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SmackDown Live was a nice show. That's all there is to it, quite honestly. Something extremely significant happened that we did not see coming. But at the same time, nothing on the show was particularly bad except for the points we have outlined in this article.
I just fear for the future of SmackDown because it just seems like the 'lesser' of the two shows. I don't know if this comes from the fact that Champions get pinned regularly on SmackDown Live. I know that The Revival got pinned on RAW, but the red brand protects its champions, almost always.
So, it's time to list the good and the bad for your reading pleasure. As always, be sure to let me know your thoughts and feelings about this week's show.
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Even if you disagree with my thoughts and review, feel free to let me know in the comments section.
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#1 Best: Kingston vs. Bryan is finally made official
There was a 6-man main event match to close the show this week. As one would expect with the six individuals involved, it was a fairly good match. Not an exciting match, since we saw them in various permutations and combinations over the past week or so. But a pretty good match nevertheless.
And this match concluded with Kofi Kingston pinning the WWE Champion. Now, normally I would not be a fan of such a move because it's necessary to make your Champion look strong. But in this case, it was necessary so that a big match could be made.
Kofi Kingston will take on Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship at WWE Fastlane. This is a pretty big deal considering that Kingston has never been Champion.
And he's been in the company for eleven whole years!
#1 Worst: Asuka gets pinned by Mandy Rose
Why am I okay with Daniel Bryan getting pinned but not Asuka? For one Daniel Bryan gets TV time every week and even if he's pinned, it was for a program that helps him. There's literally nobody hotter in the company right now than Kofi Kingston and a program between Bryan and Kingston will benefit both men involved.
But more importantly, it just shows us that WWE has no major plans for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Sure, we can all say that a push for Mandy Rose is imminent and that she will be Asuka's next challenger, but did we really need a roll up after a distraction from Lacey Evans?
The SmackDown Women's Division needs Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Without them, the division just seems lacklustre.
For Asuka's sake, I hope that the WWE Creative team has concrete plans in place and that she has a credible WrestleMania 35 opponent.
#2 Best: Ricochet is incredible
Every time Ricochet steps into the ring to compete, he reminds us of just how good he is as a world-class athlete. I am glad that his move set has not been watered down for the main roster. Ricochet's main appeal comes from his moves, and to water it down would have been criminal.
He took on Eric Young in a singles match this week, that he won quite convincingly indeed. Of course, this was the right decision and this also gave SAnitY some much-needed TV time to remind the WWE Universe that they all do still exist. Let's hope that this leads to them getting more television time in due time.
Ricochet's finisher is an absolute stroke of genius and I can only imagine how gifted you have to be to pull it off. I hope he stays on in SmackDown Live and gets a chance to face Rey Mysterio, his biggest idol, someday.
#2 Worst: Still no United States Champion
Here's one more champion that WWE forgot about. While they rewarded R-Truth with the US Championship after his years of service to the WWE Universe, they completely dropped the ball on him soon after by taking him completely off TV since. When this title could have been used to elevate someone like Andrade or Ricochet.
It is clear that his United States Championship run will be a very brief spell only. I wouldn't mind him losing to almost anyone at all in the roster, because seeing the Championship on TV would be better than having a namesake Champion. It felt like it was more relevant around Nakamura's shoulders, despite the poor booking.
WWE devalues its own champions and championships by letting the audiences forgot about the men and women that wield the gold during the show. Let's hope that he has a match at Fastlane.
#3 Best: Zelina's husband vs. business partner
Poor Zelina Vega! This week, her husband Aleister Black took on her business associate Andrade in what was a very special match, with two men that know one another very well indeed.
It's quite funny that their relationship is not acknowledged on television, while Renee Young and Dean Ambrose are portrayed as a couple. I suppose that because of Black's dark and mysterious gimmick, WWE would want to keep this association a secret from the WWE Universe.
That said, Andrade and Black are certainly no strangers to one another, having waged some real wars in NXT. This week was no different, as Black took Andrade to the limit and then some, picking up a very comprehensive victory.
I would certainly like to see these two men tussle again, perhaps with Rey Mysterio thrown into the mix as well for a match of the year candidate.
#3 Worst: Far too bloated?
Did we need these many NXT superstars to come to a roster that is already so bloated? Bear in mind that The Club and Rusev and Nakamura and Carmella and Naomi and The IIconics and Rey Mysterio did not get any screen time on this week's show while these four individuals did.
In fact, the first round of NXT talent that got called up isn't getting any screen time either. When was the last time we saw EC3 at all?
I love watching #DIY, Ricochet and Aleister Black in action because they're four of the best in the business. I've been a fan of all four men since they arrived in NXT and it's super cool to see them mix it up in the main roster.
I just wonder if this means that the existing crop of talent will not get any TV team and will fall further down the totem pole.
