WWE SmackDown 2018: 5 things we learned from this week’s episode (December 11, 2018)

The last episode of SmackDown before Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2018 took place on December 11. There were a couple of matches for the event that were announced before the night, while most were revealed on the show itself.

The show relied heavily on promos and segments, including one from WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, a rap battle between SmackDown’s top three tag teams, and segments with The Miz and Randy Orton. Apart from that, we did see some good action take place in the ring.

The entire episode worked towards the final build before the TLC event and gave us a glimpse of the last match from the main roster for the event in the form of Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio in a Chairs match.

Overall, there were a few interesting things that were told to us during the show. We have carefully made up a list of 5 things that we learned from last night’s show. Take a look at them and share your views in the comments below.

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#5 The Women’s Revolution is still not here

One of the biggest shocks of the night was the fact that a scheduled match did not take place! General Manager Paige had scheduled a match between Mandy Rose and Naomi prior to the event.

Both superstars had even gone ahead and hyped the match on their social media ahead of the event. However, surprisingly enough, the match never took place on the main card. No injuries or issues were reported which may have caused the match to get canceled.

Thanks GM... I am what’s best for business so u made a good call😉 https://t.co/m1XQn6KWGp

— Mandy (@WWE_MandyRose) December 10, 2018

Like if you #feeltheglow and can’t wait for me to end @WWE_MandyRose aka #bootleg tonight on #sdlive pic.twitter.com/aj1lGlVZJa

— Trinity Fatu (@NaomiWWE) December 12, 2018

It seems like the match was replaced by an odd segment which involved The Miz and Shane McMahon which is a shame. The two men took on Chip and Chad in a match that did absolutely nothing for the two men.

The match was probably pushed in to lead to a WrestleMania match of some sort between the two men, but nothing that has happened to this point has been enough to spark the interest of the WWE Universe.

Women’s matches getting axed is a clear indication that they are still being treated as the second-class division, and only one women’s match took place in the entire night, which also endured a promo by Randy Orton which accomplished nothing before TLC.

#4 The 205 Live Superstars will get more spotlight

On the December 10 episode of Raw, we watched Bobby Lashley’s ‘hype man’ Lio Rush compete against one of Raw’s rising superstars, Elias. Lio Rush is usually seen competing on 205 Live when he is not on Raw working as Bobby Lashley’s mouthpiece.

One of the biggest announcements for SmackDown this week was a match scheduled between 205 Live’s top superstar Mustafa Ali and SmackDown’s WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. This was a giant leap for the 205 Live division as not only did one of its superstars get a main roster match, but it was against one the top superstars in the company.

Mustafa interrupting the WWE Champion and then getting a match was a big deal. What followed was even bigger as they put up a great show and Bryan got to reveal more of his heel side. Together the segment worked great and could potentially open up the door for more 205 Live wrestlers to get matches on Raw and SmackDown.

#3 SmackDown’s mindless fun carries it forward

Did you watch the Battle Rap Featuring The New Day, The Usos, and The Bar? Or the Thanksgiving match a few weeks ago? All this is mindless fun that takes up a spot but delivers to the fans in attendance nonetheless.

Fans want to watch their favorite stars no matter what. Whether it's fighting in the ring, on the mic, or just fooling around. The superstars are the ones who help the ratings grow.

Unlike Raw, which has been completely booked on a handful of superstars for the past two months, SmackDown gives more of their roster a chance. They also add such segments which entertain fans in a different way, even if you call it silly.

It’s notable that all three of WWE’s top tag teams are on SmackDown, and so are some of the better promo cutters like The Miz, AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and Samoa Joe. These reasons combined are taking SmackDown forward week after week, while Raw has been stuck in the same place.

#2 Rusev could become the next United States Champion

It’s good to watch Rusev rise back to relevance after his short and uninteresting feud with Aiden English. Rusev has gotten a few matches against Shinsuke Nakamura, and their match at Crown Jewel for the US Championship was a treat to watch.

Rusev has long deserved a title reign once again, but that hasn’t happened for some time. He has had some great matches on SmackDown against top wrestlers such as AJ Styles, The Miz, and Daniel Bryan.

It’s finally time that he wins a title once again, and 2019 could prove to be his year going forward. Rusev has won the US title twice before in his career, and he can take the belt off Nakamura for his third reign.

Nakamura has held the title for almost five months now but hasn’t defended the title regularly which has brought much criticism even though he’s playing a heel character.

#1 WWE will continue to protect Charlotte

The highlight of Tuesday Night SmackDown Live was a WrestleMania 34 rematch just eight months late. Asuka looked to exact revenge from the woman who ended her winning streak at The Grandest Stage of Them All, and there was no doubt it was going to be the top match of the night.

Both women delivered, and the match was definitely a good one. It was a step down from their WrestleMania contest, but still, a high-quality affair which saw both women perform to the maximum.

However, the result was extremely disappointing as it could have been booked better. A disqualification clearly shows that the WWE will protect Charlotte at all costs, and just like they did at Survivor Series against Ronda Rousey, handed her a loss through a disqualification.

A better way to book the match would have seen Becky Lynch interfere to cause a disqualification if WWE did not want either woman to take the pinfall or submission.