'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell shared his thoughts on last night's SmackDown.
Speaking to Sid Pullar III on the latest episode of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Mantell stated that he felt WWE SmackDown got progressively worse and that he missed Lesnar and Reigns' presence.
"Oh my god! I am full of rage, my God! I mean, listen, I hate to say this, I really do. Guys worked hard but that SmackDown tonight, I swear, I have seen independent shows that are much better than that. It was, I don't know if I can say this or not, it is the living sh*t. I watched the one hour and I was like, it's going to get better in the second hour. It didn't get better, it got progressively worse. I was dying for Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, just for their picture on the screen", Mantell said.
Mantell further stated that watching the show last night was a brutal experience.
"It was brutal. Instead of Capital Punishment in this country, what I would do is if somebody committed a hideous crime like murder or something, instead of giving them death, I would tie them down to a chair and strap their legs and one arm down, leave the other arm free and put a cyanide pill nearby and make him watch SmackDown over and over again. Then they would have the choice to take the cyanide pill and end it or keep watching. I guarantee you 98% of them would take the pill and say just get me out of here, I can't take this."
"I don't think they will beat AEW this week" - Dutch Mantell on WWE SmackDown
Speaking further, Mantell stated that the show was so bad that he was waiting for commercials. He blamed the creative team for the show's failure and believes that AEW will beat WWE SmackDown in the ratings this week.
"I was begging for commercials, please get me something. It's the two hours of my life I'm not going to ever get back. This is the first show that ever really fit that. Two hours that I could have really put to some other use. I have seen a lot of bad stuff in wrestling and I don't say much about it because the guys worked hard, it's not their fault. It's just what the creative team lays out for them. Whatever they laid out today, it did not work at all. I don't think they will beat AEW this week."
This week's episode of WWE SmackDown felt flat and didn't deliver at all. Popular stars such as Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Finn Balor, Rey Mysterio and Big E moving to RAW as part of the WWE Draft made the difference. The absence of the Universal Champion, who has been a major attraction in the recent past, hindered it further.
You can watch the entire episode of Smack Talk below:
What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? What do you think WWE can do to improve the show? Sound off in the comments.
If any quotes are used from this article, please embed the video and a link back for the transcription.
