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Here's a fun activity for you. Log in to the WWE Network and watch the 1992 Royal Rumble. Look at all the mini feuds that were going on back then, even within the Rumble match. Somehow, WWE seems to have forgotten its own classic formula.
The build to the 2018 Royal Rumble has not been very exciting at all. This holds true for both brands. While RAW still has something going on in the Lesnar vs. Kane vs. Strowman department, SmackDown Live was far more underwhelming in comparison.
As always, we will jot down the best and worst of this week's SmackDown Live episode. We invite you to chime in with your comments, in the section below.
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So, what particular aspects of SmackDown Live did we enjoy this week?
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#1 Best: Nakamura vs Baron Corbin
Even without talking about the finish per se (for now), let us just say that Baron Corbin is a much better performer than he used to once be. He looks like he belongs in the ring now, and with a competent dance partner like Shinsuke Nakamura, Corbin can easily put on a good match.
This wasn't always the case. Remember how sloppy Corbin once used to be in the ring? Remember how the IWC was not willing to give him a chance because he did not come from independent wrestling?
For his part, Nakamura was just as good as he always is. Both men had something to prove, and brought their A-Game to SmackDown Live this week.
Corbin always had the look and build, and now that his in-ring work is up to par, the sky is the limit.
#1 Worst: Matches without motivation
Make no mistake. The matches on SmackDown Live are often well worked, to the finest degree. Our main problem with them is the fact that they're seemingly put together to kill time. So, it's hard to care about them, without any major stakes.
Take the 6-man tag team match this week, for instance. It was seemingly only put together from the rubble and ruin of the US Title Tournament. There was no reason for us to care, either way, who won or lost.
A few backstage segments or even some vignettes might do the trick. We care about the Universal Championship picture because Strowman made us care, with his antics.
Storytelling is a critical component of any feud, that is oft forgotten in today's wrestling.
#2 Best: Chad Gable
Due apologies to Jey Uso because we'll be overlooking him in this article. This one's all about Chad Gable. Despite the fact that Uso more than held up his end, Gable carried this match. This was, quite simply put, the best match of the night.
Gable is a young man, who has tremendous potential for the future. His in-ring work is a real delight to behold, and dare we say, that he wrestles like an Olympian. Sometimes, we wonder if he should have gotten Jason Jordan's push.
#2 Worst: Charlotte Flair's promo
When chaos broke out at the end of the Liv Morgan vs. Naomi match, a familiar tune hit the speakers. Charlotte Flair emerged and cut a promo on the women's division. She warned the competitors of the Royal Rumble match, and woo-ed, to end her promo. Only, she didn't do it well.
Flair can be a great promo when she wants to. We have a feeling that the lines that were fed to her were so tiresome, that she did not feel them. They fell absolutely flat, this week!
#3 Best: The Bobby Roode-New Day interplay
The New Day and Bobby Roode are two gimmicks that belong on two different planets. How would they fare when put together? We found out this week, that they gel quite well indeed. It was stupendous, it was delicious, it was exuberant... it was glorious!
Both The New Day and Bobby Roode showed impeccable comic timing. The best part, neither had to break character to make this segment seem like a whole lot of fun. Maybe there's some money in a feud, down the line some time, considering their amazing chemistry?
#3 Worst: Giving up on Rusev Day?
Rusev Day is a concept that got over on its own, quite organically. All WWE needed to do was to let it grow and thrive. Maybe give Rusev and Aiden English a few wins. Maybe have them appear in a few backstage vignettes, to get their characters more over than ever before.
Instead, they chose to book the team in a meaningless match and have them lose. Nothing was gained through this match, for the victors or the losers. We wonder if WWE even realizes when they've struck oil!
#4 Best/worst: The Royal Rumble build
It would be unfair to say that WWE did not try to build up the Rumble. After all, the RKO out of nowhere on Nakamura was a delight to watch. Our only disappointment was the fact that the means through which WWE built up the Rumble match were not necessarily effective. They do the same thing every year!
Let's hope that the men and women of WWE do not disappoint on the big stage. Join us this weekend for live coverage of the Royal Rumble. There are some marquee matches, on the event.
As for SmackDown Live, let's just say that it's no longer the most exciting brand in WWE. There's an air of stagnation in the brand, that won't go away.
Thankfully, Becky Lynch is still the brand, and that rules!
