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WWE SmackDown this week was a letdown after the tremendous episode last week, which scored massive numbers. Not that there was anything wrong with WWE SmackDown as such, but it just felt like a by-the-numbers show overall.
It just seems like the WWE SmackDown brand will kill time until the Royal Rumble comes around. Also, the fact that Seth Rollins was advertised to return and never showed up must have ruined many a mood (we do hope everything is okay with him).
#1 Best: More than 1 WWE SmackDown Superstar pays tribute to their fallen comrade, AEW star Brodie Lee
Even though Brodie Lee technically worked for a rival company on paper, Luke Harper shared the locker room with much of the current WWE SmackDown roster, and they all paid their tribute to their fallen comrade in their unique way.
The most obvious reference to Brodie Lee on this week's edition of WWE SmackDown came from Big E, who mentioned Amanda and Nolan. But, if you check out the Tweet above, there is a mention of Negative One, which was the moniker assumed by the newest member of The Dark Order, Brodie Lee's son.
And that is not all. Otis hit a discus clothesline whereas Cesaro hit a sidewalk slam as a nod to their locker room brother. It was very touching to see how much Brodie Lee means to each member of the WWE SmackDown locker room, and while it wasn't an out and out tribute like AEW Dynamite was, it was still very special in its own way.
It is great to see how much of an impact Brodie Lee had in the lives of the WWE SmackDown roster and the pro wrestling fraternity overall. Rest in peace.
#1 Worst: Billie Kay's confusing booking on WWE SmackDown, and in a sense, Roman Reigns' as well
Why was Billie Kay, who assembled the Natalya and Tamina team on WWE SmackDown, cheering for the opposition ie. The Riott Squad? If the idea is to make Kay the manager for The Riott Squad, going forward, it would be a terrible idea because there's a huge disconnect between her over-the-top vibe and The Riott Squad's punk rock gimmick.
One of the central issues with the WWE SmackDown product overall is just how badly written some of the characters are. The idea of long-term storytelling is often discarded in favor of a cheap pop or a chuckle, as we saw here.
Speaking of bad writing on the WWE SmackDown brand, did you notice how it took Roman Reigns much longer than the rest of the world to figure out that Adam Pearce had made the main event?
Are we suggesting that the Universal Champion himself does not watch the WWE SmackDown product? Maybe he reads SmackDown results on SK Wrestling.
#2 Best: Sonya Deville returns to WWE SmackDown (Looks like the 'loser leaves WWE Stipulation was just temporary')
Even though Sonya Deville was only part of a WWE SmackDown blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo this week, it is great to see her return to action once again. Sonya Deville and Sasha Banks could go on to have a great feud for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship and elevate the title. Plus, it is great to see that the WWE SmackDown Superstar has presumably put her harrowing experience behind her, and is ready to claim her yard again.
Yes, there is a glaring gap when it comes to why she's back after a 'loser leaves WWE' stipulation, but this is a decision where the positives outweigh the negatives, hopefully.
Let's hope that we get some kind of explanation regarding why she is back. But even if we don't, fans worldwide would potentially love to see Sonya Deville tear it up on the microphone once again, with members of the WWE SmackDown roster. She is a natural at her craft.
#2 Worst: WWE SmackDown feuds continue after TLC 2020
It just seems like WWE SmackDown will coast along until the Royal Rumble comes along with the same feuds and programs. Yes, Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens has been great so far, but we've seen The Tribal Chief conclusively defeat 'The Prizefighter' on not one, but two occasions. And the same can be said for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship picture with Sasha Banks and Carmella.
Why can't Sasha Banks mix it up with someone like Ruby Riott, who hasn't gotten an opportunity to show us just how good she is in the ring? Why can't Roman Reigns get a chance to tussle with someone like Aleister Black or Murphy or even Daniel Bryan from the WWE SmackDown roster? When the WWE SmackDown roster is so loaded, why do we need to see the same matches again?
Last week's WWE SmackDown episode was excellent and one hoped that the company would continue the momentum this week too, but that was not to be. Here's hoping for a better show next week.
#3 Best/Worst: The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship picture
Not every joke that The Street Profits made on WWE SmackDown landed this week, especially the Heartache Kid one when it comes to Dolph Ziggler. One just feels like Ford and Dawkins are being written for by people that are not nearly as cool as they are, and if they are allowed to write their own promo material, it will be far better.
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode will definitely go on to have a great match with The Street Profits in due time, but this is a feud for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships that we have already seen, it seems.
WWE SmackDown was an okay show, all said and done.
What do Rick and Denise think of WWE SmackDown? Find out in the video linked below.
Be sure to share your thoughts on this week's episode of WWE SmackDown in the comments section below and let us know if you think the first episode of the year should have been better than it was.
