5 Things You Missed From SmackDown

Last night SmackDown continue its hot streak. Armed with John Cena‘s much-anticipated return, the suspension of James Ellsworth and an Independence Day Battle Royal, the Blue Brand had a compelling show on paper.

Even though Cena’s return was a little flat, WWE still got to haul out their cash cow, which is always best for business. He’ll be jumping into a program with his old Russian Bulgarian foe, Rusev, which will build to their Flag Match at Battleground later this month.

Up Next: WWE Rumors: John Cena vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 34?

With all of the talk about Sunday’s Great Balls of Fire, we could easily forget that the Blue Brand is due their own PPV in a few weeks. But WWE did a great job of keeping Battleground topical for fans as they continued to cultivate that card.

But there will be no further mentioning of Cena’s flag match, or even Mahal and Orton’s Punjabi Pit match, for that visit WWE’s website. This article is about the finer points of SmackDown. The details of the show that you may have missed, but will prove to be ignition points for bigger storylines in future weeks. So here they are 5 Things You Missed From SmackDown:

Shinsuke Missing

For the second week in a row, Shinsuke Nakamura has not had a match on SmackDown. Should his fans be worried that he’s slipping into obscurity? 

No, they should be elated.

It took about 2 months, but WWE has figured out how to utilize the King of Strong Style. Nakamura is the epitome of novelty, so giving him a regular, easily anticipated schedule would be doing his unique character a disservice. 

More: Shinsuke Nakamura Predicts Dolph Ziggler’s Departure From WWE

Since Money in the Bank, WWE has shifted from giving Nakamura full, weekly appearances on SmackDown, to only showing glimpses of the Japanese star. 

In consecutive episodes of the Blue Brand, Nakamura has only had brief backstage segments. In each interview, the topic was Baron Corbin. This week, Baron Corbin actually showed up to land some fists upon Shinsuke’s head, but instead of Nakamura hitting the wounded animal pose, he fought back with fire. 

The limited usage of Nakamura feeds into the fundamental advantage SmackDown owns over RAW. With the show being 2 hours, not everyone on the Tuesday roster can be booked every week. For instance, last night, neither Charlotte nor Becky Lynch showed up on WWE camera. This moderate dosage of Superstars fights the number one killer of momentum: overexposure. 

 

 

3 Foreign Heels?

Look WWE, I understand that the foreign heel has always played well. It’s a profitable use of psychology, one that most wrestling fans can’t resist.

But do we need three of them?

Last night we had Rusev the Bulgarian, Jinder Mahal the Canadian/Indian, and Kevin Owens the Canadian all take their shots at America. Considering it was July 4th, WWE gets a minimal pass as it’s a juicy opportunity to get some cheap heat, but that’s exactly what this is: cheap. 

There are more ways for a heel to be a bad guy. Simply attaching the Anti-American gimmick to a wrestler who isn’t domestic is lazy. Supposedly WWE has a girthy writing team, is this the best we can do, guys and gals? 

 

 

 

 

The Best Rap Battle Ever

Man, was I wrong for thinking this segment would be tough to watch. The Usos were terrifyingly effective and unconditionally thwarted the New Day in their rhyme contest.

While the New Day got their verbal licks in, but they proved to have more style over substance. Accompanied by a hoard of extras, New Day had a built in Amen Corner who could overreact to every verse they spat.

More: WWE Pulls Controversial Line From New Day Rap Battle

But the Usos had the crowd. Each of their bars were barbed, none more so than the atomic bomb the dropped on Xavier Woods. When they made a punchline out of Xavier’s Wood’s sex tape scandal, the arena exploded. 

You may not know it, but the Usos are one of WWE’s hottest acts right now. 

 

 

Is WWE Behind Naomi for the Long Haul?

When squash matches happen in WWE, it’s worth taking note. WWE is telling us, “Hey look at this person, see how superior they are to their competition?” When a champion is squashing people, WWE is screaming for us to take notice. When that champion gets a customized LED light Championship belt, well, we can assume they’ll remain on top for a while.

By the week, Naomi strengthens her grip on the SmackDown Women’s Championship. By all indicators, WWE is poised to give her a dominant reign as they keep building her brand. The next step for her to beat an established superstar to retain her title.

Last night she called out Charlotte on Talking Smack. Here we go.

Goodbye Hype Bros, it was almost fun

Last night marked the beginning of the end for the Hype Bros. When Mojo Rawley eliminated Zack Ryder at Independence Day Battle Royal, he effectively euthanized their alliance. The moment didn’t feel that dramatic when it happened, but as the weeks play out, we’ll be told that it all started last night. 

More: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin Endorses Mojo Rawley

Sadly, the Hype Bros will be effectively dead before they truly got an opportunity to shine. Both Rawley and Ryder have an innate charisma that many WWE Superstars are currently lacking. 

However, whatever thunder the Hype Bros had stolen, Mojo Rawley as a solo act could reconcile the loss. Don’t forget he’s already won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal this year, WWE may have plans for his eccentric, energetic persona.