SmackDown In A Nutshell: Capping A Crazy Friday In WWE

crazy friday in wwe

It’s a significant SmackDown in a Nutshell, as this one is capping a crazy Friday in WWE.

More specifically, this one is capping a crazy Friday in WWE history.

Or, to be really specific? This SmackDown is capping a crazy Friday, not only in WWE history but in pro wrestling history as well.

Hours ahead of SmackDown, Vince McMahon retired.

As a result, Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon are now the co-CEOs of WWE. Not sure how that will work out, as I just expect a fight there eventually.

The bigger and perhaps more exciting note? John Laurinaitis is officially out, and he has been replaced by…Triple H.

It’s a big recovery for Hunter, considering how the last year or so has gone for the future WWE Hall of Famer.

So what does all that have to do with SmackDown?

Nothing, and everything.

Vince is gone, he is no longer pushing creative buttons. Hunter has a week to put his fingerprints on things heading into SummerSlam.

The same SummerSlam that, as of a few days ago, we were hearing internal concerns about.

Things might get worse before they get better, but with the changes, now things can indeed move forward.

And, speaking of moving forward…we have just 2 blue brand shows before Nashville, so it is time for…

SmackDown In A Nutshell: Capping A Crazy Friday In WWE

Let’s crack open this Nutshell, that might just be unlike anything we’ve seen.

Best Match of the night:

Kind of by default, but the six man main event.

Worst match of the night:

Raquel and Sonya.

Like…maybe we are seeing a shift in creative…but it hasn’t worked miracles everywhere yet.

Crowd Chants of the Night:

Thank you Vince

Star of the Night

Theory…maybe.

source: @wwe, twitter, screenshot

Lesnar…probably.

Triple H, or whomever calmed Lesnar down and got him back? Absolutely.

Spot of the Night:

As much as Theory is hyped as the next big Superstar…the next Cena level guy…Lesnar destroyed him at the close of the show.

The same Lesnar we had heard had walked out and gone home.


Epic beatdown to close the show.

This wasn’t bad for option b….

Jobber of the Night:

Theory got pummeled. The briefcase protects him, but it was used against him this week.

Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:

Honestly, there are two and they both happened before SmackDown aired.

Vince McMahon retired, no doubt a move that had to come after all the reports came to light.

And then, we were told…Brock Lesnar was pissed off that Vince retired and he walked out of SmackDown and went home.

Except…at the end of the show…we saw otherwise. So did someone work magic to get Lesnar back?

Or, was he never gone to begin with, and we were just convinced otherwise?

Botch of the night:

Gunther might be really good….but he missed bad on his interference.

source: @wwe, twitter, screenshot

Commentary of the night:

Not a line, but how the team sold shock that Lesnar was actually in the building, after everyone knew (or thought they knew) that he had gone home.

Either the team knew and did well to hide it. Or, perhaps, they did not know and it was a shock to them too.

Noteworthy Moment:

Vince retiring and Lesnar walking out led the talk at the open of the show.

By the end? How did WWE get Brock back?

crazy friday in wwe

source: @wwe, twitter, screenshot

Riddle me this: Hunter is now in charge and supposedly calling all the creative shots.

Vince was Theory’s biggest fan.

And…Vince also destroyed Hunter’s NXT.

Could Theory getting beaten down by Brock…the same Brock who we heard walked out and went home…be a modicum of revenge?

Not that Hunter would be that petty…but it was something to think about.

Like…not saying Hunter wouldn’t see the promise in young Theory-he was a rising star in Hunter’s NXT, after all.

But…it was Vince who put the briefcase on Theory…and Vince is out.

Overall lowlights:

I hesitate to say lowlights, but I feel like you could sense that some things were in flux late in the day, due to the changes at the top.

Understandable, and unfortunate, so I think it’s a little unfair to hold that against folks.

Especially if Lesnar really did throw a hissy fit and storm out. Like, lots of stuff in motion, and changes…and oh hey, half of your SummerSlam main event is gone.

I get it, so this one is sort of a pass.

Overall highlights:

Theory is good. Lesnar squashed him tonight, but perhaps young Theory will have the last laugh.

After the final bell:

Anticlimactic speech by Stephanie. Yes, Vince deserves something for what he did creating WWE…but he also loses (and lost) a lot for what he did and hid.

crazy friday in wwe

source: @wwe, twitter, screenshot

I saw this noted elsewhere too…but I am curious if we see any mention of Vince on RAW, considering MSG was effectively “home” for WWE.

Meaning…how bad must things be (or, what else is being dropped soon?) that Vince retired Friday afternoon, a few days before a big MSG RAW, and just a week shy of SummerSlam?

Introduced to professional wrestling in the 1980’s thanks to Superstars and Saturday Night’s Main Event, John’s passion for the... More about John Deegan

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