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The SummerSlam Go-Home edition of SmackDown LIVE was filled with heated promos and intense matches that moved the WWE storyline forward toward SummerSlam.
From The Miz and Daniel Bryan's 8 year long feud, to the the three women competing for the SmackDown Women's Championship, to a deeply personal letter read by Samoa Joe, SmackDown LIVE left no stone upturned.
Here we break down the very best, worst, and downright ugliest moments in this week's episode of WWE SmackDown LIVE.
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#1 The Good - The New Day vs SAnitY
Kofi Kingston sure knows how to celebrate his birthday. The WWE Superstar turned 37 years old today and made his way to the ring in typical flamboyant fashion.
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Donning a happy birthday sign, and displaying dance moves that would make James Brown envious, Kingston tossed celebratory pancakes into the audience before the South Carolina crowd gave Kingston a well deserved, "Happy Birthday" chant.
As Kingston donned an ear to ear smile, it was clear he didn't know what SAnitY had in store for him.
SAnitY made their way to the ring as focused as ever, and gave The New Day all they could handle in a classic six man bout. If The New Day have anything left for The Bludgeon Brothers on Sunday, it will be a miraculous feat after this barn burner.
Still, the WWE Universe can't blame these six competitors for giving their all (even at the cost of SummerSlam). The two teams have better chemistry than New Day and The Bludgeon Brothers, this makes for superior matches and a great feud.
While there was no "fight forever" chants, there should have been. Had this bout gone the duration of SmackDown LIVE, no one would have complained. It was that spectacular.
The birthday boy (Kofi Kingston) received some unwelcome birthday beatings. He took a massive drop kick from the near 400 pound Killian Dain, was thrown to the outside of the ring in particularly brutal fashion, hit his jaw on the ring apron, and then found his body clashing with the unforgiving announcer's table outside the ring.
SAnitY shouldn't be considered small by any means, but move around effortlessly performing maneuvers with ease that men half their size fail to accomplish. Dain in particular is a freak of nature, and is reminiscent of other legendary athletic giants like Vader.
Ultimately The New Day were victorious in their efforts against SAnitY, but at the wrestling fan's great benefit, this feud is far from over.
#2 The Good - Samoa Joe and AJ Styles
SmackDown GM Paige did all but beg both Samoa Joe and WWE Champion AJ Styles. The two were to do everything in their power to preserve their SummerSlam bout and avoid physicality.
Paige undoubtedly beside herself with worry, never received a straight answer from either man, and to add insult to injury - the brutally violent Samoa Joe promised only unpredictability.
As Styles began to talk about a recent conversation he had with his wife Wendy, Samoa Joe interrupted him, but this time Joe's method of warfare wasn't violence. Samoa Joe came armed with psychology in the form of a letter. Joe claimed that the letter was from a fan and Joe read aloud like a master orator.
The fan claimed,
"I used to be the biggest AJ Styles fan in the world; but, now its clear, AJ never wanted children. Maybe he never wanted a wife either and that's why AJ is such a great champion because he'll do anything to stay away from his family.
At SummerSlam, I pray you win so that AJ can know the feeling of losing the thing he loves most because I lost him a long time ago."
Samoa Joe then revealed that it was AJ Styles' wife Wendy who wrote the letter as SmackDown came to a close.
The move hearkens to the old days of professional wrestling when heels frequently brought up their opponent's families, but Samoa Joe has such command over the microphone that his verbal assault was authentic and believable.
Styles portrays himself as a man of faith, and a family man, so Samoa Joe's tactical assault strikes at Styles' baby face vulnerabilities.
This feud is receiving an old school heated build, and Samoa Joe is proving to be a ruthless and despicable heel. Things are as they should be.
#3 The Good - Daniel Bryan and The Miz
The WWE did an astounding job packaging a feud eight years in the making. With three separate video packages, the WWE told the story of The Miz and Daniel Bryan's eight year feud, which began in 2010 when Bryan was in NXT.
These two obviously have a personal distaste for one another that goes well beyond the realm of WWE story line. Their mutual disdain was evident in these wonderfully produced vignettes.
The Miz lamented the difficulties of being Daniel Bryan's mentor on NXT. He talked about how Bryan failed him as a protege, inevitably losing his first ten NXT matches before being ousted from the brand.
Bryan lashed back,
"I didn't need The Miz, but maybe The Miz needed me."
Bryan noted the fact that after NXT, he debuted on RAW and handily defeated The Miz. He pointed out that his success came after he shed The Miz's instructions entirely.
The video package then focused on Daniel Bryan's retirement, and The Miz showed no respect for Bryan or what was then considered a career ending injury,
"All he needed to do was put his fragile ego aside and not take so many risks."
Bryan continued his verbal assault on The Miz, accusing the A-Lister of being afraid to take a punch.
The two then turned their focus toward their epic encounter on the ill fated Talking Smack. Bryan claimed to have avoided physicality out of respect for his contract and Vince McMahon, but The Miz accused Daniel Bryan of being afraid to get physical, and added that Bryan was,
"Hiding behind his contract and injury."
The Miz continued,
"Do you think Daniel Bryan would have been fired for being a man?"
The Miz also offered the following about his upcoming SummerSlam match with Bryan,
"I am not your prove it match. I am your made it match."
Say what you will about the way WWE builds its feuds. This one has been put together spectacularly, and with a whopping eight years to cover - these videos were impeccable in progressing these two rivals toward their ultimate destiny: SummerSlam.
#4 The Bad - Lurking Randy Orton
Although there had been speculation about Randy Orton being added to the SummerSlam United States Championship match, SmackDown LIVE did nothing to indicate that such a change will be made. Orton did make an appearance, but only added to the confusion.
After defeating Shelton Benjamin, Jeff Hardy was attacked by United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, however Hardy was ready and the attack backfired. Nakamura quickly found himself on the receiving end of a Swanton Bomb as Hardy counted to three.
As Hardy left the ring, Randy Orton was hiding on the ramp behind the curtain. Viewers were almost certain that he would make an attack, but instead Orton inexplicably just watched.
Not only is there no clarity on the upcoming United States Championship match between Nakamura and Hardy, but Orton is resuming his role as the on again, off again participant in this exceptionally confusing feud. The WWE has teased Orton's participation, but failed to deliver a pay off.
What makes a lurking predator frightening is the way he inevitably strikes his prey. Orton after all is well known as The Apex Predator. A predator that only watches is just creepy in a stalker sort of way.
With SummerSlam a mere five days away, Orton should have done everything in his power to insert himself into the championship picture, but failed to do so on the all important Go-home edition of SmackDown LIVE. If he does make his way into the match on Sunday, what did he even do to earn it? Nothing tonight.
#5 The Ugly - The Opening of SmackDown LIVE
SmackDown LIVE opened with Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and WWE Champion Carmella making their way to the ring. The three women exchanged the typical banter over which of them was the very best.
Carmella in predictable heel fashion attempted to divide and conquer Lynch and Flair. She told Lynch that she had virtually no chance of defeating Charlotte Flair and should be concerned about Flair's presence in the match.
This is despite the fact that Lynch cleanly defeated Charlotte only months ago on SmackDown LIVE, but WWE Creative has a very short memory.
Charlotte wasn't having any of it and interrupted Carmella to remind her that her greatest successes occurred due to her ability to get away with bending rules, as well as her unearthing of one James Ellsworth.
This is despite the fact that Carmella defeated Charlotte on multiple occasions without any help from Ellsworth whatsoever.
The ugliest moment of this segment came when Charlotte uttered the following,
"You wonder why the WWE Universe doesn't respect you? It's because you're a Diva living in the women's era."
Sure Carmella is hated, and arguably with her model good looks, reality tv personality, and toned physique is more Diva-ish than Charlotte or Lynch, but Charlotte didn't only insult the WWE Women's Champion, she buried her.
If either Lynch or Charlotte are victorious in the match, what will it matter? After all they didn't beat a respected member of the Women's Evolution. They beat a Diva.
To make matters worse, Carmella embraced the insult in clueless fashion. Ignoring the last several years of wrestling history, she snapped back,
"I am a Diva and I'm damn proud of it."
Carmella went on to talk about how she was more beautiful and charismatic then the other two, once again simply proving Charlotte's ill conceived point.
The SmackDown Women's Champion eventually brought it around, pointing out the fact that she's champion while Flair and Lynch aren't, but by then it was too late. She and Charlotte had already resurrected the bygone Divas era.
Why would WWE Creative label their crowning glory, the champion of their own division a Diva? It only hurts the product in its entirety and cheapens the progress made in the Women's Evolution, something Carmella has very much been a part of.
I thought the WWE moved on from the term Diva, moved on from pink butterfly belts, three minute pillow fights, and looks based talent, but for some reason WWE Creative wants us all to remember, and wants us to believe that the face of the SmackDown Women's Division isn't a part of its future, but instead a relic from a past era.
Does Sunday's SmackDown Women's Championship Triple Threat Match have any meaning left after this debacle? Only time will tell.
