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WWE SmackDown did a better job than Raw this week of using its go-home show to build-up SummerSlam. Most major angles advanced, though there were a few duds on the night that did no one any favors.
Who got the most and least out of last night's show just before the "biggest party of the summer?"
Loser: Ali
A few weeks ago, the former "Heart of 205 Live" boldly inserted himself into the WWE Championship chase. He also looked like he might be a challenger to Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship.
Now he's losing to Dolph Ziggler.
This is precisely why today's WWE environment is so lacking in star power compared to the stars of yesteryear. This wasn't a fatal blow, but Ziggler has been irrelevant for years. Losing to him does Ali no favors. Nobody gets over this way.
Ali should have run through Ziggler en route to Nakamura.
Loser: Ember Moon
This match did neither women's #1 contender any favors. When you look at the women's title matches at this year's SummerSlam, it's hard to not be shocked at just how far the division has fallen. Last year's SummerSlam saw Ronda Rousey win her title and the rise of Becky Lynch. This year's title matches both feel like afterthoughts to a Trish Stratus comeback match.
Ember Moon got the particular worst end of this encounter though, as she needed to be saved by Bayley, undercutting her as any threat to her championship.
The SummerSlam title matches are both fillers. Let's just hope we get some good action and then some exciting rivalries in the aftermath. A Sasha Banks return and Shayna Baszler call-up would be just what the doctor ordered. It would be nice if Asuka could get back in the mix, too.
Winner: Aleister Black
WWE at least looks like it has some investment in Aleister Black. This wasn't anything brilliant, but it was an effective match, and Black scoring a solid victory over the whiny Sami Zayn is a good way to keep building his character up.
Black won't make the SummerSlam card, but he's positioned well for WWE's upcoming fall season and the move to Fox. He has the potential to be one of the blue brand's strong players once the lights of WrestleMania 36 start to peep up over the horizon.
Winners: Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, and Rowan
Rowan being Roman Reigns' attacker opens some interesting possibilities. What role did Daniel Bryan play in it? Will Roman Reigns need to get a partner to take on the SmackDown tag team champions?
Unfortunately, the big loser of this exchange was Buddy Murphy, who wasn't the perpetrator, as originally rumored. Instead, he only received a beatdown from Roman Reigns.
It's hardly the best way to make an impression since he hasn't had a single match on SmackDown since being "promoted" April.
I bet he misses 205 Live.
