This ain’t no make believe, people. John Morrison is definitely back in WWE. And while I’m disappointed that he didn’t declare himself “Johnny SmackDown,” he still made up for it by re-aligning with The Miz. They even did the best tag team of the 21st century bit from the glory days of the Dirt Sheet. They should’ve at least said their catchphrase, but the message of their promo was clear: The Miz is heel now and we should all be jealous of his accomplishments.
And if their reunion wasn’t enough, they managed to rope in Kofi Kingston and Big E into the mix. They finally touched on Kofi’s inaction to chase for the WWE Championship, which is something every heel should have targeted months ago. And while Kofi just brushed it off, I really hope this JoMiz vs. New Day rivalry continues to explore this well of character development. Imagine the promos these two teams will cut against each other.
The story practically writes itself: Miz and Kofi practically walked the same career path and are both underappreciated despite their accolades. It’s a rivalry years in the making and now’s the perfect time to pull the trigger. And sure, it may sideline John Morrison as the Sasha Banks to Miz’s Bayley, but I’m willing to set aside my bias over a compelling story. I just hope Creative sees it this way too. Seriously, it’s a gold mine of a story waiting to be dug into.
From the good, let’s head straight to the bad and of course, King Corbin is involved. You probably think I hate the guy after weeks of ridicule from my side, but the King Corbin character is actually starting to grow on me. I just hate how he always has so many allies wherever he goes. Remember when he had Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre? Then he has Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for some reason, and now he has The Revival at his disposal. What?
All of these allies are around just to stack the odds against Roman Reigns. I wouldn't mind it if they actually posed a threat to the Big Dog, but we all know who’s going to come on top. Sure, Reigns and the Usos got beat up this time, but at this point, no one really cares anymore. We all know what’s going to happen next week, I don’t even have to spell it out for you. Unless of course, Corbin adds yet another name to his infinite number of goons. Why? How? Ah, forget it.
And, poor Bayley. With the way they screwed up her hugger character, you’d think they would wise up and treat her new badass character with proper care and attention. Alas, it looks like Bayley is never in good hands, whatever side she’s on. It’s not like it’s their first time booking a chicken shit heel. My laziness is the only thing preventing me from naming at least five at the top of my head, so why are they having a hard time now with the new Bayley?
Take her segment this week with Lacey Evans. Bayley set up a trap by luring Evans backstage for a sneak attack. And it worked! Good job, Bayley. But then she just hit her a bunch of times before turning her back like an idiot. That’s the best sneak attack the supposedly more aggressive Bayley is capable of? And the worst part, Evans is the one who ended up looking good in the end, having survived a pathetic beatdown from the champion.
SMACKDOWN RUNDOWN: While not as solid as last week’s, this episode still delivered a great show while advancing the main storylines. The returning Superstars are slowly settling in and they are already poised to make future episodes more exciting. And hey, Robert Roode’s back, whatever that’s worth. Hopefully, anyone not named Roman Reigns and Baron Corbin headline next week’s show because it’s getting repetitive. Give me more Fiend mind games, please.
Show Grade: B
RunDown CutDown
- While I’m all in on Braun Strowman becoming Intercontinental Champion, I’m not so thrilled about him beating Shinsuke Nakamura clean as a whistle this week. They shouldn’t even be facing each other this week. Why can’t Strowman win via DQ? Why can’t Strowman just face a random jobber and have Nakamura watch from ringside? But hey, at least Strowman now has a concrete claim for the title. That at least is a plus.
- Otis and Mandy, sitting on a tree. No, they’re not kissing, but Otis is just looking at Mandy Rose seductively. This storyline is still wholesome in my eyes, and I really hope Creative handles this storyline with care and class. No backstabs, no fat-shaming, just a regular angle where two people hopefully fall in love or something.
- I wish I cared about Ramblin’ Rabbit getting decapitated yet again, but we’ve already seen him die many times. At this point, it’s just a gag. Other than that, the Firefly Fun House segments are still one of the highlights of the show. Bray Wyatt declaring his love for everyone (except Daniel Bryan) was hilarious.
- Let it be known that I will always pop for an Usos promo. That is all.
*****
Ricky Publico (@TeetotaleRicky) is Smark Henry's resident SmackDown reviewer... for better or worse. A known lover of wrestling tournaments, he's a sucker for well-executed promos and fast-paced matches. While he enjoys nitpicking shows, he now prefers enjoying wrestling for what it is instead of stressing himself over things he can't control. He's also deciding whether to switch back to Android or not.
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