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WWE SmackDown was a really good show this week, I thought. There was much to like about the blue brand, and I don't really know if this is Bischoff's influence, but whatever the case may be is working great for now.
Of course, it wasn't a perfect show in every sense and it did not have the firepower of, say, a RAW Reunion, but it made up for it through some well-booked segments. I can honestly say that there wasn't a single point where I felt let down or disappointed by what I was served.
I will point a few flaws out from the show and highlight them in this feature, for your reading pleasure. But do not be discouraged because I want you to know that it was a great show and if you haven't watched it yet, go do so now.
If WWE puts on such great shows on a weekly basis, I'd be a very happy member of the WWE Universe.
#1 Best: Randy Orton is your number 1 contender
I loved the interaction that Randy Orton had with Kofi Kingston in the middle of the ring. This felt like the best thing he's done in quite some time, and Orton appeared like a pure, despicable heel, all throughout.
Orton told Kofi Kingston that he's used his influence to hold the current Champion back for many years now, and one wonders if WWE is going to play on this angle going forward. The two men have a lot of history stretching back all the way to a different era, and this could be the feud that Kingston needs to establish himself as a dominant star.
Orton is one of the best in the business. He just proved it again tonight.
See WWE Smackdown Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Smackdown Results page
#1 Worst: The New Day on commentary
What I enjoyed about the show, in essence, was the fact that it wasn't a joke, how seriously WWE took it. However, you cannot have that when New Day is on commentary, making fun of everything.
There is a childishness that Xavier Woods and Big E bring to the table that has made them such a popular act for all of these years. Sadly, it does not translate to the commentary booth, and it distracted me from the action in the ring when the two men were at their animated best.
I almost breathed a sigh of relief when Michael Cole came to the commentary desk and showed off his color skills. I think there is something to Michael Cole assuming this role someday later, down the line.
In any case, I'm not the biggest fan of New Day on commentary, as you can probably tell.
#2 Best: The Firefly Funhouse returns
One of the things that I really wanted from WWE is the duality in Bray Wyatt's persona. This is what adds an additional layer to his character, what truly makes him different from all of the other supernatural characters that have existed before him.
Wyatt accepted Finn Balor's SummerSlam challenge by bringing back the Firefly Fun House. As my colleague Gary Cassidy mentioned, it is fantastic that Bray Wyatt and 'The Fiend' are being referred to as two different people. The Fiend is the darkness that lies within all of us, waiting to emerge in our darkest moments.
I know that a lot of Abyss and Joseph Park comparisons have been made, and also some people have likened this character to the three faces of Foley, but I think that The Fiend is a truly unique being. I can't wait for SummerSlam to see what eventually happens.
#2 Worst: Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe appear on both WWE shows
See, I did enjoy the main event segment with Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns. I am also a big fan of Samoa Joe and I have to say that I appreciate the fact that WWE is giving him the opportunity to shine on both shows. However, the fact that they appeared on both shows pretty much undermines the rest of the roster, does it not?
Wasn't it only last week that Kevin Owens spoke about underrated stars getting their opportunities? Wasn't it only last week that he highlighted that Buddy Murphy and Liv Morgan deserve more screen time than they usually get? How can you keep the entire tag team division off the show?
How do you keep someone like Andrade, who deserves the world, from appearing on SmackDown Live? Couldn't he have faced Kofi Kingston instead, this week?
#3 Best: Miz TV with Shawn Michaels
The issue with talk shows like Miz TV and A Moment of Bliss is that you often know how things will pan out before they even begin. So, when it was announced that Shawn Michaels was not a guest on commentary and a Miz TV guest, I feared the worst.
But it turned out to be great, with Shawn Michaels delivering the ultimate zinger- calling Ziggler a second rate Shawn Michaels. Even though he was in the background during this segment, I thought that The Miz has really come into his own as a babyface and knows how to work a crowd as few others can.
And Ziggler finally got his moment under the sun as he got to Superkick Shawn Michaels. I'm sure this is a moment he's been dreaming of, for all of his life.
I'd really like to see Ziggler vs. Michaels someday.
#3 Worst: No update with regard to Daniel Bryan's big announcement
I mean the one thing that a lot of people tuned in for last week was Daniel Bryan's big 'career altering announcement'. When that did not happen last week, people thought that it would happen this week, at the very least.
But then again, nothing of the nature actually happened, and this is disappointing on a lot of fronts. It's just silly for Roman Reigns to be on both shows when Daniel Bryan cannot get any screen time for an ongoing storyline, I think.
I know that technically Bray Wyatt was on both shows as well but, I mean, he's the hottest thing in WWE right now. If you look at the number of tweets online, furious that Bryan didn't show up, you know that fans feel cheated at the lack of an announcement from WWE.
Does Bryan even really have an actual announcement?
#4 Best/worst: Heel turn or not?
See, I don't want you guys to misunderstand me here. I love the idea of a character who will attack everyone, heel or face because she is driven by the desire to rise to the top of the food chain. I just don't think that that person is Ember Moon because it requires a certain degree of expertise to pull it off.
We thought in the beginning that Ember Moon had turned heel when she attacked Bayley shortly after picking up a victory against Charlotte Flair. But then she attacked Charlotte Flair as well, leaving both women lying on the mat, in a confusing turn of events. Whenever these confusing segments happen, it's an indication that WWE doesn't know what to do next.
That said, it's better than anything they've done with her thus far. This is why it's in the 'Best/Worst' column.
Just like The Goddess is, every week.
How did Ric Flair spend $1500 at a pizza place? More details here
