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SmackDown Live was a fine show I thought, and I hope that the viewership reflects the same when the numbers come in. The Blue Brand needs a big win ahead of the move to FOX, I believe.
There was not much to complain about from the show, but there were certainly a few moments that I did not care for. I shall separate the wheat from the chaff, the good from the bad, in this 'Best and Worst' feature served steaming hot.
Be sure to share your thoughts, views, and opinions in the comments section below. Did you think SmackDown Live was better than RAW this week, or do you think that the Red brand has consistently been better, in terms of quality?
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I'd love to hear your take in the comments, readers!
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#1 Best: The Chad Gable push
Everyone thought that Chad Gable was the standout performer in American Alpha and yet it was Jason Jordan who got the push as Kurt Angle's illegitimate son.
In any case, I'm glad to see that WWE is finally giving Chad Gable the big push that fans have wanted for many years. Let's hope that this push gets him a mid-card title at the very least. If he does go on to win the King of the Ring, it could go a long way in establishing him as a legitimate star.
Many dubbed Chad Gable as the second coming of Kurt Angle when he first debuted in NXT and over time, he's gone on to prove that every time he steps in the ring, he can put on performances just as good as his mentor did. Let's hope that he goes on to win the semi-finals at MSG and then goes on to win the finals at Clash of Champions too!
See WWE Smackdown Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Smackdown Results page
#1 Worst: Spoiling the results?
I thought that the interaction between Samoa Joe and Chad Gable was absolute gold. Joe is the ultimate bully and Gable came out looking like the ultimate underdog following the segment.
Unfortunately, what the segment did is that it spoiled what would have been a genuine surprise, with regard to Gable defeating Andrade, one of SmackDown Live's most prominent Superstars. It would also give us a glimpse of the finals because Joe and Gable will likely be clashing in it.
I just think that there aren't enough genuine surprises in pro wrestling anymore and this would have been a nice one, in my opinion. This segment could always have happened right before the match at Clash of Champions.
In any case, Chad Gable is getting his long-overdue push, after fans clamored for it for millennia, and so is Samoa Joe, and hence, I should not be complaining!
#2 Best: Challengers for Bliss and Cross at last
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross may be the WWE Women's Champions but it just seems like WWE had no plans for them at all, until now. It was the same back when the IIconics were Champions as well, making these titles seem very directionless. I'm glad to see that Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville are in the title hunt at the moment.
They scored a victory over Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross in this episode, presumably earning them an opportunity. Alexa Bliss seemed to have the match well in hand when a distraction caused her to be pinned by the tandem of Rose and Deville this week. Bliss had a funny little interaction with Rose as well during the match, and I sense promise and potential in the feud.
Rose and Deville have been neglected for too long, in my opinion. They're immensely talented.
#2 Worst: Erick Rowan was the culprit all along then?
Did I enjoy the fact that Erick Rowan snapped and showed just how unstoppable he can potentially be a singles performer? The answer is yes. What I did not like is the underwhelming reveal of weeks of build leading to him being the culprit in this whole fiasco.
WWE had scripted the best whodunit that they had done in ages, and last week, it even seemed that while Daniel Bryan had washed his hands clean off the affair, someone was pulling Rowan's strings, making him do everything he was doing. And after much hoopla, it was finally revealed that Rowan is the demented soul that carried everything out.
Honestly, this was the worst conclusion that they could have given us. I understand that it helps in building a match for Clash of Champions, but honestly, I expected more out of WWE here.
#3 Best: The 24/7 Championship picture is exciting again
There was a period of time when Elias became the 24/7 Champion when I genuinely lost any interest in the 24X7 Championship. He would be involved in other feuds through the night, and the 24X7 rule that made the title exciting, to begin with, was suspended.
But with Drake Maverick capturing the title from Elias, and then Bo Dallas and R-Truth entering the fray, the title is exciting again. I especially loved how R-Truth emerged out of nowhere to capture the title to the delight of the crowd in attendance.
I really think that the B-Team could be used very effectively in this role because both Dallas and Axel have shown that they have a natural aptitude for this style of comedy. They're far too gifted to be sitting on the shelf doing nothing really.
So essentially there were three title changes through the night!
#3 Worst: Bayley's explanation for the attack
Bayley made headlines after months after she turned heel in a completely unexpected segment on RAW this week. She would open up SmackDown Live and the world tuned in to hear her explanation with regard to the turn, why did she do what she did?
Maybe it was her lack of conviction while cutting her promo, or maybe it was the fact that we wanted something better than 'nothing changed'. Maybe it was the fact that the crowd in attendance was cheering for her, even after her heel turn.
Whatever the case was, she did not strike a chord with me at all. She's a lot like Kofi Kingston in the sense that she's far too likable to be booed.
There was something that felt a little lacking about this whole segment on SmackDown Live and honestly, I felt a little shortchanged because of this.
#4 Best/Worst: The WWE Championship picture
By no means was the fact that Randy Orton brutalized Kofi Kingston this week on SmackDown Live a bad segment per se. But somehow, it still does not feel like a WWE Championship feud to me just yet. The issue may be where the segment is placed in the card, but personally, I'd have ended the show with something like this.
I know that the audience spurred Kofi Kingston right to the top, but we've reached a point where Roman Reigns' feud feels a lot more important than the title picture, unfortunately. You can't fault Orton or The Revival for this who seem to be working like a pack of jackals, tearing away at the flesh of Kofi Kingston.
In any case, I'm sure that the match at Clash of Champions will be good. Who is your pick to walk out as the winner at the pay-per-view event?
Do you think The Goddess will remain Champion?
