WWE SmackDown Smacks and Downs: ‘Daddy Deville’ is amazing

WWE SmackDown’s first show after Money in the Bank had a few points of interest prior to airing. However, it was Sonya Deville who stole the show. Let’s look at the “smacks” and “downs” for May 15.

Hey, I did say last week Otis may end up winning the Money in the Bank briefcase.

He may not have actually “climbed the corporate ladder” so to speak, but he embodied the old cliche: find a way to win.

Is it his fault AJ Styles couldn’t hold onto a briefcase? Is it his fault he just happened to be standing where the briefcase fell?

The answer, of course, is no.

His first appearance as “Mr. Money in the Bank” was advertised for Miz TV. What path does WWE have Otis set on post-Money in the Bank?

The big draw (to WWE) was the return of Charlotte Flair to SmackDown as NXT Women’s Champion. What was the purpose of her “return,” and who emerged to challenge “The Queen” for her throne?

To me, the big draw was actually the Intercontinental Championship Tournament that began last night after WWE dishonorably stripped (well, “vacated”) the title held by Sami Zayn. Who is in the tournament, and what does the bracketing mean for the semifinals and finals?

(Quickly, most expect the hacker character to be revealed as Mustafa Ali, a duo of Ali and Chad Gable, or even a still-recovering Xavier Woods; he’s not Wolverine, folks. My sleeper pick if it isn’t Ali: Ember Moon.)

As a reminder of my criteria, I’m not going to run through each match/segment. Rather, I will identify a couple of segments that either worked (“smack”) or didn’t for whatever reason (“down”).

My criteria includes quality of match/segment and how it starts and/or builds stories. After all, we watch partly to be caught up in the stories. If a great work-rate match happens with no context or bearing on the stories, it’s going to be a miss.

Also, just because something is a hit/miss doesn’t mean it was an overwhelming choice. The selection could be 51 percent hit, 75 percent miss, and so on.

There are other subtleties to my criteria, but those are pretty much the parameters.

Down: Otis doing too much and no follow-up from Bray Wyatt/The Fiend

To borrow a phrase from the defunct show His & Hers, Otis is #1 on the “Doin’ Too Much” countdown.

Look, I understand the charm of Otis. He’s gregarious and hyperbolic, and his short yet stocky stature lends a bit of a “teddy bear” persona to his gimmick. It also helps that many fans have been behind Otis in his attempts at wooing the heart of Mandy Rose.

Still, last night seemed like the one night Otis needed a crowd to react to him to see if he was fine doing what he did, or if my thoughts were more widespread.

Otis hip thrusting with the briefcase on the entrance ramp was funny…until he kept doing the same thing every three seconds. At least when he hip thrusts/swivels during matches, they’re well-timed and not overabundant.

Yes, Big E does many hip swivels. He also balances being serious and hilarious better than Otis did last night. His offense is also more believable than Otis’, and that might be the crux of my issue with his overly-comedic shtick.

Further, we find out he’s not very bright. After a time-wasting Miz TV filled with fat-shaming and really nothing else, Otis revealed Tucker was not able to compete as his tag partner against The Miz and John Morrison. The Miz told Otis he had until the end of the show to find a partner.

Technically, if he waited until the end of the show, there wouldn’t be a tag match until next week. Just a thought.

Otis asked the first wrestler he saw in Sheamus to be his partner. Sheamus, besides being locked into a rivalry with Jeff Hardy, is a heel; why would he say yes to partnering with a face against two other heels? Sheamus promptly declined the request, and Otis was left to ponder.

It took Rose telling Otis to ask Braun Strowman to be his partner for it to click. The roster is shallow, even with the new wildcard/brand extension/brand invitational. There really wasn’t another option for Otis considering the other top babyfaces are in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament (more on this later).

Yes, having the Money in the Bank contract winner team with the Universal Champion might seem odd considering the possibility of a cash in, but if any champion shouldn’t be afraid of one, it’s the “Monster among Men.”

WWE also strung us along a bit by having Strowman initially seem hesitant to the idea and that he would think about it. I’m guessing most of us have the same thinking routine as Strowman, too.

Then again, since Otis didn’t ask anyone else after Strowman, he was either going to have Strowman as his partner or have a handicap match with The Miz and Morrison.

They did tease the cash in after the match as Strowman was distracted by Rose, but Otis said he was just joking and celebrated with Rose (and the briefcase) to end the show.

That left me wondering: where was the follow-up with Wyatt/The Fiend? How their match ended at Money in the Bank did not seem like a definitive end, and even Wyatt’s words after his loss seemed to foreshadow continuing the feud.

I though The Fiend would show up and incapacitate Strowman with the Mandible Claw. If this happened with enough time in the show, Otis could have cashed in and Strowman-The Fiend could move forward without the burden of the top championship.

I don’t necessarily think Otis would work as Universal Champion considering he is 98 percent comedy gimmick. I argued building him by winning gradually more difficult singles feuds over a number of months would lead to a credible cash in. This wouldn’t be that.

For the time being, it looks like we aren’t even going to have a mini-feud between Strowman and Otis with the teasing of a cash in; Otis and Rose face Sonya Deville and Dolph Ziggler in a mixed tag match next week, which makes it all the more glaring there wasn’t even a peep from Wyatt or an appearance by The Fiend. There also wasn’t an announcement on what Strowman may be doing on next week’s show.

I just hope Ramblin’ Rabbit isn’t taking the brunt of the punishment for Wyatt’s frustrations…

Smack: speaking truth (in kayfabe) and remembering the past

Down: is Charlotte Flair the right conduit to breakup Bayley and Sasha Banks?

Look, overall, this was a good segment with each wrestler playing their roles well (for the most part).

The big question: is Flair a face, heel, or both? Her promos are a mix of face comments mixed in with discussions of being “genetically superior” and FOX wanting her on the show because she’s “blonde.” Those are not face things to say.

Bayley and Sasha Banks interrupting works well in the sense that all three of these women have notable histories with each other. Even though we are to believe all three brands are on equal footing, it’s undoubted that most fans view the championships in NXT as below those on RAW and SmackDown, so I’m guessing many fans saw it as an affront that Flair tried to grandstand on the show where Bayley reigns as champion.

Good for Bayley for reminding everyone that the last two times they wrestled, she defeated Flair, including for the Women’s Championship that Bayley currently wields. No matter what Flair says about Bayley needing a complete makeover and “bad haircut,” the fact of the matter is Bayley won and Flair lost.

My issue with the segment is one, I would have liked to see someone else receive the proverbial rub from a match/segment/feud with Charlotte, but as we discussed earlier with Otis, the depth is thin considering who’s already locked into feuds.

Two, I’m not sure Flair should be the person to be the catalyst for the breakup of Bayley and Banks. Flair doesn’t need any more spotlight, and at this point, having her be the conduit would be just like adding another championship to her ledger: it all blends together.

I’ve wanted this breakup to happen more organically than having the now-top woman in WWE add another check to her ledger. At worse, if the hacker is revealed to be Ember Moon, showing video of Bayley trashing/devaluing Banks behind her back, or Banks discussing her devious plan to turn on Bayley, would be an acceptable route.

This probably means in their “champion vs. champion” match next week, there will probably be some sort of miscommunication that leads to a loss for Bayley and further dissension between her and Banks. This is making me a little less excited for their match next week.

Hopefully, I’m wrong.

It’s also fair to wonder about overexposing the already overexposed Flair. She is basically a floater between the three shows. Logistically this works because of shows emanating from the Performance Center. Practically, it makes me want to see Flair less and less.

It isn’t just about overexposure at this point, but seemingly about just how many people she can give the championship rub to, beginning with Mia Yim and Liv Morgan, and now with Bayley, Banks, Shirai, and a possible return to Ripley.

It just seems like a cumbersome role for Flair. Let’s hope for the best.

Smack: a great tournament field (mostly)

Down: there shouldn’t be a vacant title to begin with

I’ve already written of the blatant pettiness and ignominious decision to force Zayn to “vacate” the Intercontinental Championship. This is more likely due to the person behind Zayn, Rami Sebei, being a rare wrestler who holds power accountable, and not just in wrestling.

After earlier tweeting in response to the WWE on FOX account asking, “The next Intercontinental Champion will be,” with, “Ashamed of themselves,” Zayn had to modify that a bit when his fellow The Artist Collective member, Shinsuke Nakamura, was revealed as one of the participants. Now we know Nakamura is the only wrestler in the field with self-respect, at least.

Further, this is another self-inflicted wound for WWE after a terrible month. As it was earlier reported that WWE, seemingly taking after the example of AEW, instructed employees they could stay home during the pandemic with no penalty, many within WWE are upset at the decision to strip Zayn for heeding the company’s own words.

It’s just so hypocritical, but also completely expected.

If we’re being optimistic, at least the eight-man field had six solid entries, and Cole announced the finals would be on SmackDown, available to watch for more viewers than a pay-per-view.

I was confused as to why Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak and Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus were first round matches, particularly the latter which seemed the most likely to be the finals prior to the reveal.

At least the match with least intrigue was the first match of the tournament (and last night’s show). However, with the Elias vs. King Corbin match going 16 minutes and the opening 10 minutes dedicated to a…less than stellar Miz TV segment (as discussed earlier), it was nearly 40 minutes into the show before anything really interesting happened (the hacker video).

I wouldn’t be surprised if viewership numbers for the first quarter hour to the third quarter hour dropped a good bit based off of Miz TV and Elias vs. Corbin. It was nearly sleep inducing.

Thank goodness we had Bryan vs. Gulak later in the night. After watching the absolutely enjoyable Matt Riddle (“Matthew Riddle”) vs. Timothy Thatcher match earlier Friday, Bryan vs. Gulak was just another sublime display of supreme technical and mat-based wrestling.

I also appreciate WWE acknowledged history and discussed how the Intercontinental Championship was the title Bryan had to vacate when he was forced to retire in 2015. The story is seemingly set for Bryan to recapture the title he never lost.

(If you haven’t, go back and watch this Pete Dunne (“Peter Dune”) vs. Arturo Ruas match from September on the WWE Network. THESE are probably my favorite types of matches to watch.)

It would have been nice to see Bryan vs. Gulak as one side of the semifinals or even the finals (I even advocated for a Gulak IC Championship reign after WrestleMania), as with Hardy vs. Sheamus. Still, their match was exactly the palette cleanser I needed for what had been a lackluster show up to that point.

If the other two matches in the first round receive at least 13-16 minutes (the lengths for the two matches tonight), then we should have some quality matches. I’m hoping giving AJ Styles and Nakamura at least 15 minutes will motivate them to put on a classic in the WWE we all expected during their WWE Championship feud in 2018.

Looking at the bracket, I’m glad my worst-case scenario is already eliminated in Corbin (I just had a feeling WWE would force him down our throats more). Hardy is set for a good run, otherwise his month-long videos would really be worthless. Nakamura is a former champion, but it seems like Styles is set for a prominent role considering his presence during the Money in the Bank match and the rub from the positively-received boneyard match with The Undertaker.

Even though Bryan has the historical story driving him, if Hardy isn’t at least in the finals after such a hyped return then it would be a failure as Hardy’s time as a full-time wrestler is probably closer to ending than extending. I see Hardy advancing on the left side of the bracket.

Styles vs. Elias should be a methodical squash. I’m not sure how many people actually take Elias seriously as legitimate threat in the ring. Styles advances.

Styles has never won this championship, and Hardy hasn’t held the title in over a decade. It would be a great story for each, but considering Styles is still going strong, this might be the last accolade Hardy collects before he winds down his full-time days.

Prediction: Hardy becomes the new Intercontinental Champion.

Smack: Sonya Deville continues to downright SLAY

If only WWE had let this Deville shine the last few years.

She just continues to outright SHINE since her revelatory promo where she turned heel on Rose. If you weren’t on the “Daddy Deville” train yet, better sprint alongside it and grab on before it speeds out of reach and sight.

Her barbs straddled the line between kayfabe and reality, and this is where pro wrestling generally has the most intriguing and exciting stories that really draws the emotional investment from fans.

She said the only thing Rose is good at is being blonde and pretty, “and when that’s all over, where does that leave you?” Well, apparently barefoot and pregnant in a double-wide trailer with Otis and a number of other children, all while cooking some “high cholesterol meats” on the grill.

Deville topped it by accentuating her own talents: “You’re never going to be a winner like me. You’re never going to have the skill, talent, charisma, and mind that I have.” It’s hard to argue with Deville’s words.

The best part of Deville’s heel turn and masterclass promos the last few weeks is that it’s kept Ziggler quiet. Yes, he did have one good non-yelling promo with Deville during this partnership, but the less we hear Ziggler’s shouting promos, the more sane we’ll all be.

I’ve written before how Deville was the victim of bad timing with the additions of Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler to the roster. All three have mixed martial arts backgrounds, but unlike the latter two, Deville didn’t reach the heights of competing in top-level MMA. Her character was believable, but paled in comparison to the two, particularly what we’ve seen of Baszler the last few years.

All she needed (much like those two) was an edge, and she found it during this heel turn. This will make her offense look even more stiff and brutal, especially that beautiful sliding knee. I hope we see more of her grappling/submission acumen as that can really add a sense of danger to a character; think Baszler choking out Rey Mysterio last Sunday.

We’re going to witness more of Deville’s growth next week in the mixed tag match with her and Ziggler vs. Rose and Otis. I’m interested to see what heel tactics she uses in this match, and whether or not she spends the match trying to avoid Rose or going directly at Rose.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed how surprised I’ve been that WWE has been able to tell this story that involves two men without making it about the two men. This feud probably passes the Bechdel test.

Backlash seems the perfect show to have the payoff singles match between Deville and Rose both in time frame and the name of the event. Regardless, I’m invested in this feud and downright loving this new, edgier “Daddy Deville.”

It was a very mixed bag of a show (I didn’t even discuss the atrocity of having Naomi lose clean again to Dana Brooke!). However, there was enough intrigue to keep me entertained. The show also did a fine job in setting up next week’s show where we’ll have four marquee matches in Flair vs. Bayley, Rose/Otis vs. Deville/Ziggler, Styles vs. Nakamura, and Hardy vs. Sheamus.

Until then, stay safe everyone!