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That was no way that last night's SmackDown would be able to compare with the drama of RAW earlier in the week, but the Blue brand looked to get off on the right footing as it gears up for its summer run. The Intercontinental Championship tournament mostly defined this episode but bigger storylines were also at play - at least as far as the men's side of the equation goes. The women's side looked to be in much worse condition, with a "surprise" appearance from Charlotte Flair not exactly setting the world on fire.
Who got the most and least out of last night's show? Let's have a look.
Winner: Otis
The newly-crowned Mr. Money in the Bank had an active evening, first appearing on Miz TV and then going around trying to find a tag team partner until he came upon none other than the man he would presumably cash in against, Braun Strowman, the Universal Champion.
Otis didn't hit home runs in this new role. His appearance on Miz TV was shaky, showing that he still has some work to do in carrying long segments. However, to WWE's credit, it looks like they're in no rush to have him win the championship yet. This would be for the best. They have an entire year to truly get him ready if they're committing to pushing him as a main event talent. That we're even saying such words shows how far he's come from his days in NXT.
WWE also did some foreshadowing of sorts last night, with Strowman and Otis, which was a nice touch.
It remains to be seen if the Otis experiment pays off in the long run, but for those who have wanted the company to try something new, they're getting their wish.
Winner: Elias
After helping to derail Corbin's plans at Money in the Bank, Elias faced off with him last night in the first round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament. There, he defeated Corbin in what was a surprising move, going to the next round.
It's a significant victory for Elias. Now we need to see how far he advances in the tournament. He's not the favorite by any stretch, but then again, he probably wasn't the favorite last night, either.
Loser: The women's division
The lowlight of SmackDown last night, as it has been for some time, was the women's division. Charlotte Flair's trash talk with Bayley and Sasha Banks didn't have a great dynamic to it since all three of them are heels. A match between Bayley and Charlotte Flair, which may have been foreshadowed would be fresh, but not novel, and it wouldn't solve the weaknesses in the division.
Elsewhere, Dana Brooke and Naomi battled each other in a forgettable encounter.
Everyone's waiting for the coming Bayley vs. Sasha feud - if it ever does come. Until then, things feel like an afterthought.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Unsurprisingly, this was the best match of the night, as Daniel Bryan emerged victorious over Drew Gulak to advance in the Intercontinental Championship tournament. He's probably the favorite to win the thing, but favorites have often fallen in the past.
Drew Gulak has been allied to Bryan of late, but we shouldn't expect him to advance beyond that place anytime soon. At least he's putting on great matches with top talent, as we saw last night. If the right opportunity presents itself, who knows where he might go? Did anybody expect Otis to win Money in the Bank at this time last year?
If Drew Gulak keeps doing this, there might be some kind of breakthrough waiting.
But it's Daniel Bryan who will go on in the tournament. With WWE's new wild card-lite rule in place, a reign from Bryan wouldn't be such a bad idea. He could revive the open challenge and invite stars from RAw, SmackDown, and NXT to come and do battle with him for the title. That's the best course at this point.
