline was furthered either. I mean Kevin Owens did pin the WWE Champion and this proves that he can hang with the best. But beyond that, this was an absolutely pointless match to me.
I would have preferred to see some sort of disagreement or brawl between the two men, leading to a feud of their own maybe. It dampened whatever momentum Owens had at the start of the night.
Maybe Kofi and Big E should have teamed up to face Daniel Bryan and Rowan instead.
#2 Best: The Hardy Boyz reunite once more
I thought Jeff Hardy was getting stale as a singles performer. A changeup was the need of the hour for Brother Nero, and his own brother came to his aid to freshen things up once more. The Hardy Boyz are back and The Usos had better watch out.
It is very clear now that Matt Hardy will not be going back to his 'Woken' persona for a while at least. There's a lot more equity in the Hardy Boyz name and a feud with The Usos could potentially be very fresh indeed for the tag team legends. The New Day is concerned with the singles division now, which gives the Hardyz an opportunity to elevate the tag team division.
Of course, this makes me wonder what's next for Bray Wyatt in the current roster. Let's hope the company has a plan in place for him too.
#2 Worst: Cancelling an advertised match for the show
Gargano was supposed to take on The Bar on SmackDown Live this week. He was all excited about it and even sent this Tweet out. Much to the surprise of all of us watching who anticipated this match, it was pulled from the show for reasons unknown to us.
I have to assume that a lot of last minute decisions were made and the show ran short on time. And this wasn't the only baffling decision that WWE made on this week's show either. Did anyone else notice that Tom Phillips referred to The Usos coming out to address the WWE Universe, and they never did?
This was an awful botch from WWE that left a sour taste in the mouths of several fans. Why keep your Tag Team Champions off the show shortly after they've won the prestigious titles?
#3 Best: Styles vs. Orton feud is teased
This is the match that we always wanted but never really got. Yes, the two men have faced each other before but it was a throwaway match that nobody really cared about.
Randy Orton has shown a sick and vicious side to him that had been missing in quite some time. AJ Styles has played the consummate family man and he can be the perfect foil for Orton's mean and vicious tactics as he attempts to get into AJ Styles' head to break down The Phenomenal One.
Everyone talks about how great the match will be when the Phenomenal Forearm gets converted into an RKO, but people forget the mental aspect. These are two masters of psychology who can put on a real clinic.
And I'm glad this program is not for the WWE Championship because both of these WWE Superstars do not need a title to make this work.
#3 Worst: R-Truth retaining the championship
I was honestly glad when Rey Mysterio and Andrade both stepped up to challenge R-Truth for the prestigious United States Championship. Or should I say once-prestigious US title, back when John Cena held it and it wasn't the joke it is at the moment.
You will think that I'm a hater, but hear me out for a second, folks. I really think that as talented as R-Truth is, having the title around his shoulders just devalues it somewhat and Andrade or Mysterio could have elevated the title significantly.
Therefore, I wanted a title change to have taken place during this segment so that either of the men could have won the strap and taken it all the way to WrestleMania 35. But R-Truth retained the belt and in my opinion, this is a step back.
I'm certain however that one of the two challengers will become US Champion soon.
#4 Best/worst: Promoting a RAW title on SmackDown Live
So Asuka is not even on the show at all. But then, Charlotte Flair comes out and promotes the title for the other brand on SmackDown Live. I think this is just stupid. It makes Asuka's title feel meaningless and like an afterthought, quite honestly.
But then again, full marks to Charlotte Flair for doing such a good job as a heel. She's far more comfortable than Ronda Rousey is on the microphone and basks in the glory of the boos that rain upon her every week. She is a natural heel and does the Flair name proud.
I'm really kicked about the weeks of action that will follow based on how good WWE was this week. I am excited to see how the following weeks pan out, leading up to Fastlane and WrestleMania.
And for no reason at all, here's a .gif of Alexa Bliss to end this review.
