'%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)
Last night's SmackDown was better than the Raw prior, though that isn't out of the ordinary or hard to do. R-Truth continued to be entertaining and Kofi Kingston's incredible run went on, but there was also a stunning absence from some of SmackDown's big names as "wild card" nonsense was in full effect. Something needs to be done about this, because ever since it was introduced, the shows have gotten worse than usual, becoming even more confusing.
Who managed to get the most and least out of last night's episode?
#2. Loser: Kevin Owens
Kofi Kingston's run as a fighting champion continued in a good, if non-title match, but this opener, despite the good wrestling, represents many of WWE's tiresome tropes. It was a rematch from pay per view that really felt like it was just there to fill time. It didn't need to happen.
Kevin Owens' loss to Kingston for the second time in as many weeks, clean as a whistle, surely places him out of title contention for the foreseeable future.
Kofi Kingston will have a match with Dolph Ziggler in Saudi Arabia next Friday, and his next challenger after that is not known.
#3. Winners: Heavy Machinery
Daniel Bryan and Rowan returned to SmackDown with their titles in tow this week. Regrettably, they weren't of the eco-friendly variety. After a promo, Heavy Machinery came out and set up their claim to challenge for the SmackDown tag team titles.
Their chances of winning them are almost zero, but compared to what the duo has been doing since getting the call from NXT last December, any step is one for progress. They will now get the chance to see if they sink or swim in the title picture with a legend like Daniel Bryan.
#1. Loser: Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre has really had a bad deal since he came back to the main roster last year. The former NXT Champion looked and acted like a world champion in the waiting, but ever since last September, he's been a cog in some faction or another.
Last night was yet more evidence of this, as he stood around while "the best in the world" took up airtime. He feels like an even less necessary part in what has become one of the year's worst rivalries between Shane McMahon and Roman Reigns.
For McIntyre's own sake, he better hope that Roman Reigns beats Shane McMahon so badly on June 7th that the latter is off TV for a long time with a kayfabe injury.
Actually, for everyone's sake, and for the sake of the show, let's all hope that happens. There's no one with more go away heat right now than Shane.
#2. Winner: Bayley
Bayley outsmarted her opponents last night. She sold a lot for Lacey Evans, but the Raw superstar (why was she on SmackDown when her feud with Becky Lynch appears to be continuing on Raw?) was unable to put the champion away.
Bayley attacked Charlotte, who was on commentary at ringside and then rolled up Lacey, who brawled with Charlotte in the aftermath.
Although it was a bit frustrating to see the usual "distraction rollup" on a greenhorn like Lacey, this segment added something to Bayley's character.
#1. Winner: R-Truth
R-Truth lost the 24/7 Championship to Elias and then regained it in the night's main event, after Roman Reigns speared the poor sap. Throughout the night, R-Truth was the single most entertaining part, and though the 24/7 title looked shaky on Monday night, it came back on Tuesday.
R-Truth looks set to dominate this title for a while and that's all for the best. Let's see if he can break his record by getting through next week intact.
