Last week, no one was set to face Bray Wyatt at Wrestlemania, but with this week’s SmackDown two people have a claim to a title match. Also, John Cena makes the best of a less than ideal situation (for everyone involved), Becky Lynch and Mickie James manage to squeeze three tiny matches into one normal match, Apollo Crews and Dolph Ziggler get really angry with each other, and more on this okay, but less than ideal episode of SmackDown.
While the results make this show feel like more of the same from WWE, the show itself was entertaining. It wasn’t the best Royal Rumble in history, but the Rumble match itself was fine, and Styles versus Cena stole the show.
Team SmackDown gets shaken up less than two weeks before Survivor Series, and Becky Lynch puts her title on the line against Alexa Bliss.
This episode of SmackDown had a good main event with Dean Ambrose’s last chance to get a World Title shot, but the rest of the show felt a little lacking.
AJ Styles picks his next opponent, the Wyatt Family is (mostly) back together, The Miz isn’t done with Dolph Ziggler, and more on a packed and entertaining episode of SmackDown.
This year’s No Mercy was pretty good, with the good matches being very good. The placement of matches seemed odd, but that didn’t hurt the show too much.
A big eight-man tag match featuring American Alpha, Hype Bros, The Vaudevillains, and The Ascension served as a good warmup for the second SmackDown Live PPV.
Heath Slater officially signs with SmackDown, The Miz puts himself in the main event, the new “champ that runs the camp” has a hard time finding a friend, Swagger switches brands, and more on a show that was heavy on talk and light on action.
The best of Backlash wasn’t as good as the best of Summer Slam, but this was an enjoyable show and a good start to the brand exclusive PPVs.
The Usos make a statement in an okay episode of SmackDown.
A fine show made better by the return of The Headbangers!
Two new titles are revealed, a tag title tournament starts, Carmella makes people notice her, and a new number one contender for the World Title is named is a good episode of SmackDown.
This year’s Summer Slam was entertaining, though for the matches that delivered on the hype, there were others that didn’t quite live up to expectations.
A pretty good show that does well to build (or at least maintain) some interest in Summer Slam, specifically the big matches.
A pretty good show that feels like a minor curve in the road towards Summer Slam.
Ziggler wants to prove himself, American Alpha debuts, and a number one contender is decided for the IC Title in this pretty good edition of SmackDown.
SmackDown Live’s debut didn’t live up to the standard set by RAW, but it was a mostly enjoyable show.
A long and entertaining show highlighted by two good matches featuring long histories. There was some down time in the show, but the good outweighed the not as good.
The first live SmackDown was a good show. There were decent matches that did well to maintain interest in Battleground, and the draft itself was entertaining, though maybe not completely shocking.
With excitement building for the draft at tomorrow’s first SmackDown Live, this RAW had an important feeling to it. It was a decent show highlighted by a very good WWE Title match.