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I know that a lot of people expected SmackDown Live to be just as good as RAW was, under the leadership of Paul Heyman. According to latest reports, Eric Bischoff only comes on board from after Extreme Rules and as a result, Vince McMahon was still in charge of this week's show.
I wouldn't necessarily say that SmackDown Live was a bad show. It was just an uneventful show and the sad part is that WWE could have certainly made it a very fun show, had they tried their best. But I guess they will just phone it in until Bischoff comes on board to steer the ship.
There were some elements from this show that I quite liked. There were some others that I found absolutely horrendous that I will note down in this article.
Feel free to voice your own thoughts and comments in the section below.
#1 Best: Kofi Kingston's intense confrontation with Samoa Joe
Kofi Kingston has feuded with Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler since he became WWE Champion, but something has been missing. It isn't nearly as intense as the feud that he had with Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship back when he was still chasing the champ for ownership of the title.
Samoa Joe has a passion and an intensity that just brings out the best in people, both in the ring and also on the microphone, as we witnessed on this week's show. Joe would insult Kofi Kingston's family and then extend his hand, challenging him to shake it, before the entire packed audience.
And then, Kofi Kingston would just make the gesture that Stone Cold made so very famous, to the delight of the crowd in attendance. He has never looked this cool!
See WWE Smackdown Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Smackdown Results page
#1 Worst: Where is Balor?
Finn Balor is the Intercontinental Champion, and his name is part of a lineage of legends who've made this belt mean something over the years. And despite the fact that he holds such an honor, he doesn't make it to the show on most weeks!
WWE had him tease a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura on last week's show, much to the delight of the Twitter audience. Even those in attendance seemed very earnest and very excited about the match that we would potentially get to see at Extreme Rules.
Many must have tuned in to catch the next chapter of this rivalry, only to realize that Balor did not even make the show. What a disappointing turn of events this is considering how much this feud would have potentially benefited both men.
Is it any wonder that so many superstars in the back aren't happy with WWE?
#2 Best: Crews and Andrade finally face one another
I know that the main roster often gets a bad reputation with regard to their performers as compared to the independents, but WWE really has the best roster in the world at the moment. In WWE Smackdown Apollo Crews is a hidden gem and can do in the ring that many men his size cannot. We saw a glimpse of this during his match with Andrade, this week.
Crews reminded us of just how good he is with an impressive aerial display of fantastic athleticism. I wouldn't mind him getting more screen time and more in-ring time, in due time. A few more matches against Andrade wouldn't hurt, either.
As for Zelina Vega, I love that she's a manager who gets physically involved in matches as well. Wrestling managers are a special and dying breed, and Vega is excelling at this role.
#2 Worst: What is Shelton Benjamin even trying to do?
Everything about this segment was wrong. Why was Shelton Benjamin being asked about who will win the WWE Championship at WWE Extreme Rules? And what was the reaction even supposed to mean, really?
Is Shelton Benjamin rolling his eyes at being overlooked and being asked about Kofi Kingston and Samoa Joe, when he's not being given any TV time at all? Is he rolling his eyes at finally being given TV time, only to be asked about a match that he will not be a part of? Is he lamenting the fact that a WWE Hall of Fame Worthy performer like him is being made to participate in such nonsense?
It's a silly gimmick and I'm sure that WWE will not even want to take it forward and explain what it means. Just ask Robert Roode what he gained by growing his mustache.
#3 Best: The Bayley-Nikki-Alexa story
It is very clear that WWE is high on Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. And this is evident from the fact that WWE is clearly investing a lot of effort into their storyline with Bayley.
The fact of the matter is that there's a clear narrative happening across both WWE shows for the three women involved. Unlike say what is happening with Shane McMahon, the appearances don't feel forced and they feel like they are serving a bigger story for the women involved.
When the eventual face turn happens and Nikki Cross realizes that she's being played by Alexa Bliss all along, she is bound to snap and become a top star almost immediately. Sasha Banks once complained that WWE storylines often don't have the time to play out on screen.
And this is not the case with the next entry in this very list, in my personal opinion.
#3 Worst: Waiting far too long with Aleister Black
I liked the build for the Aleister Black program until the week before when someone ended up knocking on his door. I believed that the reveal to who it was would be answered this week.
Except it was announced that we'll have to wait until Extreme Rules to find out who it was. Let me elaborate upon why this is problematic.
In the latest WWE NEWS, Aleister Black came into the main roster with a lot of momentum from NXT, and he and Ricochet were tearing through the roster as a strangely cohesive tag team unit until they ended up being separated. Not only has he only been cutting incomprehensible promos since then, but there is no forward motion in terms of storyline unlike say, the Firefly Fun House.
Moreover, the whole idea of someone knocking on someone's door and running away is very silly and juvenile.
#4 Best/worst: Owens is a babyface
So, I do not doubt the fact that Kevin Owens can pull off the role of a babyface at all. If anything, I think that he will thrive in this new role. And this is the reason why this section makes it to the 'best' of this listicle.
I just think that after turning him face and then having him go heel and then having him turn face again is just very confusing booking. I just hope that WWE gives him the chance to get over a face before they turn him heel again. This back and forth booking doesn't do anyone any favors.
What did you think of this week's episode? Do you think that Eric Bischoff can shake up the show from the very core when he comes on board very soon?
As always, I bid you all adieu with a gorgeous picture of The Goddess:
