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I don't know what else to say except for the fact that WWE SmackDown isn't the same exciting show that it once used to be, in my personal opinion. Except for one or two talking points from every episode, there is hardly anything to write home about.
There was nothing offensively bad on this week's show but it was hardly two hours to write home about. It was a fine show, at best, and I don't really know if it got me invested in the pay-per-view to come this weekend, quite honestly.
Do you think that WWE is just putting on pay-per-views without any sort of build? I mean it just seems like Super ShowDown was a few days ago, and 2 minutes later, we have Elimination Chamber.
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In any case, there was barely enough of note on this week's episode to scrape up a half-decent Best and Worst article.
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#1 Best: The nWo talk about the Universal Champion
There were many awkward moments in the opening segment and clearly, Scott Hall is not fit enough to take on Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro, and Sami Zayn. But at the end of the day, the nWo's appearance on SmackDown accomplished what it set out to do- not only promote their induction into the WWE Hall of Fame but also establish Goldberg as a very formidable opponent for Roman Reigns.
I really liked that Alexa Bliss called out The Kabuki Warriors and challenged them for the Tag Team Championships, meaning that there's a very little chance that Asuka is going to win the Elimination Chamber match. That is absolutely okay considering Becky Lynch and Asuka have waged wars not long ago and nobody wants to see a repeat.
What I did like also is Sami Zayn using Alexa Bliss as a human shield to escape from Braun Strowman, considering his history with Bliss.
#1 Worst: Key stars missing from WWE Elimination Chamber
It just seems like WWE isn't too invested in Elimination Chamber at all. It is a minor pitstop on the road to WrestleMania and WWE doesn't care whether you watch the show or you do not!
I know that they added Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak to the lineup, but there are big names like Roman Reigns, King Corbin, Goldberg, John Cena and The Fiend missing from the lineup as I type this. Sure, they could always add King Corbin vs. Elias to the lineup at some point, but it's not really a marquee attraction, all said and done.
Wouldn't it have more sense to have an Elimination Chamber match for Bayley's SmackDown Tag Team Championship where there isn't a clear contender yet instead of having one for Becky Lynch's title because we all know that Shayna Baszler is going to win the match, considering how the feud has built up to this point stemming from the big bite she on RAW not very long ago?
#2 Best: An Iron Man performance from Heavy Machinery
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this week's episode of SmackDown was how comprehensively Heavy Machinery ran through the gauntlet, establishing themselves as top tier performers. And yet, they came up short against the heels, which will go a long way towards gaining them babyface sympathy, I feel.
This was the best thing on the show, and it says a lot that the best things about SmackDown happen at the beginning and the very end of the program. I don't necessarily know if it's a good sign that WWE Creative treats the show in such a manner that they really don't give us a reason to tune in for the stuff in the middle of the program.
But in any case, Heavy Machinery is over with the crowd and WWE did the right thing by capitalizing on their momentum and having them score big wins over New Day and The Usos. I really do hope that the company takes a chance and puts the title on them, while they are still on fire.
#2 Worst: No plans for Sheamus yet?
Yes, it's a good thing that they have protected Sheamus in the manner that they have thus far. But at the same time, I just think that it's weird that we got Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews again. I mean Sheamus beat both Apollo Crews and Shorty G not long ago, so why should we believe that Crews has a chance to defeat him?
Sheamus should be in a feud with someone like Braun Strowman based on the kind of momentum he has. Maybe he is just killing time right now, but then, Sheamus should have had a match with someone fresher like Mustafa Ali. At least make it seem like the opponent has a chance instead of serving us the same dish on two successive weeks.
Let's just hope that Sheamus is scheduled to be in a big WrestleMania match, with the likes of, at the very least, someone like Daniel Bryan. In any case, do check out what Sheamus had to say during an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, before you move on to the final page.
#3 Best/Worst: Ziggler as a male valet
I really like the idea of Dolph Ziggler being at ringside for Mandy Rose's matches helping her pick up some big wins. I also love the fact that she didn't come out to his assistance during his match, and instead seemed concerned about seeing Otis in trouble on the big screen this week.
I just wonder if this is the title feud that we will get going into WrestleMania, which I'm completely fine with it. I think that there's nothing more interesting on SmackDown right now, except for the Goldberg and Roman program and the Cena and Fiend feud.
But I do wonder if this means that Miz and Morrison (Hey hey, ho ho) will be losing the titles and if so, I'm not sure that it's the right move, because they've just become the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. It will completely stop their momentum right in the tracks and there could be a very interesting story to tell with the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, in the coming months.
