On this day, Edge didn’t see Roman Reigns clearly. Where you at, Roman? I’m Ricky Publico, and this is The SmackDown BreakDown.
Right off the bat, I just felt that this week’s episode wouldn't be as epic as last week. I mean, c’mon, last week's episode had a proper Hell in a Cell match that should’ve been part of the actual PPV. There’s no way SmackDown was going to top that this week. They did try by bringing Edge back into the fold, but at this point, how many times does Edge have to have a return before it becomes just a normal occurrence? SmackDown knew it wasn't that special anymore, too, and that’s why they didn’t wait for the live crowd for him to make his nth return.
This isn’t me saying Edge being back isn’t a good thing. But in all honesty, I would’ve preferred if Roman Reigns skipped a PPV and took some time off to borrow a page from Brock Lesnar’s playbook. Now that would've raised an eyebrow or two. After all, Money in the Bank doesn’t need a blockbuster world championship to make it work. Just let the crazy ladder spots do the talking and have Big E win the Briefcase, and boom, you’re all set. But again, this is all just me.
So enough about what I want. Let’s enjoy what we got. Edge is back, and he’s incensed as ever. After all, he got stacked and pinned at WrestleMania 37. I love how he just went for it and continued where he left off with Roman. He even speared Jimmy Uso through the barricade, and it looked nasty! It’s a bad night to be Jimmy Uso this week. And now that he’s finally getting the one-on-one title match he was owed, who knows what could go down at Money in the Bank? Hyped.
Edge being back was great and all, but they couldn’t quite stick the landing on that segment for some reason. Why the hell was Edge asking Roman Reigns where he at? He was right there! Just look to your right, Mr. Edge, and you’ll find Mr. Roman standing there! Was that supposed to be threatening or something? Again, he was right there! What an awful end to what should've been a great segment. Not a good look for the only big-named babyface they have right now.
Speaking of dumb babyfaces, isn’t it annoying how Bianca Belair just lets Bayley talk to her like that? Bianca beat her resoundingly at Hell in a Cell, right? Yet when Bayley called her a loser for the nth time, she was clearly still affected by whatever Bayley said. Bianca should be unfazed now that she's beaten Bayley decisively twice! God, babyfaces are so lame in WWE. I guess this is why I find Seth Rollins and Bayley far more entertaining: because they’re the ones acting like actual humans. Bianca had way more teeth when she was the showboating heel in NXT. Just sayin’.
Seth Rollins and Bayley are basically a super team at this point. They’re so hilarious! Seth is so entertaining as the annoying loudmouth, and Bayley balances things out just by being her evil self. They're definitely the ones who made that opening segment for me, and their win in the following mixed tag match delighted me since Bayley was the one who scored the pinfall. But man, I’m really sick of seeing Bianca Belair and Bayley at this point. When will this end?
I just wish Bianca Belair and Bayley would just move on from each other. Bayley can’t keep losing like this, and Bianca should fight other contenders at this point because her anti-bully schtick is getting pretty stale. Bayley can’t be the only one on the SmackDown roster, can she? Why are they waiting for live crowds to give Bianca a fresh new rivalry? From the look of it, by the time the crowd does come back, they might not respond to Bianca since everyone would be bored by her cookie-cutter good girl character. Time’s a tickin’, people. Don’t let Bianca’s stock go to waste.
FINAL BREAKDOWN: Of course, they’re not going to beat last week’s monster Hell in a Cell main event. What were you expecting? Sure, Edge returning is sort of a big deal, but other than that, this week’s episode was just the normal SmackDown level of goodness. If anything, the status quo is back, and that’s never a bad thing. I just wish we get new faces and fresh rivalries for their sub-storylines in the coming weeks. That’s all.
Show Grade: B-
BreakDown Thoughts That Just Qualified for Money in the Bank
- The ongoing Reigns family drama is great and all, but I really hope this won’t lead to a Jimmy vs. Jey rivalry down the line because we don’t need a modern-day version of Matt vs. Jeff, do we? That rivalry stunk up the place, so let’s just hope this will all lead to the Bloodline formation we’ve wanted for years now. Fingers crossed.
- Qualifying matches are back—for the men, at least. Understandable. You can’t have qualifying matches if you fire a huge chunk of women from the roster, amirite? But wait, Carmella gets a spot, but Liv Morgan has to earn hers? Wait, I’m confused. So are we getting qualifying matches for the women? They barely have anyone in the women’s division! Why not just add Liv Morgan and call it a day? Stop making it hard for yourselves, people.
- After Apollo Crews’ loss this week, I’m starting to question how Commander Azeez got his rank. Don’t you have to be super tactical to be a commander? Anyway, I’m glad Big E won, and there’s no doubt he’ll be my pick to be this year's Mr. Money in the Bank. He's reportedly in line for a huge singles push, and this is the perfect time to make that happen. If the rumors about him going straight to RAW and reuniting with his New Day pals are true, I wouldn’t mind seeing him as WWE Champion anytime soon.
- Fresh off from witnessing Big E punch his ticket to Money in the Bank, they announced that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will have to earn their spot through a Last Man Standing match. Man, that’s one tough way to earn a MITB spot. The qualifying matches for the men are getting crazier by the minute. It’s either you get in because of your credentials, or you go through hell. Why can’t we just get the usual in-between? I’m not necessarily complaining. I just find it frustrating how wildly unbalanced the qualifying process currently is.
- While I will always find Pat McAfee marking out for Shinsuke Nakamura entertaining as heck, this coronation segment just didn’t mean anything since the guy getting crowned didn’t deserve it one bit. Bro, he just stole the crown and started wearing it as if it was his. That’s not how you become a king in WWE! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m with Baron Corbin on this one. Shinsuke Nakamura’s white gear looks dope, though.
Header image taken from WWE.com
*****
Ricky Publico (@nyamnyamgarbage) is Smark Henry's seasoned veteran and resident main roster reviewer. He's a sucker for well-written 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 anxious about the future, now more than ever. His potential haunts him.
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