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Honestly, WWE SmackDown was an okay show, and this is not going to change for a while. The following weeks will see WWE recycling feuds from WrestleMania, and things are never nearly as sweet the second time around.
This is not to say that WWE SmackDown was an uneventful show because a lot did happen on it. But there's no sense of motion as there is after WrestleMania when new feuds begin and new performers arrive on the chessboard.
What did you think of this week's edition of WWE SmackDown, ladies and gentlemen? How much would you rate it on a scale of 1-10?
#1 Best: Will WWE SmackDown next week be Daniel Bryan's last appearance?
The fact that we have two of the best in the world in Cesaro and Daniel Bryan teaming up on WWE SmackDown is a very good sign indeed. The opening match was long, but because of the participants involved, it did not feel like a drag.
Seth Rollins' retreat from the contest sets up a possible Roman Reigns feud with his former Shield-mate, but one has to wonder how that will be achieved in a heel vs. heel context. Perhaps the stage is being set for Jey Uso to turn babyface at some point.
The proclamation from Roman Reigns in the closing segment of WWE SmackDown where Daniel Bryan leaving the company was teased, may indicate that next week may be his very last match.
Daniel Bryan has been very vocal about not feeling it anymore and even spoke about an odd detachment during the WrestleMania main event.
Or maybe he was trolling us all, and when he does lose the match on WWE SmackDown next week (oh, rest assured he will), Daniel Bryan could just embark on an NXT stint.
#1 Worst: Every WWE SmackDown match this week was good, except...
A contest between two of the most dominant WWE SmackDown women may have sounded good on paper, but Nia Jax and Tamina Snuka had absolutely no chemistry at all. Throw in Shayna Baszler and Reginald into the mix and the whole match was a disaster.
As dominant as Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler have been with the titles, it may be time for a change of guard. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a team in the WWE SmackDown or RAW entire roster that seems like an upgrade.
It is not the fault of the women or the performers involved, but the amount of time that has been expended on them, to feel like they should topple the Champions. And do we really need Reginald as a lackey for Nia Jax?
The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship picture may not be the strongest at the moment, but the Women's Tag Team Championship picture feels even less exciting. Coming back on point, Jax vs. Snuka was not really very good at all.
#2 Best: WWE SmackDown sees a very different Aleister Black returning to action
The return of Aleister Black to WWE SmackDown was a welcome sight. Some may say that he channeled elements of Tales from the Crypt, some may say that there were elements of Far Cry, and to others, he resembled a black metal musician.
What we do know for sure is that Aleister Black has been repackaged as a storyteller, in a dark and ominous new persona, and the following weeks should be very interesting indeed.
It was crazy to see how Aleister Black, one of the most dominant stars in the NXT brand, was completely mishandled during the latter stages of 2020. He hadn't shown up for weeks on WWE SmackDown, and some even speculated that he would be one of the names released in the most recent round. Luckily that wasn't to be, and Aleister Black is back, and better than ever!
One may only cross his/her fingers and hope that he's used as well as he was used during his NXT stint.
#2 Worst: Continuing the same feuds on WWE SmackDown after WrestleMania is done and dusted
Okay, when Sami Zayn danced on WWE SmackDown, this reviewer nearly didn't put this entry in the worst column. That said, do we really want to see Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens again after the feud culminated at WrestleMania? Do we want to see The Street Profits and The Dirty Dawgs fight one more time?
In the case of Big E blindsiding Apollo Crews backstage, we have to wonder if this is something a babyface would do. Yes, he has legitimate grouse against Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez, but wouldn't a babyface get in someone's face for a war of words instead? Even his brash interaction with Kevin Owens earlier in the night seemed a little out of character.
We're going to keep seeing Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins on WWE SmackDown for a while, and it's going to ease us into Cesaro vs. Roman Reigns down the line. Do you like the idea of WrestleMania feuds continuing on WWE SmackDown in this manner?
#3 Best/Worst: The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship picture isn't really very exciting
If you've heard what we have to say about WWE SmackDown, tune in to hear the living legend Dutch Mantell chime in with his thoughts about the show with Rick and Sid! He has a wicked sense of humor and is guaranteed to make you howl with laughter.
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode may just be WWE SmackDown's most solid hands in the ring, but there is something about them in their current avatar that isn't exciting. They are just lacking that X-factor that would have made the WWE SmackDown tag team division interesting. Rohit Nath from Sportskeeda remarked on how so much is made of the depth of the tag team division on WWE SmackDown, when it's the same teams battling every week.
Maybe it's time to put the titles around the waists of Rey Mysterio and Dominik, two of the most prolific performers in the roster at present. Or would you rather see The Street Profits vs. The Dirty Dawgs again?
