It’s time for a fresh new SmackDown In A Nutshell, and we have one big question: can Friday be worse? And by worse, we mean than RAW this week?
It is a fair question, and one fans are really nervous about.
If you somehow missed it, the RAW after WrestleMania was largely a dud, which stunned the WWE Universe.
While some things were said to have been long in planning-like Lesnar turning on Cody-there were many re-writes. And, many problems.
So, will our SmackDown after ‘Mania be any better? Can Friday be any worse?
It’s one of those where I say…just don’t ask. But, either way, we now have to look forward to new ownership, and of course, Backlash in Puerto Rico.
I am optimistic…I have to be. Friday can’t be any worse…can it?
Of course, it could be, but there’s only one way to find out.
So with that said, it is time for…
Can Friday Be Worse?
Let’s crack open this Nutshell and hope for the best!
Best Match of the night:
This one had banger all over it…
But that was just the start of the show!
Worst match of the night:
I could only complain about the women, because at times it felt slightly off?
Otherwise, the only issue is runtime. WWE needs to give them more time.
Crowd Chants of the Night:
Sadly, perhaps, no chants that I heard for “fire Vince”.
Either I missed them, or this crowd was willing to give things a chance.
Star of the Night
I could go the usual Bloodline/Sami/Kevin stuff. They were good.
However, tonight I feel like honoring the Brawling Brutes. Kicked us off with a banger.
Spot of the Night:
Nothing huge, but I loved seeing Zelina Vega hit the hurricanrana on Rhea Ripley.
Jobber of the Night:
Natalya and Shotzi, losing to Liv and Raquel.
It’s tough, but it has me thinking…could WWE merit having RAW and SmackDown tag titles for the women?
I don’t think so…it wasn’t until very recently that we’ve seen the women get some depth back. But it would be interesting to see all the same.
If I had to choose, however, I would vote for the women to get their own Intercontinental and/or United States titles.
Upset of the Night:
Nothing to report here.
Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:
Sami Zayn still sees the good in Jey…and while trying to appeal to him once again, KO got laid out by Solo in the back.
This, continuation of the long term story telling, gives me hope that Hunter has a voice once again.
And, I could have put this as commentary line of the night, but it was bigger than that.
When he came out to talk, ultimately revealing the draft in a few weeks…what did Michael Cole say about HHH?
“One of the all-time greats, and now he runs the place”. That feels like perhaps, a bit of damage control.
Botch of the night:
Not going to call out anything specific, but some moments in the women’s tag were less than crisp.
LOL Moment of the night:
Wade Barrett saying that he heard Lesnar snapped because he was mad his match with Omos opened Sunday night.
This made me laugh because we know Lesnar has had matches open shows, so he could get on a jet and get home ASAP.
Noteworthy Moment:
Everyone worried that Vince was going to ruin a second straight show? We may have relaxed after the first hour.
Can Friday be worse? It could be…but for the most part, it was the polar opposite of RAW.
While the women’s tag match was kept short, it did actually happen as expected.
On top of that, Ricochet pinned Ivar clean, something that is about as anti-Vince as there is.
Again, small sample size, but it would seem that maybe, just maybe, adults are back involved in the creative process.
On top of that, Triple H spoke, same as Monday. But this time, it was shorter and bigger news.
Specifically, without a date set, we will see the draft return for RAW and SmackDown in a few weeks. And, every Superstar will be eligible.
If this is why the surprises after WrestleMania were non-existent, it’s a little less of a bummer.
Also explains why we haven’t seen some NXT graduates recently…probably.
Could this be a chance for WWE to try and somehow split the belts off of Roman? Or will this be a means to introduce a new world title?
Overall lowlights:
One minor gripe, but Triple H called out Rhea Ripley for her accolades, and the segment then devolved into Judgement Day fun.
Like, yes she’s in a faction…but…she also deserves a moment in the sun to herself for winning the title.
Overall highlights:
Yes, I asked…can Friday be worse? And I have an answer.
It could have been, but it was not. Thankfully.
Now, it was not the banger of a post-WrestleMania show we might have wanted on Monday…but it was a marked improvement.
Opened with a strong show. Hunter gave us news of a draft, not just a pep talk.
And we finished it off looking at what I’d bet is the start of our Backlash main event.
That being…The Usos and Solo Sikoa against Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Matt Riddle.
And…I am here for that, for sure.
Also, lost in the shuffle of an improved show? We have a big return next week.
Although…he could have been a surprise return, so there is that…
After the final bell:
To kick this off, we asked a simple question: can Friday be worse?
Of course it could be, but Friday was not worse than RAW.
Can Friday be worse? When comparing it to Monday, how could it be?
Yes, that last one is a general calendar shot, since Friday kicks off the weekend…but for us, for now, Friday was better than Monday.
