Following an all-around top-notch Raw, Smackdown faced a big task in matching it. While it may have failed in that regard, it delivered on some of its attempts.
Let’s get the list started, shall we?
In no particular order:
- The Undertaker . Like Steve Austin the night before, the Undertaker started the show to the loudest cheers of the night. He took several minutes to pay tribute to Madison Square Garden, saying he’s considered it his home for thirty years and that he didn’t know how many more times he’d be back. He also paid tribute to the fans and fellow superstars that helped make Raw what it is. Poor Zayn, he really thought his ploy worked. Chokeslamming Sami Zayn after he came out and interrupted him was the perfect nail in the coffin for this segment.
- Rowan standing on his own and establishing himself as a legitimate threat both mentally and physically to Reigns is a definite highlight. He wanted everyone to look into his eyes, and he did a fantastic job of selling the seething, psychotic persona of his character, especially backstage where he kept repeating “Roman” as he paced. The fact he looked virtually invincible during his and Reign’s brawl (taking four Superman Punches and only going down once) really adds strength to an otherwise awesome sell job. Ignore my previous articles where I asked them to end this feud. Things are about to get busy and messy. Feels like the good old days.
- Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston are hitting their stride just in time. After weeks of back and forth, both superstars have brought the best out of each other. In a culmination and homage to previous events, Kingston eventually recreated him putting Orton through a table to push things toward Clash of Champions with a resounding shove. Normally, Kingston would’ve been beaten again, leading to many questioning if he was capable of beating Orton, but now with him besting Orton in their last televised showing before the pay-per-view, it leaves the upcoming result in the air. Should be fun to watch.
- Kevin Owens. No matter what they’ve asked of him, Owens has sold it extremely well, and this show was no exception. Yes, he looked like a beaten dog when Shane first talked to him, but he pulled on the leash by delivering a fast count on Gable’s fist pin attempt. After being reminded that Shane could do what he wanted, a dejected Owens counted slow for Gable and fast for Shane until Gable took it out of his hands and slapped on an ankle lock that forced Shane to tap out. Prior to that, Owens had even stopped Shane from using a steel chair on Gable. Knowing this storyline will continue after Shane attacked and fired him after the match hurt, but maybe Owens can finally end it.
- Chad Gable winning and going to the KOTR finals. Honestly, it’s a great move. Not only does he deserve it, but it’s injecting new blood into the mix. While older, established superstars may feel threatened and not like it, facing competition for their positions will only help them improve and by default, make the WWE better.
- The end of the show. This isn’t really as bad as it sounds. It was just great that it ended and we didn’t have to witness anymore of Shane’s antics. Sorry, not sorry.
Final thoughts
A fun show that had a little of everything, Smackdown remains a distant second to Raw but is showing signs of improvement. It would’ve been cool to see the Undertaker a second time, but we can’t have everything.
