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This week in WWE, Summerslam was good for what it was, Raw was an okay follow up, and Smackdown Live completely bested both those shows in terms of quality storytelling. Every week the blue brand is able to produce an episode of wrestling that manages to entertain and more importantly moves the narratives forward. While The Shield's reunion on Raw was great for what it was, Raw had nothing else of importance to show for its three-hour runtime.
And Smackdown Live, on the other hand, was almost a perfect show that managed to take each storyline on the show to the next level, and that's what wrestling is all about, taking fans on a journey of progression, and the blue brand did that extremely well this week.
#1 Becky Lynch is more than a heel
Becky Lynch's heel turn is not working, and for one reason, she is actually justified in doing what she's doing, and that is something fans understand. As fans are tired of Charlotte Flair hogging the spotlight and winning titles on a regular basis while stars like Becky are left in her shadow, and no one back in WWE's creative camp expected Becky to be booed as a heel and Charlotte cheered, as Becky's promo made her come off as a bigger face.
Becky has transcended the role of a heel, as her motivations are justified, her actions are understandable, and her goal is clear, take down Charlotte from her throne to get the one thing she has worked tirelessly for - the Smackdown Live Women's Title. Moreover, the brawl between Flair and Becky was just gold, as this is the best storyline in the women's division today, as nothing else in WWE comes close to the excellent narrative this feud has.
#2 Rusev Day is back baby
For weeks on end, Aiden English has been the cause for Rusev and Lana losing so many matches, and this week Rusev's hype man finally did something worthwhile and actually assisted Rusev in winning his mixed tag team match against Andrade " Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega. While the actual match between Almas-Vega and Rusev-Lana was not anything special from an in-ring perspective, it did further the narrative of Rusev and English's crumbling relationship.
Finally, the blue brand's creative team stop playing with the angle of Aiden being a bumbling fool that always costs his best friend the match somehow and took this narrative to the next level. While Almas losing is never a good thing this early in his main roster run, it seems as if WWE will have him bounce back in on time.
Also, it is funny how Almas always taps out in a blink of an eye when out in a superstars submission move, the reason from a character standpoint could be Almas' refusal to strain himself when not in a match that is of any importance. Anyhow it is good to see the members of Rusev Day back together, as Rusev is incomplete without Aiden and vice versa.
#3 Championships keep on rolling
What makes Smackdown Live such a hot show is the creative team's willingness to book high profile matches for the brand every single week, unlike Raw which has so many repetitive bouts that feel as if you are watching a repeat of the show.
And this week GM Paige booked another huge title match for next week's show, which is Carmella taking on Charlotte for the Smackdown LKiev Women's Title. While this is a match that probably won't steal the show, it probably will see a title change. The storyline between Becky Lynch and Charlotte could take an interesting turn next week, as Becky could be the one to cost Charlotte her title, as that is the reason for Lynch turning her best friend.
Or we cols see Becky interfere in the match to make sure Charlotte retains the title so she can challenge "the queen " for her throne as the top women's wrestler on Smackdown Live and take what she has wanted for so long, the Smackdown Live Women's Championship. Smackdown Live always has something interesting going on every week and a title match almost every week is good booking by the brand.
#4 Miz and Bryan's next step
The Miz came down to the ring this week and started reacting Daniel Brayan's retirement speech fro two years ago, and said he has to announce that he will be retiring, and if you're watching The Miz cut a promo for the first time, you would have maybe believed him.
But as it turns out Miz is retiring from facing Daniel Bryan, which then prompted Bryan to come out and call Miz a coward for cheating in their match at Summerslam, Maryse then started insulting the crap out of Daniel. Maryse insults didn't sit too well with one person though, Brie Bella who made her return to the WWE.
While Bryan and Brie taking out Miz and Maryse was a great moment for longtime fans of Total Divas/Bellas, the real star of this segment and this entire feud has been the Miz, And while some of you might disagree, this is the truth, as Miz has been on his A game over the course of this feud, while Bryan to be honest has felt subpar.
But maybe that's because this feud has benefitted from having almost a decade's worth of build of storyline building. While Bryan is over as ever, it would be nice if WWE gave him stronger material to work with, because if this feud was with a subpar heel, then it would fall flat.
#5 The Iconics pick up steam
The Iconics have been Smackdown Live's underdog heels for a long time now, and while your options about Billie Kay and Peyton Royce may be largely negative due to their lack of in-ring ability and annoying personas which make them in the eyes of many-divas. But you can't help but give them some props for embracing the ridiculousness of their personas in an age of excellent wrestlers, as their annoying heel personas might have helped them stand out from the pack.
And this week on Smackdown Live Royce faced Naomi in a singles match that might not have been good, but it did do the job. The result was Royce actually getting a win over a former Women's Champion, and while Naomi definitely deserves better WWE could get her embroiled in a feud with any one of the talented superstars waiting for a spot in the blue brand's women's division. And The Iconics win should take them to a higher spot on Smackdown live as they have a lot of potential in the character department.
#6 Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton bring back memories
Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy faced off against each other this week, and due to WWE saving their performance for a bigger stage, this match was held back. But one aspect did make this match brilliant-certain moments of creativity. Hardy and Orton took turns to destroy one another, as Orton tried to rip Hardy's ear off, while Hardy decided enough is enough and stomped Orton in the family jewels. That low blow by Hardy ended the match via disqualification, but the action was not done there, as Jeff wanted to make Orton pay for months of beatdowns.
Hardy dragged Orton into the crowd-ruthless aggression era style-and beat him with chairs, threw them against guardrails and laid him out on a table. And from there on out you didn't need to guess what was coming next, a freaking Swanton Bomb from the stands. While this was good storytelling, as Hardy finally got his revenge on Orton, you can't help but be transported back to 2008/2009 when Hardy was breaking superstars bodies with Swanton Bombs from every angle. WWE had done a great job with the feud, as it gives longtime fans a chance to reminiscence in the days when WWE was fun.
#7 A brawl that has substance
There is no doubt that Charlotte vs Becky is the best women's storyline WWE has produced in years, and when it all came ahead in one chaotic brawl, it transcended the talks of Stephanie McMahon's historic announcements about the women's division and it actually for once made history.
Charlotte running down to the ring to beat the sense back into her best friend might be a defining moment in the Smackdown women's division, as no other storyline has felt this personal and believable before, and while the actual brawl didn't feel as brutal as it should have, one could say that Charlotte was pulling her punches, she still feels she could talk Becky out of her feeling hate.
Well, however, you want to interpret the actual fight, you can, but when was the last time you saw the entire women's locker room run down to the ring to stop a fight that actually feels worth that creative tool?
#8 Samoa Joe is the most believable wrestler in WWE
Samoa Joe is the WWE Universe's only chance to remember how badass superstars were back in the attitude era days, as this week the "Somaon submission specialist" cut another fantastic promo and laid AJ Styles out. Styles came to the arena this week to talk about his actions against Joe at Summerslam; Styles said he let his to family down and has disappointed them, but he will destroy Samoa Joe when he gets his next chance.
Before Styles could say his next words, Joe pounced from behind and locked Styles in the coquina clutch. And what came next was gold that fell out of Joe's mouth, as he still insists on targeting Styles' wife and kids, and his words perfectly summed up his motivations in this feud. Joe grabbed the camera and said to Styles' family that he wouldn't be coming home because Joe put his ass to sleep.
This promo was absolutely amazing and even got fans to chant Joe's name although he is clearly the heel, and this is exactly why Joe should be the next WWE Champion at some point, he is focused he is driven, and he is freaking awesome at what he does in the ring and on the mic.
#9 R Truth gets his segment
This week on Smackdown Live, Carmella went to Paige's office to demand a match against Charlotte for the Smackdown Live Women's Title, and while she got her match, she ended up getting another unexpected challenge. R Truth hilariously strolled into the office telling Carmella that she can't duck him anymore, and one day he will face her. The confusion on Carmella and Paige's face was hilarious, and this segment proves that Truth still got it, he can still be productive this late in his career, WWE only needs to give him a chance.
And Smackdown Live has been giving Truth that chance as the man has thrived in a role that has made him relevant again over the last few years-the comedic relief. But WWE can do so much more with this man, as he can still go in the ring, entertain the crowd and have a zany personality that could make him significant in Smackdown's mid-card, Truth needs a chance to and this week WWE has his chance.
#10 The New Day and The Bludgeon Brothers craft a classic
The New Day and The Blugeoen Brothers clashed once again on Smackdown Live in a battle for the Smackdown Live Tag Team Championships, and this time the match was no disqualification. After the assault by Harper and Rowan at Summerslam, Big E was notably absent due to a rib injury, but the real injury here was Rowan's biceps which he tore at Summerslam. So when Rowan and Harper lost their titles to the New Day this week on Smackdown Live, it was the right call by WWE.
This match was fantastic, as it had one central story, could The New Day overcome the worst beating of their careers to become "five-time champs sucker." And this match told that story to perfection from being thrown into ladders to having their bodies bashed into the ring posts, Woods hit a finally hit a Shane O Mac elbow drop through a table to become the new Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions, this was a moment to remember and surely will go down as one of the great moments in Smackdown history.
