Best & Worst of WWE SmackDown: Cody Rhodes-Seth Rollins, massive turn, absent & terribly booked champions 

Following last night's episode of Friday Night SmackDown, we are now just one week away from Crown Jewel: Perth, with next week's episode of the blue brand also set to emanate from the capital of Western Australia.

This week's SmackDown continued to build upon the steady momentum it has generated over the past few weeks, with the brand and overall quality and pacing of the shows trending in a positive direction. Yet, there remain a ton of issues with individual episodes every week, and last night was no different.

In this article, we shall discuss the best and worst from this week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown on the USA Network.

Best: Sami Zayn — The savior of SmackDown

A show and brand that was dead in the water began its revival when Sami Zayn was transferred from RAW to SmackDown, and winning the United States Championship marked a turning point in this quest. No histrionics: Sami Zayn has been the biggest reason behind SmackDown's steady revitalisation.

Zayn has since had stellar matches with John Cena, Je'Von Evans, Rey Fenix, and Carmelo Hayes, and just when it seemed that a rematch with HIM was set for tonight, HIM was attacked by now-former tag team partner The Miz, allowing Aleister Black to be the one that answered the Open Challenge.

Zayn and Black had an awesome match, and in the end, Black's rival. Damian Priest ended up costing him. Sami consistently gives fans one of the very best matches of the week, engaging mic and character work to keep fans interested, but most curiously, everything that happens around his interactions is woven into an engaging program that elevates the SmackDown mid-card.

Worst: Where are the Tag Team Champions?

The WWE Tag Team Champions (exclusive to SmackDown) and the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions (primarily on SmackDown but free to roam otherwise) were not seen on the program last night, and they have had a fleeting presence for quite a while now.

While Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, despite being one of the only bright spots on the blue brand until a few weeks ago, weren't on the show, none of the Wyatt Sicks were featured on SmackDown either. Even if they are not set to be featured at Crown Jewel, they ought to be showcased, even if in a minor capacity, on SmackDown.

Particularly in the case of Bliss and Flair, their absence hurts the overall perception of the SmackDown Women's Division, as was evident this week, much like each week. Meanwhile, the Wyatt Sicks' absence serves to illustrate just how unimaginative and uninspired SmackDown's creative team really is.

Best: The Miz turns on Carmelo Hayes

As already mentioned earlier, The Miz turned on Carmelo Hayes right before Hayes could accept Sami Zayn's United States Championship Open Challenge once again this week on SmackDown. This followed an argument backstage that stemmed from the events of last week.

The turn had been a long time coming, and with fans having waited for a long time to finally see HIM pushed to the next level, he should have no problem getting the crowds behind him and becoming one of the most popular babyfaces on SmackDown as we advance.

Carmelo Hayes has the charisma, the talent, and the potential in spades — it is now time for HIM to realise it. His first feud will be with The Miz, and as long as WWE gives them the time and space, there is a compelling and entertaining story to be told in Hayes' first feud as a babyface on the main roster.

Worst: Tiffany Stratton's presentation and booking

This week's SmackDown featured a contract signing between Stephanie Vaquer and Tiffany Stratton ahead of the Women's Crown Jewel Championship match in Perth next Saturday. Somehow, however, Vaquer, still learning English, managed to get her point across better and more convincingly than Stratton did.

The WWE Women's Championship reign has been a mess, and with nothing clicking, it is a shame that it has gone on this long, and WWE somehow has no alternatives on the blue brand and refuses to work around a self-imposed brand split. Stratton's character has nothing redeeming and has no heat, and neither do the stories she is involved in, because WWE insists on portraying Tiffany as a babyface despite every instinct and logical stance pointing to the contrary.

The contract signing followed that pattern, and the fact that Stratton continues to be paired with stars who are also inexperienced in WWE and lack mic skills makes everything worse. The match itself is expected to be awesome, but WHY should a fan be intrigued by it? Why would someone in the U.S. wake up at 8 A.M. on a Saturday to watch Crown Jewel for this?

Best: The build to Cody Rhodes vs Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel

Building upon an epic past, Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are set to do a battle for what Rollins describes as the determining factor of the future of the industry when both men clash after over three years with the Men's Crown Jewel Championship on the line. Rhodes's presence has unravelled Rollins' mental state in twisted ways, and what seems like a final chance at redemption of character continues to be overpowered by another sort of redemptive quest: one fuelled by anger, insecurity, revenge, disillusionment, and ultimate power.

Last night's show saw Seth Rollins cost Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes against Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker after he stomped The Viper into the mat when the referee was distracted by Paul Heyman. But when Rollins (on the entrance ramp) tried to do the same to a recovering Cody (in the ring) after the match, despite repeated pleas by Paul Heyman to not do so, the WWE Champion anticipated and countered with the Cross-Rhodes in one of the smoothest counters you will ever see.

Amidst all the various interrelationships being explored here: Rhodes/Orton, Breakker & Reed/Rollins, Rollins/Heyman, the key idea does not lose the spotlight: Seth Rollins NEEDS to prove himself the better man against Cody Rhodes, and that, perhaps, surpasses the need to win the Crown Jewel Championship, too. That is ironic, but what is more ironic is the man who could have saved him from himself is driving him crazier, for Rollins will now seemingly go to any lengths to beat the man who has always had his number.