-- 7/3 WWE Smackdown live Reax

David from Wis. (4.5): Best: A.J. Love Triangle. Worst: Backstage Party Segment. I give the lower score because they tagged the "Great American Bash" label onto the show. I realize it didn't get a lot of hype, but I still expect more when you attach that name. I think it's insulting to the great moments throughout the '80s and '90s of what was a highly successful event in WCW. But, the way WWE always puts down what WCW did, and the current product, I shouldn't have expected anything else. That being said, the A.J., Punk, and Bryan triangle was worth the watch because they are all playing their parts extremely well. I can't say enough about A.J., she is the most compelling female character maybe in the history of pro wrestling. I know that's a very strong statement, but I never remember being this curious about what any company was doing with a female in a storyline that didn't involve T&A. The battle royal was good and I liked that Ryder finally got the upper hand on Kane for a change. Some of the other in-ring action was good, too. They advanced the World Title feud, but, again, don't attach a historic name to a regular show for long-time viewers.

Steve in Pompano Beach, Fla., raconteur & bon vivant (6.0): Best: Punk/A.J./Bryan, Del Rio-Sheamus segment, Rhodes vs. Christian, battle royal. Worst: Khali/Layla vs. Cesaro/Aksana, Michael Cole. This episode was a definite improvement over the last live Smackdown, and it had several good bits to offer. Del Rio is going in the right direction (finally) with this "vicious streak" being displayed. Rhodes and Ziggler got their MITB tickets punched, though I thought Dolph could have been a little more dominant in his match against Alex Riley... The backstage party segments weren't too bad, and they didn't monopolize too much of the show. The Punk/A.J./Bryan saga continues to be the best storyline going in WWE (take notes, TNA). And, even the battle royale was good... The main thing that kept the show from being better was Michael Cole, who had his d-bag level over 9,000 tonight. It strikes me as weird that his character seems to fluctuate between levels of outright play-by-play announcer and over-the-top heel nowadays. Why should anyone on the roster even bother to work a match when Cole is instructed to rip anything done by one or both participants to shreds? And, it's not as if Jerry Lawler or the dynamic duo of Bookerman & Josh The Boy Wonder can do any better on either show, not with Lawler too busy trying to be a comedian, Book barely able to call the action properly half the time, and Josh unable to get a word in edgewise. Someone please end this experiment already, and get Jim Ross back where he belongs. #HappyBirthdayAmerica #MuteMichaelCole.

***

We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a Smackdown Reax feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on SD, click here or email pwtorch@gmail.com.

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

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