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Honestly, it was difficult to focus on WWE SmackDown this week with all of the other news that broke. It did not help that John Cena was nowhere to be seen and nothing really happened on the show that was groundbreaking.
The two-hour format of WWE SmackDown helped in this regard because even though a large portion of the audience tuned out to focus on what was happening behind the scenes, the show did not drag. It was a fun and palatable show, if not really earth-shattering.
If you guys have a different viewpoint about WWE SmackDown, please let us know in the comments section below. If you have any thoughts on the NXT releases, sound off too.
In case you have no clue about what we mean, this is the list of released WWE stars. We wish each and every one of them all the best for the future.
#3 Best/Worst: A pretty major SummerSlam match got confirmed during WWE SmackDown this week
The little back-and-forth on WWE SmackDown between Edge and Seth Rollins was absolutely incredible. The two men traded strong words, and honestly, there's literally no better actor in the entire business.
The way that Edge expressed that Rollins got under his skin when his children were mentioned was genius. It made us want to see the upcoming match. The problem was...that was the major takeaway from the entire segment.
So, yes, their match was officially confirmed for SummerSlam, but this is something that those who read sites like Sportskeeda Wrestling have known for a while.
Even those that don't, who are not in the know, could probably tell this would be the way that WWE could go after the two men went to war at Money in the Bank following Reigns vs Edge!
#2 Best: Everything with Finn Balor this week
Everything about WWE SmackDown Superstar Finn Balor screams star! He has a great look, he is incredible in the ring, he can get the crowd going like few others can, and now, the booking team seems to be firmly behind him as well.
He is clearly in this feud because John Cena can't make it to every WWE SmackDown episode, but the company seems invested in elevating this talented young man!
Could he be the man to eventually dethrone the top-dog on WWE SmackDown - Roman Reigns?
#2 Worst: A promising star misses WWE SmackDown again
This is definitely not a knock at Zelina Vega, the performer, but rather a dig at the way that she has been booked.
Considering that Toni Storm defeated her, shouldn't she get a crack at Bianca Belair for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship before Vega?
Also, for someone like Storm, who arrived with so much energy onto WWE SmackDown to simply disappear, does not really make any sense.
The same holds true for WWE SmackDown star Liv Morgan as well, really!
#1 Best: A major WWE SmackDown backstage encounter with Big E
WWE SmackDown, the recent NXT releases and so much more, straight from pro wrestling legend Dutch Mantell. Catch this edition of Smack Talk and subscribe to the Sportskeeda Wrestling YouTube channel for more exciting content like this.
One of the highlights of WWE SmackDown was the way Big E interacted with Paul Heyman in the backstage area...a prelude to him becoming a future Universal Champion? Special kudos to the production team and the way that this whole segment was shot...equally entertaining and indicative of a future reign!
#1 Worst: The Usos vs. The Mysterios
Something about the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship picture is just not clicking. It could be that Roman Reigns is done with the Mysterios and has moved on since his Hell in a Cell encounter.
The same can be said for the RAW Tag Team Championship picture. Somehow, whether it's WWE SmackDown or RAW, tag team wrestling just doesn't have enough of a compelling story arc for the audience to sink its teeth in!
