How do you do it, Smackdown? With a roster that looks inferior on paper, Smackdown Live pulls off a show that leaves us begging for more by the time it is finished, when compared to Raw, which generally leaves us exhausted and relieved that it is over!
As sports entertainment journalists, we’re thrilled to watch Smackdown Live and immerse ourselves in the viewing experience. We had very, very little to complain about, with regard to today’s show. The Blue Brand definitely conquered the red one this week.
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Let’s travel straight to the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin; and talk about the action that transpired on the show!
Top WWE star blasted, compared to Winnie the Pooh RIGHT HERE
#1 Best: Mister Abigail
Has Randy Orton gone over to the dark side, and aligned himself with the Wyatts? This is a question that has been intriguing everyone who watched Smackdown Live this week, and we believe that it gives the Randy Orton character a fresh coat of paint that he’s been missing for a long, long time.
He works much better as a heel than a babyface in any case. Moreover, his ominous promo proclaiming- ‘If you can’t beat em, join em’, is the most interesting thing he’s said in a long, long time.
Definitely beats chasing after Bray Wyatt in a cheesy horror movie setting backstage and locking him up in garage sheds.
#1 Worst: Kane appearing on Talking Smack
Fine, we’re nitpicking. But hear us out. While it was necessary for Kane to react to Randy Orton’s betrayal, he should have done so in a promo backstage, or in a vignette much like Bray Wyatt does, instead of appearing on a talk show.
There’s a reason The Undertaker has never attended a Hall of Fame ceremony in his storied career. Kayfabe is still key in 2016, especially if you want us to believe in demonic entities from Hell. But mind you, the show was so good, we’ve to look outside to pick something bad.
#2 Best: Limited use of authority figures
Compare the authority figures on Smackdown to those on Raw. Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley seem almost starved for attention, coming to the ring, cutting promos and appearing in multiple backstage segments.
On the contrary, Daniel Bryan appeared just once on the show! This makes Smackdown seem like it’s a show for the talent, and not about the General Managers. Moreover, him ripping on Raw at the end of the show was absolutely hilarious.
#2 Worst: Lack of logic
So Nikki Bella defeated Natalya in what was a very good women’s wrestling match to become the Smackdown team leader at Survivor Series.
Why didn’t Becky Lynch, the Women's Champion qualify by default if Rhyno and Heath Slater did? Why are there different rules for men and women? Like Daniel Bryan asked on Talking Smack - is he sexist?
#3 Best: Really good wrestling
Of course, when you have A.J. Styles and Dean Ambrose in the main event, the quality of the match will be exceptional. But even the undercard delivered. With the exception of the Kane - Bray Wyatt match which had some slow and slightly boring sections, the wrestling on this show was top notch.
Kudos go out especially to Nikki Bella and Natalya who were incredible in the ring. Nikki Bella using a modified STF to win her match was a nice touch, and like Daniel Bryan said on Talking Smack, he finds it an improvement on the original move. Shots fired! Total Bellas angle?
#3 Worst: Limited use of the singles mid-card
Smackdown has a big lean period before Survivor Series in mid-November. This could really be used to elevate stars who need the push, and the TV time to get over. While today’s show was really good, the focus was on established stars only.
Baron Corbin, American Alpha, Apollo Crews and Curt Hawkins could have used the time to develop their characters and connect with the audience in a far better way. That said, this was still better than Raw with its filler Golden Truth segment with the Shining Stars/Titus O’Neil.
#4 Best: Interesting title match scenarios
It would be a travesty of justice if Dean Ambrose enters the title picture once more after James Ellsworth cost him the championship opportunity. It’ll be interesting to see how that angle develops, but what’s next for A.J. Styles? Looks like the Randy Orton
Looks like the Randy Orton rumours were untrue, as Kane and Orton seem to be in a program now. Also, when does Miz ask for his rematch? Smackdown should be interesting, leading up to Survivor Series.
In conclusion, this was a solid 8/10 show and totally obliterated Raw this week. Let’s end with a smile. Presenting the Irish Lass Kicker.
