Credit: WWE.com
Who were the biggest stars from this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown Live?
The road to Survivor Series continues. As of now, there’s been no retaliation from Team Raw after the attack by SmackDown last Monday night. We did see Daniel Bryan’s trip to Raw end in a chokeslam from former partner Kane, forcing Team Blue’s general manager to miss SmackDown this week.
There’s plenty to breakdown from Tuesday’s show. Notably there was no women’s match, although we did see the Survivor Series team backstage. For that reason Becky Lynch deserves an honorable mention. She’s the perfect captain for Team Blue. After all, The Irish Lass Kicker was at the heart of the invasion on Raw last week.
Another honorable mention goes to the Fashion Files. It sure looks like their case has finally been solved. Did The Bludgeon Brothers attack them? On Halloween of all nights. Talk about picking your spots. This will likely lead to a match between the two teams at some point, but it shouldn’t end the Fashion Files.
The SmackDown roster is across the pond on tour in Europe. They head to Manchester, England next week. Notably Raw takes place in the same venue the night before. Will we see another invasion?
That’s a discussion for then. Let’s look back at Tuesday night’s biggest stars.
Credit: WWE.com
5. Sin Cara
It still makes no sense why Sin Cara isn’t on 205 Live. But if he is to remain on SmackDown, we need to see more of this Sin Cara. In his third match with Baron Corbin in as many weeks, The Lone Wolf repeatedly tried to rip off his mask. That was almost as bad a decision as his failed cash-in attempt.
We saw fire from Sin Cara. An edge to his character often hidden. Instead of simply completing the match and going about his business as usual, he took Corbin’s actions personally and attacked him outside the ring, eventually getting disqualified. Sin Cara even threw one of the announcers’ chairs at Corbin before he scurried away into the crowd.
It was refreshing to see a different side to Sin Cara. Oftentimes WWE Superstars are too much of the same and don’t show a range of different emotions. If the act is to be comedic and over-the-top, then that’s almost always what they’ll be. Too often wrestlers become one-dimensional by rarely showing a different side to their character when the situation calls for it. Sin Cara felt disrespected by Baron Corbin. And it showed.
What’s next: Your guess is as good as mine. We’ll likely see these two continue their feud in the coming weeks, but when it ends will Sin Cara disappear from TV again? His work over the past few weeks could earn him a more regular spot.
Credit: WWE.com
4. Dolph Ziggler
There’s been a lot wrong with the booking of Dolph Ziggler over the past few months (or years), but it’s impossible to deny his talent in the ring. He showcased it Tuesday night in his two-out-of-three falls match with Bobby Roode. The feud has been largely forgettable to this point, and it’s neither wrestler’s fault, but this was a solid match from start to finish.
Much credit belongs to Ziggler. He made the former NXT Champion look a million dollars, like he so often does. Despite ultimately losing, Ziggler once again showcased his ability in the ring.
If used correctly, the WWE could get more out of Ziggler. Instead he loses and loses to the point where beating him doesn’t feel as impactful as it should. That doesn’t take away from his performance this past week, though, making him a deserving member of this list.
What’s next: Is the feud with Roode over? Considering the fact Ziggler was at the heart of the invasion of Raw last week, it would make sense for him to represent SmackDown at Survivor Series. That won’t happen in the five-on-five elimination match, but he should still be featured on the card.
Credit: WWE.com
3. Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon’s opening promo was to the point, and it answered a number of burning questions. Why did SmackDown want to make such a statement when they put Raw “under siege”, when Kurt Angle thought it was all just friendly competition?
Well, Shane answered that and more on Tuesday night. To him, Survivor Series is more than just a chance to showcase matches we don’t get to see every week. He felt SmackDown has always been considered the B show. And he’s not wrong. For years the show was used to complement Raw, featuring highlight packages from the night before.
Even by moving to Tuesday nights, going live and reintroducing the brand split, Raw is still the flagship. Shane wanted to send a statement to Team Red that his wrestlers are superior. I liked it. His promo was clear, to the point and gave a good explanation for his actions last week.
What’s next: Shane also announced that he will captain the SmackDown team at Survivor Series, which was expected after Kurt Angle was named leader of the Raw team.
Putting McMahon and Angle in this match certainly adds some intrigue. It should bring a fun element to the match.
Credit: WWE.com
2. Rusev
Every day should be Rusev Day.
While there’s certainly a case to be made that Rusev should be higher up the card more regularly, he’s making the most of his screen time in this role. It’s refreshing to see him move away from the foreign heel act, and just about everything he touches turns to gold.
From the way he keeps using the word “elated” to his hatred of Halloween and partnership with Aiden English, it’s working. In case you missed the “elated” reference, it goes back to an interview with Renee Young after beating Randy Orton in September.
Young said that Rusev looked elated after his win. He simply responded by saying “what does that mean?”. He’s since learned the word’s meaning and continued to use it on SmackDown.
Rusev would make a great WWE Champion, but for now he’s making the most of his opportunities lower on the card. Happy Rusev Day.
What’s next: Rusev has the opportunity to earn a spot on the Survivor Series team next week, but he must defeat AJ Styles to do so. Styles likely wins that one, leaving Rusev’s status for the pay-per-view up in the air. How about a match with Samoa Joe? Now that would be fun.
Photo by WWE.com
1. Shinsuke Nakamura
After defeating Kevin Owens in the main event, Shinsuke Nakamura joins Team Blue at Survivor Series. He’ll represent SmackDown alongside Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode and the winner of AJ Styles and Rusev.
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It’s fair to say Nakamura hasn’t yet fully lived up to expectations since arriving on SmackDown. He’s been a solid addition to the roster, but there haven’t been enough “wow” moments. One of them happened at Money in the Bank when he stood opposite AJ Styles. The Survivor Series match presents an opportunity for another.
What if Nakamura comes face-to-face with Braun Strowman? Kurt Angle? Samoa Joe? It could set the table for a dream match way down the line, while also providing an interesting story in the Survivor Series match.
After his performance in the main event, top spot belongs to The Artist this week.
What’s next: Nakamura and Orton have had their problems with Owens and Sami Zayn over the past few weeks. Expect that to continue as we head towards Survivor Series, but the attention will then shift towards the elimination match.
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Beyond the pay-per-view, it’s unclear what’s next for Nakamura. AJ Styles is in line for a WWE Championship match in the near future. Will Shinsuke go on to feud with Owens? It would be a logical step given the rivalry brewing between the two.