WWE SmackDown Smacks/Downs: Bray Wyatt remains fascinating

It made all the sense in the world to pre-tape several shows and WrestleMania. What happens when things change between tapings, though? Here are the smacks/downs for the Mar. 27 WWE SmackDown.

With many places banning public gatherings and WWE having the Performance Center available, taping episodes of WWE SmackDown, RAW, NXT, and WrestleMania with limited crews was a smart decision.

For reference, all episodes of SmackDown and 205 Live through WrestleMania were recorded last weekend. A lot can change in that time.

Take, for example, the events of the past week.

There were initial reports that Dana Brooke and Rey Mysterio had voluntarily self-quarantined. This pulled Brooke from the Six-Pack Challenge Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania and Mysterio from his ongoing United States Championship feud. Brooke was reportedly sick.

Bobby Lashley self-quarantined earlier this month after a trip to South Africa, preventing any build for his announced match with Aleister Black at WrestleMania.

The biggest change came when The Miz reportedly showed up to the tapings for WrestleMania sick without informing anyone and infuriating The Usos. Remember, the tag champions were taping their feud with The New Day and The Usos. Jimmy and Jey spend lots of time with their cousin, Roman Reigns. This spurred Reigns to leave and pull out of his Universal Championship match with Goldberg.

Good for Reigns, who’s immunocompromised after defeating leukemia twice. People should support Reigns in his decision as he put his health, safety, and that of his family’s first.

As fans and viewers, we need to keep these things in mind as we watch and evaluate the next few weeks of shows. Can WWE pivot successfully? It will be difficult, but also interesting to see.

It makes it all the more difficult that last night’s show not only showed the match graphic for Goldberg-Reigns, but that Reigns would appear next week to build for the match. Will next week be the pivot, or will they find a route after next week’s show to edit in the switch?

In 2020, hindsight really is 2020.

Last night, we began with in-ring promos from the competitors in the Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania; Drew Gulak (w/ Daniel Bryan) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (w/ Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn and Cesaro); a backstage altercation leading to Dolph Ziggler vs. Otis at WrestleMania; King Corbin basically killing Elias; Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss (w/ Nikki Cross); a replay of Triple H vs. Reigns at WrestleMania 32; an interview with Triple H; an episode of “Firefly Fun House”; and The New Day vs. The Usos.