'%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)
After an episode of Raw that returned to its normal stale self on Monday night, SmackDown Live took up the slack and delivered an episode that sagged, but still had enough good to make up for Monday's poor performance. Some Superstars got back on TV and the Extreme Rules card was sufficiently hyped to make last night's show a passable one.
Commendable enough given the strong competition of the Major League Baseball All Star Game, I suppose. Perhaps we started seeing the influence of Eric Bischoff, who is reportedly set to take over next week. We'll have to see how it goes. Being consistently good isn't one of WWE's stronger suits.
Who got the most and least out of last night's show?
Winner: Kevin Owens
After refusing to leave the arena on the orders of Shane McMahon, Kevin Owens took up the mantle of CM Punk and did an imitation pipe bomb railing against him and his regime. Channeling the frustrations of WWE fans, Kevin Owens lamented that the likes of Buddy Murphy, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and others haven't gotten TV time all so that Shane McMahon can hog up some more. It was all true, which is why it was so good, even if it was, again, an imitation.
Later on, he attacked Shane himself. Kevin Owens had to turn heel in the spring and now turned babyface again. This many turns in a short time are liable to blunt a Superstar's momentum with fans. As far as a babyface Kevin Owens goes, this promo did more favors for him than anything else he's done since coming back from injury early in the year.
The follow up remains the most crucial thing, but this did Kevin Owens a whole lot of favors. There isn't an obvious place for him at SummerSlam, though, so it's by no means guaranteed that this push is going to continue.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
A wild Shinsuke Nakamura appears! And hey, Finn Balor is back too! You know, the Intercontinental Champion who hasn't been on TV for weeks.
As frustrating as this match was, with the stale, formulaic trope of a champion losing a non-title match, and as unlikely as Shinsuke Nakamura is to take the title from Finn Balor as a result, this was a step in the right direction for the former.
Nakamura spent the first half of 2019 in a puzzling feud with Rusev for the United States Championship before forming an impromptu tag team with him and then disappearing entirely. Recovery needed to start somewhere. This was a good place.
A SummerSlam program between Balor and Nakamura would be welcome for both guys.
Winners: Asuka and Kairi Sane
Speaking of underutilized Superstars, Asuka and Kairi Sane were back last night. It was only in a short backstage segment, but it did its job, finally setting up the feud with the IIconics for the tag team titles, likely to take place at SummerSlam.
There can be no beating around the bush with this. The IIconics are a joke and have made the Tag Team titles such a joke that they feel like they should be decommissioned. Anything less than Asuka and Sane squashing them is unacceptable. Only then can the titles begin the long road to recovery and if Asuka and Sane lose, there's little coming back, such jokes are the IIconics.
Winner: Aleister Black
Finally, the promo charades are over. It's Aleister Black vs. Cesaro at Extreme Rules. That's going to rule. It's going to be a great way to introduce Aleister Black back into singles competition.
Black's promos went on for far too long. One wonders why this didn't happen a month ago, but here we are. It's a big step in the right direction.
Loser: Ember Moon
This feels like more than a little wheel spinning right now, doesn't it? Where is this feud going and what is the purpose to it? It feels like the people putting the shows together don't know either.
Ember Moon was given a week to find a partner to take on Mandy and Sonya. Perhaps this will be an attempt to rebuild the tag team division? That seems like the best bet for her because Ember Moon doesn't feel like she's going to get a singles push anytime soon. Same goes for Mandy and Sonya.
On the other hand, it was also left ambiguous, as Moon vowed to fight them at the same time if she couldn't find a partner. We shall see.
Do you love to play crosswords, Wordle or other exciting games? We'd like to connect with you. Fill the form here!
