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We break down the very best, the very worst, and the downright ugliest in the latest episode of WWE SmackDown LIVE. From Carmella to Big Cass to Shinsuke Nakamura to Naomi, we pull no punches in offering a full analysis of SmackDown LIVE.
The Good - Carmella
Carmella has reached the next level as one of the best heels in the business. She pointed out a male member of the audience with, "You there with the drool...I get it, I'm hotter in person." The SmackDown Women's Champion then proceeded to coax Asuka into a potentially devastating handicap match against Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville.
Carmella was the highlight of the commentary team during that match, threatening to take Byron Saxton's job away. When Saxton started with, "If I were you," Carmella was quick to respond with, "Thank God you're not." At the conclusion of the match, she took advantage of a distracted Asuka and laid her Money in the Bank opponent out cold with the SmackDown Women's Championship.
The Good - Paige
SmackDown has steadily improved since Paige took over for Daniel Bryan as the brand's GM. Not that Bryan was a slouch by any means; but, Paige is so comfortable in her role as an authority figure that it's almost frightening.
When she came out to the entrance ramp prior to Asuka's Handicap Match against Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville, she boldly declared, "I make the matches." As convincing as she has ever been, everyone believed her.
The Good - Becky Lynch Gets The Win
The ultra-talented Becky Lynch has been a forgotten component in SmackDown's Women's Division for far too long. Often dwarfed by her 4-Horsewomen counterparts, Lynch has fallen down the SmackDown rankings in disappointing fashion. She and Charlotte Flair competed in a stellar wrestling match; but, ultimately Lynch came away with the victory, which says a whole lot. The WWE isn't done with her yet.
The Good - Aiden English
Aiden English is frequently one of the high points of each SmackDown episode. His singing prowess has won him legions of fans, who eagerly anticipate each Rusev Day. Tonight English took a chop to the throat, courtesy of Jimmy Uso. A shocked and indignant English can be heard saying, "Jimmy, that's my money maker." Yes, it certainly is.
The Good - Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura is in his element as a heel and he added flair and excitement to tonight's Money in the Bank contract signing. After Styles signed the contract to put his WWE Championship on the line against Nakamura at Money in the Bank, it was Nakamura's turn to cross his tees and dot his I's; but, "technical difficulties" ensued.
Nakamura claimed his pen was out of ink and when he was given another, he said that the pen was broken. This drew the ire of the WWE Champion A.J. Styles, who slapped Nakamura hard in the face. Finally, the King of Strong Style pulled his own pen out of his shirt pocket and signed the contract setting up the third WWE bout between the two legendary Superstars.
The Bad - Tag Team Singles Matches
Luke Harper of the Bludgeon Brothers was pinned by Karl Anderson in what was a rather uneventful bout. The two will clash again alongside their tag team brethren at Money in the Bank; but, the booking concept of pitting one tag team wrestler against another in a singles match is as stale as it is boring.
While much of the SmackDown tag team division goes underutilized, this type of match bears little consequence to the inevitable tag bout. Surely, there were two other teams that could have used an opportunity to display their talents; however, that did not occur in lieu of this singles match most fans likely slept through.
The Bad - Tea Time Silliness
The lone blemish on what was a stellar match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte was an awkward lockup which saw both women putting their pinky fingers out as if they were engaging in a tea party. Then the two women grabbed each other's leg and coaxed the other to put it down first. A match of this caliber didn't require silliness.
The fans were already engaged because the two are phenomenal in-ring workers. They needed no other reason to tune in; but, these light-hearted moments may have given some fans reason to tune out.
The Bad - Naomi's Entrance
Naomi & her real-life husband, Jimmy Uso, just cut a blistering promo on Lana, Aiden English, and Rusev. It was dark. It was believable. It was terrifying. In a dimly lit locker room, the duo mutually welcomed their opponents to the Uso Penitentiary and left in a hurry to repay the two for last week's disrespect. After instilling a great amount of fear, Naomi came to the ring looking like a human Light Bright while her previously terrifying husband clapped to the beat of her theme music with the enthusiasm of a cheerleader. Usually, Naomi's entrance is just fine & probably the highlight of some younger fans' experience; but, it didn't fit here, especially after delivering such a convincing promo.
The Ugly - Tom Phillips' Flub
During the six-man tag match main event, Tom Phillips flubbed his lines while talking about the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Phillips proclaimed that there would be a Mrs. and Mrs. Money in the Bank. While that would be possible, if the WWE allowed women to compete in the men's match, the company isn't that progressive just yet. Phillipps attempted to correct the flub later by claiming that he was thinking of The Miz's new reality television show The Miz & Mrs; however, the damage had already been done by then.
The Ugly - Big Cass
Big Cass is out of sorts and uncomfortable as both a heel and a big man. His SmackDown promo seemed over-rehearsed and Cass was obviously uncomfortable with his scripted lines. Furthermore, Cass may obviously be a big man at seven feet tall; however, he doesn't talk like one, nor does he dress like one. Instead, the promo was more Ric Flair than Andre the Giant, as Cass talked about his superior mental acuity in a top of the line suit. Cass came off as confused and unsure of who he is, who he's supposed to be, and ultimately, where he's going.
The Ugly - The Kevin Hart Mountain Dew Commercial
Although its only run for a short time, The Kevin Hart Mountain Dew commercial has quickly worn out its welcome. Hart has ridden the coattails of one of wrestling's biggest Superstars (Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson) to achieve a higher level of success than he likely ever imagined or ever deserved. Wrestling fans aren't stupid and don't take well to pandering, so here's hoping the former RAW guest star, leaves wrestling to the wrestlers and stays off WWE television from here on out. Mean Gene Okerlund is welcome anytime.
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