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If you are reading this review to gauge whether you should watch the show or not, I'd strongly advise against the same. This hourlong WWE Network special called Smackville was a Live Event, with far more 'bad' than 'good', honestly.
There were rumors about a title change and rumblings that there could be major developments at the show. This was precisely the reason that we at Sportskeeda decided to cover it and bring you all of the action as it happened live!
Much to our disappointment, nothing of consequence happened in the show at all, except if you discount the major injury we'll talk about soon. As a result, we have no good news and possibly some bad news to report, right now.
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Also, I'm reading conflicting reports about this so I won't include it in my review, but to the best of my knowledge Charlotte vs. Bliss vs. Bayley was cut from the show.
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#1 Best: The Kofi Kingston show
Honestly in WWE, this is the only positive I can think of, from the show that aired. Kofi Kingston came off looking like a star during the triple threat match against Samoa Joe and Dolph Ziggler.
It was your typical Live Event match with three individuals who have great chemistry against one another. I hate the fact that Samoa Joe had to eat a pin in this case, but then again someone has to take the fall in a match of this nature, and Samoa Joe was just that guy.
This gives Kofi Kingston a lot of momentum ahead of his match against Randy Orton, especially if you consider the fact that he managed to win the match clean without the assistance of his New Day friends. Kingston pretty much carried the whole event.
#1 Worst: Finn Balor injured
I think I speak for everyone when I say that the most awaited match at SummerSlam will be the one between Finn Balor and Wyatt's alter-ego The Fiend. Therefore, it was shocking and disappointing to learn at the top of Smackville that Finn Balor had been battling an undisclosed injury.
Balor was supposed to take on Shinsuke Nakamura in what was one of the major attractions from the card, at least for me. The two men are both ring generals and had they been given a chance to showcase their wares, they could have put on quite the clinic.
Unfortunately in WWE, Balor had to pull out and one wonders if this means that his match at SummerSlam is in peril as well. Let us wish Balor all the best and hope that he makes it back in time for SummerSlam.
We all know that Balor is scheduled to take a long break after SummerSlam.
#2 Best: The perfect length
Had this show been longer than it was, with absolutely no payoff at all, I would have had a major issue with it, I believe. But because it was exactly an hour-long, I was okay with it, to an extent I suppose. At a time when every WWE show seems to go on for far too long, this was a pleasant treat for fans.
And this is not a problem that is confined to WWE alone. I personally think that a lot of AEW shows also go on for far too long, and that can be a problem at a time when attention spans are at their lowest. You want the audience to be craving for more, not wishing the show ended hours ago.
And this is why NXT is such a hit with fans. No TakeOver, however good it is, exceeds a certain span of time.
#2 Worst: No title changes or developments
What keeps you glued until the end of a movie or TV show? It is the payoff; it is the drama of seeing something new happen, at least in my case! I felt cheated after watching WWE Smackville because nothing of any consequence happened on the show really.
Sure, we all knew that no title changes would take place because none of the superstars involved are really in a feud per se and because the SummerSlam card is shaping up differently. This is before Ali stepped in and had a decent match against Nakamura. I would have even been okay had a new feud begun from Smackville.
In case you're wondering what to watch this weekend, I'd recommend that you check out the WWE Network's archival footage rather than this particular show. You'll have a lot more fun rewatching an old WrestleMania, as opposed to WWE Smackville.
#3 Best/Worst: The Elias performance
Any segment that features Elias and Kevin Owens is guaranteed to be entertaining. I am not even disputing the fact that the two men have a great comedic sense because we all know they do! My only issue with this segment is that it went on for too long.
I suppose that was the point of the whole segment, in any case. I mean Vince McMahon made a phone call to Elias during his performance and assured him that he could play for as long as he wanted. This was the setup for Kevin Owens to come in and bring the performance to a screeching halt.
I'm just disappointed that we didn't get to see any women's match or tag team contest during Smackville. It felt like a one-dimensional, unexciting, and lackluster show.
To end this review, here is a gorgeous image of Alexa Bliss looking sublime.
