WWE SmackDown 5 Best Segments: Main Event Stands Out

Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn (If Ziggler wins, he gets added to the WWE Title match at Fastlane)

This was a well worked, competitive main event. Ziggler and Zayn work well together and I wouldn’t mind seeing another match between these two down the line. The problem, once again, was that this match ultimately didn’t matter. In storyline context, I enjoyed this match in the same way that I would enjoy a competitive game between the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks (if you’re reading this and you don’t follow basketball, trust me, those teams are bad).

Over the last couple of years, WWE has portrayed Zayn and Ziggler as perpetual losers. They always come up short in big matches. WWE never bothered to explain why Ziggler, or Corbin for that matter deserved a WWE Title match, so these bouts–entertaining as they were–felt a bit arbitrary.

Prior to the match, WWE continued to tease dissension between Owens and Zayn. I said it a couple of weeks ago and I’ll say it again, it’s too soon to split these two up. They’ve had about eight million singles matches over the last two years. Remeber that great match they had at Battleground 2016 that was supposed to end the feud? WWE not only put them on the same show immediately afterward, but they continued to book them in matches because Vince McMahon needed to fill TV time. Owens and Zayn need to team together for several years before WWE goes back to that match.

With all that said, Zayn and Ziggler entertained the audience and the stipulation kept them engaged–even if it doesn’t change the expected result of the Fastlane main event.