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I thought that the go-home episode of SmackDown before Money in the Bank was a solid show. There was a lot of stuff that happened during the course of the night that I felt got me all pumped up for the upcoming pay-per-view in a good way.
And isn't that the whole point of a go-home show? If you were unimpressed by SmackDown and disagree with my assessment, feel free to voice your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below, even if it differs from my assessment. I would love to hear your take.
In any case, I thought that there was much to like about this episode of SmackDown and I have separated the highlights from the show into the 'Best and Worst' columns for your enjoyment and pleasure.
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#1 Best: The looming threat of the SmackDown hacker
There are way too many rumors doing the rounds about who the SmackDown hacker could potentially be and one of the names that has come up time and again is CM Punk. And WWE just decided to lend further credence to those rumors on this week's episode of SmackDown by doing the whole 'static' thing when the vignette started.
Look, whether or not it is CM Punk (it probably won't be him), the main thing to remember is that the threat of the SmackDown hacker is real, and every single team in the locker room will have to look over their shoulders at all times. SmackDown has needed these dramatic moments, and I am glad to report that this is one of the most interesting things to have emerged from the minds of WWE creative in some time.
This could be a big boost for Mustafa Ali or Shorty G, or whoever else is cast as the hacker.
#1 Worst: No Intercontinental or Women's Tag Team Championship match
In the past, I have complained about pay-per-views being a little too bloated, but I just think that the lack of the Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown is not just affecting the upcoming pay-per-view but even the weekly show. Of course, we know about Sami Zayn's absence from SmackDown is the result of him not agreeing to come into work during the ongoing pandemic, but I still feel like it hurts the Blue brand.
And I feel the same way about Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross not being a part of SmackDown this week or Money in the Bank this weekend. It is especially a matter of concern in their case because the Women's Tag Team Championships have hardly been booked in any substantial way on either RAW or SmackDown, and I just think that so many women could have been elevated hard they been featured prominently.
Maybe after one of the women grabs the contract will we see the return of these titles to SmackDown.
#2 Best: Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville
SmackDown stars Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville hadn't gotten a chance to showcase just what they are capable of, once upon a time. Fast forward a few months, and they have proved that they can bring their inherent fire and desire to shine whenever the situation so demands it on WWE SmackDown. I genuinely thought that they were one of the best things about this week's episode of WWE SmackDown.
Yes, both of them showed an immense amount of skill but the trash-talking that happened during the match is what set it apart from almost everything else on SmackDown because now it seemed very personal indeed. They say that nobody has better chemistry in the ring than real-life best-friends and on this week's episode of SmackDown, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville proved that they can potentially be the Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn of the women's division.
I also thought that Sonya Deville winning this week's match was the best thing that could have happened for her as a performer.
#2 Worst: Issues with the main event and what followed on SmackDown
I know that SmackDown Superstars are supposed to be men and women who act differently from the norm and are more violent than your usual everyday people. And yet, I still do not understand the impetus for King Corbin, Otis, and Daniel Bryan to climb a ladder in an empty arena and retrieve a briefcase for absolutely no reason at all, to close out the show following the main event match on SmackDown.
Not only does it defy logic, but I don't think the audience cares about who manages to retrieve the contract on the go-home SmackDown show.
Otis as the mystery partner in the SmackDown main event
I find Otis to be one of the most entertaining superstars in the current SmackDown roster but one could sense that he would be the mystery partner from a mile away when King Corbin cut a promo disparaging him.
It wasn't all bad, though, because I really liked the part where the actual ladder could not support Otis' weight.
#3 Best/Worst: The whole Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman in-ring segment
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the whole Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman segment in the middle of the SmackDown ring this week but I don't think it was necessarily exceptional television, to any degree. We saw Bray Wyatt invade The Miz's home before their match and there wasn't a very horror movie feeling to the proceedings this time.
To be honest, while this was one of the high points of SmackDown this week, I just didn't feel like this was Bray Wyatt's best work. Because Braun Strowman cuts such an imposing figure, in an ideal world, he would have used mind games to completely cripple the big man before their match at Money in the Bank 2020.
Also, because it is Bray Wyatt and not The Fiend, we also know the result of the contest and that made the whole SmackDown segment seem a little less exciting than usual.
On a scale of 1-10, how much would you rate this week's episode of SmackDown and also, how much did you miss The Goddess?
