SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
HITS
Paige: This was a small hit, but I felt it was appropriate to remark how much I enjoyed this week’s appearance from the General Manager. For far too long, authority figures have become central to various storylines, and this is especially true of Smackdown. I appreciated how she opened the show briefly, and spoke about the unsportsmanlike conduct between A.J. Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. She fulfilled her purpose, and closed the segment. It would be nice to see the show take this approach going forward.
Miz TV: This was a good promo that was anchored by The Miz, who excelled in his role as the instigator. I liked the flow of it beginning with Jeff Hardy as the guest, followed by Randy Orton, and then Shelton Benjamin. My only slight complaint is the predictability of this leading to a match, as The Miz was interviewing the guests in his wrestling gear instead of a suit.
Rusev/Lana: This is a small hit dependent on how the WWE follows through with this story. Lana hasn’t had much to do recently, so it’d be smart to pair her up again with Rusev. However, Aiden English has contributed significantly to Rusev’s popularity, so I do not want their partnership to end prematurely. Hopefully, we’ll get some follow up to this next week.
Main Event: This was a solid main event, and it was good to see the women get the main event slot. Post-WrestleMania, the tide has turned towards the positive for the Smackdown Women’s Division, so I was pleased to see them close the show. All wrestlers played their roles well, and were given a decent amount of time to tell a good story.
MISSES
Big Cass: This was a poor segment that did nothing for Cass or his feud with Daniel Bryan. I have never been a fan of going for a cheap, childish joke, and this was no exception. Cass is tall, and Bryan is short. That’s about as far as it goes. Cass is slowly getting better with his promos, but he’s not strong enough to carry a segment like this, and is better suited for promos like last week on Miz TV.
Non-Wrestling: This episode was heavy on talking, and light on the actual wrestling. After the opening tag team match, there were approximately seven talking segments before another match took place. After that, it was just the main event. This decision drug the show down, and negatively impacted the entertainment portion for not only the viewers at home, but the crowd as well.
Jeff Indelicato has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was knee high to a grasshopper (little kid) after coming across the Wrestling Challenge episode after WrestleMania 7. He has not looked back. His passion has led him to winning wrestling trivia contests in his city, and even won him his Senior Talent Show by dancing to Shawn Michaels’ theme song. When not annoying others with wrestling talk, he loves spending time with his family and friends, and focuses on his other passion: movies. Follow him on Twitter @the_Indel or send him an email at indelpw@gmail.com.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S COLUMN: WWE SMACKDOWN HITS & MISSES 4/24: Carmella, Miz TV, Rowan vs. Uso, IIconics vs. Lynch & Asuka, Styles & Club vs. Nakamura & Rusev Day
A snoozer.