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Genuinely speaking, I thought that this week's episode of SmackDown was awesome. It was almost like WWE had a point to prove after all of the negative press that came their way thanks to the releases over the past week, and they put on a show to prove why they were essential in these trying times.
There is very little that I have to complain about with regard to the show, which I thought was amazing in every way. However, nothing on the show was absolutely extraordinary in my opinion, and there was definitely room for improvement.
So, with that said, it's that time of the week where I take individual components of SmackDown apart and segregate them into either the best or the worst column, for your reading pleasure and enjoyment.
#1 Best: Team Little Big reunites in a really compelling segment
I genuinely thought that the best way to remind us about the association between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman would be to take us back in time all the way to the Wyatt Family days with the 'black sheep' mask. I even made mention of the same in my '5 surprises that could happen on SmackDown' feature, and was I ever on the ball!
It was a great segment from start to finish because we saw Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman rekindle their friendship (and borderline romance) from Team Little Big. And therefore, Strowman has ample cause to suspect that the package that lay at the corner of the ring was from Bliss.
Nikki Cross is doing great in her role of being an over-enthusiastic babyface who may play second fiddle to Alexa Bliss on most occasions but has enough of an identity of her own to get over in her own right someday soon.
#1 Worst: The New Day win the SmackDown tag team titles
The New Day would have become instant heels had they won the titles in front of a live audience, I feel. And this is not because they lack talent, because we all know that they do not, but they have had far too many runs with the belt and the audience has really grown tired of them.
Because they have been one of WWE's most popular acts in the current era, there has been no change in their gimmick over the last few years and that is why many have been saying that their whole shtick has grown stale with the passage of time in WWE. As creative as they are, sometimes you need to be like Chris Jericho, changing up your gimmick to a major degree to stay fresh and relevant in the business, for your fans.
Also, The Miz and John Morrison have been great and I don't think they should have lost the titles yet considering they had a lot more to give!
#2 Best: Who knew that Deville could cut a promo?
A lot of the Superstars that have been let go from the WWE roster over the past week are immensely talented. Just because they may not get the chance to shine does not necessarily mean that they aren't gifted. Sonya Deville made the most of her opportunity this week, proving that she's not just sheer muscle but someone who can cut a fantastic promo when needed.
Mandy Rose played her part perfectly and so did Dolph Ziggler. Look, Ziggler has always been a major player for the company but it's been difficult to care about him because of the roles that he has been relegated to. However, this is a fantastic storyline where we want to see Otis destroy Ziggler and there's nobody better than one of WWE's most dependable individuals to remind us just how good he can be as a heel when placed in the said role.
I am really curious to see where this story goes from here on in and what the future holds for all of the characters involved.
#2 Worst: Continuing Corbin vs. Elias
In my humble opinion, feuds that end at WrestleMania should end at WrestleMania. If King Corbin goes on to pick up a massive win against Elias right now, it would undermine everything that Elias strove to attain at WrestleMania. We thought that he would move on to bigger and better things but obviously, the company doesn't have plans for him.
We've seen how talented souls like Gallows, Anderson, and so many others could be let go at a moment's notice when they are not cast in the right roles and provided with the right opportunities. Elias has all the potential in the world to become a breakout star in due course of time, but for him to get to the promised land, he needs to have victories that really matter. This feud is obviously so that King Corbin can get his steam back and I cannot say that I am necessarily a fan of it.
Why not have King Corbin maybe team up with Robert Roode and take on The New Day?
#3 Best: The threat of the mysterious hacker
Believe it or not, I genuinely think that the mysterious hacker is probably the best thing about WWE at the moment. When there is an element of suspense in the proceedings, when the fans who are invested in the product, do not know what is to come next, it makes for some very compelling television viewing.
We all saw how instrumental the mysterious hacker was in getting Otis to come together with Mandy Rose on WWE SmackDown. We saw how the same person was responsible for unmasking Sonya Deville and exposing who she really is to the world at large- a cold-hearted, sadistic heel.
And now, from the looks of it, the same person will expose yet another one of the acts on SmackDown and cause a splinter in their relationship with the mantra that the truth will be heard. WWE has become a lot more creative right now than they have been in the past, and I can't wait to see where this story leads next.
#3 Best/worst: Naomi's fall from grace
There has to be a loser when somebody wins a match. I am fully aware of this fact and even though I did not like that Sasha Banks was chosen to lose to Tamina, I fully understand why it was necessary for the greater good and the purpose of telling the story at hand
But in Dana Brooke's case, I just do not know if her defeating Naomi, who has been a great champion in the past, was necessary. Maybe she too could have picked up a win against an enhancement talent just as Sheamus did to qualify for the next round, this week.
In any case, I fully commend WWE for putting on a fantastic show and I recommend everyone who did not tune in to watch the program to catch a repeat telecast because SmackDown was great from start to finish. My only reservations are the ones that I have mentioned in the worst column.
In conclusion, please watch our brand new series featuring none other than The Goddess entitled Sportskeeda Superstar Spotlight.
