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Last night's SmackDown was a mixed bag, but it was still far better than Raw, as is customary at this point. A great first half hour gave way to a sagging middle with filler matches and poor segments. Thankfully, we got another great ending that saw new champions being crowned.
Over the course of two compact hours, it was a roller coaster ride with many ups and downs, but who emerged as the biggest winners from the post-SummerSlam edition of the blue brand?
Winner: Jeff Hardy
After failing to recapture the United States Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura, Jeff Hardy needed a new direction, and he got it rapidly. His match with Randy Orton, and especially the ending that followed it, were excellent. Orton's heel work is consistently a highlight of the blue brand, and the way Jeff Hardy finally struck back took the feud to the next level. It was nice to see the Viper get some measure of comeuppance after a month of vicious, dastardly attacks.
In this, SmackDown has a midcard feud that feels like it matters. It's bitter and it doesn't need a title to make it feel important, which isn't something WWE has been good at in 2018. If this keeps up, it could be one of the best feuds of the year.
With Hell in a Cell coming up, this feud definitely feels like it belongs in the monstrous structure, even if other matches will probably be preferred for it over this one. That begs the question though since the structure has already been built, why not have one more match than usual in there?
Orton's viciousness and Hardy's daredevil antics could easily make for one of the most memorable matches of 2018 if both were given some time inside Hell in a Cell.
Loser: Charlotte Flair
One of the most damning indictments of WWE's broken creative regime in a long time came last night, as Becky Lynch solidified her heel turn. While Becky played her part excellently, her promo was completely tone deaf, especially the part about attacking the fans, who know that she's right. SummerSlam felt like it should have been her moment and it was taken from her.
Charlotte Flair emerged to boos, and when the two fought, it was very clear whose side the fans were on.
Ultimately, this is going to damage Charlotte much more than Becky. Fans aren't going to boo the latter, and all of the goodwill Charlotte has built up as a babyface over the last year is now rapidly evaporating. Although the chatter was there for a long time, she's now being solidified as "the Roman Reigns of the women's division" - a radioactive "babyface" who fans don't want to see succeed.
The result will be that the first women's WrestleMania main event next year has a much higher chance of being received as poorly as this year's one was. It certainly doesn't help that the first cracks in Ronda Rousey's armor are also beginning to show.
Loser: Andrade "Cien" Almas
Why Andrade "Cien" Almas had to tap out quickly in a meaningless SummerSlam rematch, I don't know. But it was a great way to keep him at the level he's at right now and prevent his rise to bigger and better things after his victory last Sunday.
This feud should have ended at SummerSlam, but it looks like the company is giving it artificial legs. The result should be a wobbly experience that benefits no one.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe proved once again that he should be WWE Champion last night. It took him less than a minute. This was brutally effective, and Joe's work since his shift to the blue brand, even if he hasn't always been featured, is characteristically top notch.
A collision course inside Hell in a Cell looks inevitable, and that should be an excellent match, if not a potential match of the year if it is built right. Despite a lackluster start, SummerSlam gave this feud a ton of fuel, so hopefully, everything works out OK.
A Joe WWE Championship reign would open a lot of new possibilities on SmackDown. It would certainly be the right decision.
Winners: The New Day
This felt rushed, but extenuating circumstances required it. As stale as the New Day are as characters, there's no doubt that the SmackDown tag team division is in a much better place with them as champions than with the Bludgeon Brothers holding the titles. The months since WrestleMania proved that the act just wasn't working and felt like it was stagnating SmackDown.
New feuds with the Good Brothers and The Bar have already been teased, and obviously, no one would mind seeing the New Day and Usos go at it again, as long as it's done artfully and doesn't overstay its welcome.
The tag team division itself emerged as the biggest winner of all last night.
