Last night’s SmackDown Live delivered on many promises. The New Day finally appeared. Shane McMahon announced the first-ever women’s ladder match to would take place at Money in the Bank. We got a new “Fashion Files” segment, and some interesting configurations of the contestants in that upcoming PPV’s main event (AJ Styles vs. Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin).
But there were some weakpoints too. The “hometown curse” proved true for Georgia-native AJ Styles, who suffered a loss against his opponent Dolph Ziggler in the main event. The opening tag match, while featuring top talent, suffered from the mixed booking that has become the norm as of late, when it might be better to see these MITB main-eventers in singles competition until that ladder match event. New WWE Champ Jinder Mahal didn’t wrestle, nor did his rival Randy Orton. Same for The New Day and current Tag Team Champions The Usos.
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So let’s dig a little deeper beyond the highlights, issues, and match outcomes. Here are five take-aways and lessons learned from The Good and The Bad alike of Smack Down Live, as the show continues to build momentum toward Money in the Bank.
1. Randy Orton’s Grandpa Would Be R-P.O.’d
Randy Orton spoke to his personal legacy as champion, as well as his family’s, noting that his father was in the main event of the very first WrestleMania. But then he took things a step further, saying that his grandfather (Bob Orton Sr.) would have “smacked the hell out of him” for losing the WWE Championship to “a guy like Jinder Mahal.” He went on aboutย “Respect” and “The American Way,” vowing to deliverย Jinderย “an American Orton-family Ass-Kicking” and to become a 14-time World Champion atย Money In The Bank.
Jinderย then appeared on the titantron, responding with the equally cringe-worthy talk of “ignorant Americans” too focused on the greatness of a “bygone era, while their country is in decay,” calling Orton and his family “symbols of the past,” and The Modern Maharajaย himself the present and future as WWEย Champion.
The crowd was alternately booing Jinder and chanting USA, as The Singh Brothers clapped in the background in such a synchronized manner, I thought they might start singing Happy Birthday.
2. Sami Zayn Calls the Shots
From the show’s start, Kevin Owens’ “Highlight Reel” quickly turned to argument between the host and a crashing Baron Corbin over who knows more about beating upย Samiย Zayn, leavingย KO’sย actual guest Shinsukeย Nakamuraย a little left out. That is until Samiย himself entered the fray, with the gumption– and apparently the authority?– to set a tag match between the four right then and there.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this side of Sami, although he’s more often dismissed as an over-eager nerd. But could a day come where we see The Underdog from the Underground in a position as a GM, or taking a role in WWEย Creative?
3. The Welcoming Committee? More like TLC
Tensions are rising with the SmackDownย Live Women’s division now officially headed for a historic Money in the Bank ladder match. In last night’s match, we saw the fighting break out before the bell could be rung, andย it wasn’t long before the action spilled out of the ring.
The Welcoming Committee may want to take out some extra property insurance, as Taminaย was eyeing the announce table early on. Though her and Natalya’sย attempts to put Charlotte through it were foiled by a moonsault, it was Charlotte who ultimately slammed Nattieย through the table, halting the match.ย Expect even more brutality as the entireย group enter a house of ladders in pursuit of the Money in the Bank briefcase and Naomi’s title.
4. James Ellsworth Has Completed the Transition to Heel Manager
“You dirty, southern, undeserving, country-fried giblets.”
– James Ellsworth to the crowd at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ellsworth set off someย classic heel heat as he escorted Carmella to the ring tonight. And you thought he couldn’t out-do the recent addition of obnoxious “DUH!”s to punctuate every taunt!
James Ellsworth gets closer to Andy Kaufman territory every week, andย no matter how much fans hate him, you know you’d love to see any of his women’s division counterparts squash him like a bug.
5. Breezango Use Every Part of the Gag
It’s hard to top Breezango’sย backstage Fashion Files segments. Especially this week’s, which portrayedย the pair as film noirย detective and femme fataleย in black-and-white.ย Both in that sketch and even moreso in their match later that night against The Colons, Tyler Breezeย doubled down on his “Master of Disguise” gimmick– well, two disguises (elderly janitor, and a dress/wig combo)
It speaks to the pair’s talents that they somehow continue to make this simple novelty work as well as they do. But also that it doesn’t completely overshadowย their skills in the ring, where with they pulled off a win against their formidable opponents– albeitย with the aide of a few props such as the janitor’s mop and squirtguns.
