WWE SmackDown 5 Takeaways: AJ Styles Has the Right Face Role
WWE SmackDown Live added some big names to their roster in the”Superstar Shakeup”, so we have plenty to talk about following this latest episode from “The Land of Opportunity”.
Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Charlotte Flair, and The New Day were among the superstars to make the switch from Raw to SmackDown Live, completing the two-day “Superstar Shakeup”. It’s unclear what’s on deck for Flair and the former longest-reigning tag team champions, but Owens and Zayn have already been thrust into programs with AJ Styles and Baron Corbin, respectively.
It was a wild night for the blue brand that included a No. 1 contender’s match for the United States Championship, a showdown between Dolph Ziggler and Shinsuke Nakamura, and a memorable Talking Smack promo from Owens. Below are five takeaways from this week’s show.
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5. Mid-Card Championship Feels More Important Than WWE Championship
You could say the same for the Intercontinental Championship, too, with a part-timer in Brock Lesnar holding the Universal Title. However, Tuesday night’s opening promo and closing main event No. 1 contender’s match showed that the United States Championship will have the most interesting storylines surrounding it. Current champion Kevin Owens, No. 1 contender AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, and Baron Corbin can all go in the ring, and the latter three put on a fantastic match to close the show.
Must Read: SmackDown Live Grades And Analysis
While the United States Championship suddenly feels exciting now that it’s on a show that actually cares about its mid-card title, the WWE Championship feels like a mess right now. Not only was the WrestleMania match between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt the worst on the show, Wyatt isn’t even on the same brand as the man he’s feuding with for the championship. Beyond that, nobody is exactly excited to see Orton as the champion, and with Styles set to battle with Owens after Payback, fans won’t even get to see the Orton vs. Styles feud they were hoping for.
I’m sure the WWE Championship will feel important again soon, but, for the time being, the most must-watch rivalry on SmackDown Live figures to be between Owens and Styles. It’s a testament to SmackDown’s quality as a show that they are, for the most part, consistently able to make all of their titles feel relevant.