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If this was an objective review, the 'Bolt Thrower' shirt that WWE SmackDown star Shayna Baszler wore on TV would occupy every 'best' column. Kudos to her, and others like Erick Rowan and Chris Jericho, who do their bit to represent heavy metal in the mainstream.
But because we at SK Wrestling know that you, the reader, read the 'Best and worst' column for an unbiased take on WWE SmackDown, RAW, and AEW Dynamite, that's precisely what we're going to give you.
At the outset, let's just say that this wasn't the best episode of WWE SmackDown, by a long shot. Many decisions during the show did not make sense and we shall illustrate the same in this article.
As you are most certainly aware, if you disagree with any of the opinions expressed in this article, the comments section right below is your platform to vent those emotions.
#1 Best: WWE SmackDown Superstar Cesaro continues to be pushed
Just remember that Cesaro, who was merely just another Superstar in the tag team division until a few weeks ago, scored a submission victory over a Champion in the main event match. Cesaro has consistently been at the receiving end of a push on WWE Smackdown, a well-deserved accolade at this point in his wrestling career.
What will also help him in this regard is that he seems primed and ready for a feud with Seth Rollins. Seth Rollins and Cesaro are the best of friends in real-life, as has been well documented by those who've peeked beyond the curtain.
More importantly, they are two of the most phenomenally gifted 'workers' on the planet right now.
When they lock horns on WWE SmackDown, the matches are guaranteed to be absolutely tremendous.
#1 Worst: Why isn't WWE SmackDown star Shinsuke Nakamura in the Elimination Chamber match?
Yes, having WWE SmackDown star Cesaro win the upcoming Elimination Chamber match to take Roman Reigns on, will definitely be a good use of his talents.
But it makes no sense to not have Shinsuke Nakamura, someone who has clearly had his own issues with Roman Reigns in the very same match as well.
Sure, Big E vs. Shinsuke Nakamura happened on WWE SmackDown and for the duration that the contest lasted, it wasn't bad. That said, Shinsuke Nakamura should have been booked as a participant in the Elimination Chamber, should have won the said match, and gone on to face Roman Reigns at Fastlane.
Stuffing him into the mid-card, after fans saw an iron-man performance from him in a big gauntlet match not long ago does this talented young man no favors at all. Shinsuke Nakamura either needs to rack up wins galore much like Cesaro or alternatively, he needs to be booked in a compelling and engrossing WWE SmackDown program.
#2 Best: WWE SmackDown star Apollo Crews has consistently shown his aggressive side against Big E
This is the tale of two WWE SmackDown Superstars, Big E, and Apollo Crews, neither of whom has (classically) been associated with an aggressive persona. Big E has broken away from The New Day and showcased that he can be aggressive when he needs to be. Everyone expects Big E to be a WWE Universal Champion sooner or later, so that's not much of a stretch.
It's good to see Apollo Crews unleash his more aggressive side as well, which should be a prelude to him turning heel at some point.
Do remember that there was a point in WWE Smackdown where it seemed like Apollo Crews and Roman Reigns would be allied, going forward, but the storyline was shelved soon afterward. Once he goes completely heel, Apollo Crews could be a prominent player in the WWE SmackDown mid-card, bending the rules and having great matches with the likes of Rey Mysterio, Dominik, and even someone like Aleister Black, once he returns to action again.
#2 Worst: Having the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion and the 2021 Royal Rumble winner team up
The WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, Sasha Banks is a babyface and so is the 2021 Royal Rumble winner, Bianca Belair. There is no reason why they can't be at each other's throats leading into WrestleMania, as they are competing over the same prize. At some point, Vince McMahon needs to acknowledge the fact that everyone has a shade of gray, nobody's pure black or white.
So, the two of them worked together to take down Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, who showed up on WWE SmackDown and interrupted these two women for no rhyme or reason at all.
Sure, there was an explanation given, but it was weak. We all knew that the WWE SmackDown creative team would capitalize on the hilarious words uttered by Nia Jax when she fell, rear-end first on the side of the ring on Monday Night RAW this past week. That is precisely what happened, for the cheapest of cheap pops during the show.
#3 Best/worst: Seth Rollins returned to WWE SmackDown this week
Seth Rollins returned to WWE SmackDown this week, and the entire ringside area was filled with members of the locker room, male and female, which was weird. That said, there was a glimmer of hope for a change in his 'Messiah' gimmick when the familiar strains of his iconic 'Burn it Down' theme song played on the speakers.
Seth Rollins still urged the WWE SmackDown roster to follow the 'vision' and it makes one think that the 'Messiah' gimmick is not yet shelved completely. Yes, a feud with Cesaro would have been a lot of fun, but it would have been interesting to see Seth Rollins in a brand new avatar, going forward.
Sid Pullar III and Jose G. from SK Wrestling caught up to review WWE SmackDown for our YouTube channel, and you can check it out by clicking on the link shared above. Hey, while you're at it, be sure to subscribe to our channel, because exciting content will go up every single day!
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