10 Conclusions From WWE SmackDown (June 11)

This week’s SmackDown came to us from Lafayette, Louisiana. With Money In The Bank just three days away, this was WWE’s final televised opportunity to convince the WWE Universe to part with their hard-earned cash and buy the PPV. Or, preferably, just sign up to the WWE Network.

Dean Ambrose kicked us off with a reminder of all the photos he took with the WWE title in New Orleans. Instagram, folks - someone has finally told Vince what it is. Cue Seth Rollins, who demanded his title back before the Lunatic Fringe broke the news that the belt was only a replica. He’d gotten a little worse for wear and lost it somewhere in New Orleans, apparently.

Seth, understandably upset, became even more so when Kane emerged to tell him he’d be facing Dolph Ziggler later that night. The Showoff was the odd one out, apparently, given that all of the other superstars involved in Sunday’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match would be squaring off 3-on-3 in the main event 6-man tag match.

The show served its purpose of course, which was to sell Money In The Bank, although quite how WWE expect us to believe that anyone other than Roman Reigns is winning the briefcase is a mystery. That little prediction aside, here are some conclusions from last night’s show.

...for The Miz, at least. It's difficult to believe that he once main evented Wrestlemania with John Cena, now that he's a cross-dressing third wheel in an Intercontinental title feud between Ryback and Big Show. Seriously, what's with that headscarf? Does starring in The Marine 4 mean you should dress like Audrey Hepburn?

Miz never looked likely to come out victorious in his match with the Big Guy, even when he hit the Skull-Crushing Finale. WWE have been using (over-using, some might argue) kickouts of established finishers for a while now in an attempt to add more drama to big matches, but Ryback was never staying down for three. One Shell-Shocked later, and Miz, the former WWE Champion, was done.