WWE SmackDown Live Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for August 8
By Josh Raibick
Credit: WWE.com
The Future vs. The Franchise
The show starts with John Cena entering the ring to kick off the show. John Cena spends this time giving Shinsuke Nakamura his due for winning last week’s No. 1 contender match, and earning a shot at Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship at SummerSlam.
Baron Corbin has heard enough and interrupts John Cena. He tells Cena, “I am the future, and I have no problem making you the past!” This leads to a challenge from Cena, in which Corbin declines.
As The Lone Wolf attempts to leave Daniel Bryan’s music hits. Daniel Bryan informs Baron Corbin that he will face John Cena at SummerSlam.
This segment just did not feel like a rivalry that was building for the second biggest show of the year. John Cena is at his best on the microphone when he is able to bring emotion. Admitting to defeat when referencing his loss to Shinsuke Nakamura was a problem, as well as Cena’s reference to Corbin as a “dumpster fire”.
The term “dumpster fire” is dated and shows that even Cena is not taking this feud seriously. On top of Cena’s lack of intensity, Corbin did not even want to face the leader of the Cenation,
The tag line for the match of “The Future vs. The Franchise” seems to be something we will hear each time this match is referenced in the next week plus. WWE might be trying to recapture some magic from Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk at SummerSlam 2013, but this is not “The Best vs. The Beast”.
All that said, Cena is the guy and people will still care at SummerSlam.