SmackDown Live has been producing shows of better quality over the last few months. My theory is that Vince McMahon had a somewhat difficult time trusting different people to orchestrate the show after the Road Dogg got frustrated with all the last-minute script changes and left the position. He still teaches character development to up-and-comers at the WWE PC (Performance Center). The names that are featured on the show may not be quite as big, but they are giving a quality performance each and every week. This may change now that Paul Heyman is officially running Monday Night Raw, but Eric Bischoff may be able to give him a run for his money because he is a great wrestling mind as well.
This week the show began with Kevin Owens going on an angry verbal rampage regarding Shane McMahon, seemingly officially turning babyface which could very well launch the best run of KO’S career.
WWE should not, however, make an attempt to turn Kevin Owens into the next Stone Cold Steve Austin, despite the fact that he uses a stunner to finish matches. Most all of what he said was true, because Shane is taking valuable TV time from superstars like Buddy Murphy, Apollo Crews, and Ali. Ali is coming with a character reboot and will likely get a sizable push. Timing is everything considering WWE was planning something very similar for him up until he sustained an unexpected injury. This happened right before Elimination Chamber and he was replaced by Kofi Kingston. We all know how that turned out. Nonetheless, this was not the correct way for Kevin Owens to expel his grievances, according to storyline obviously.
I’m not sure what end this will lead to because, while Kevin Owens does have plenty of history with Shane, he is not currently involved in a feud with McMahon. All this could easily be turned into a SummerSlam match without major changes. He may interfere in the match at Extreme Rules involving The Undertaker and Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre, because he currently does not have a match at Extreme Rules that is immediately coming to mind. Hopefully he would abandon the alliance with Sami Zayn (at least for now) as it would benefit both stars.
One points that desperately needs to be made regarding Roman Reigns is this:How can the WWE creative team expect any intelligent member of the WWE universe to legitimately accept someone like Roman Reigns as the babyface against an opponent like Dolph Ziggler? Reigns outweighs him by a minimum of 45 Ibs. This is one old-school element of wrestling that still absolutely works – bigger guys make for excellent heels and appeal well to crowds from a psychology standpoint.
Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura having a match at Extreme Rules is a fantastic idea because:
- These two have a long history in Japan, so WWE can capitalize on their storied history, and
- This is a great avenue for Nakamura to get his career back on track after some time away, facing Balor for the first time in three years since their NXT days.
Nakamura has not been relevant in a little over a year since he had the WWE Championship rivalry with AJ Styles. And let’s face it, no one remembers very well (or cares) that much about the tag team with Rusev which did not work.
Nikki Cross has the “it” factor that is so coveted in professional wrestling/sports entertainment. She will go on to be a very successful champion and a potential cornerstone of the women’s division for years to come. Partial credit goes to Alexa Bliss for providing significant assistance in getting her over with the WWE universe.
Meanwhile, I’m ready to yawn at The Undertaker. He is reportedly scheduled to have a SummerSlam match with Baron Corbin to avoid ringrust in preparation for WrestleMania. The reason he is still around is reportedly because WWE offered him a contract for so much money that he could not refuse it. We (fans) simply cannot get rid of him. He was great back in his day and there will probably never be another superstar quite like him. All that said, he, and the company, cannot seem to accept the fact that his era has passed
Slide Note:Otis may do the New Day’s hip thrust better than they do, if that’s possible. It’s awesome though. You shouldn’t take your eyes off Shelton Benjamin either. I can’t say for certain what’s going on with him, but it will probably turn into something great. Also, be on the lookout for Bray Wyatt to appear on Raw or SmackDown after Extreme Rules as there have been subtle hints the past couple weeks.