10 Things We Learned From WWE Smackdown Live! (April 11)
Opportunity Knocks.
Smackdown Live!'s losses were Raw's gains, as The Miz, Maryse, Alexa Bliss, Mickie James and Dean Ambrose all departed the blue brand along with a host of other supplementary talents to conclude the first evening of the 'Superstar Shake-up'. It wasn't all bad though, Bray Wyatt left as well.
However, in the shadow of the Monday's broadcast and an explosive spell in Orlando the week prior, could the Tuesday night show rebound?
In somehow managing to hold on to AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and (when he returns again) John Cena, the show hasn't been robbed of star talent in the way many thought, and some choice talents making the jump from Raw could actually see the 'B-show' looking better than ever.
From a storyline perspective, the company again failed to properly explain how and when the decisions were made on the new arrivals, but if one can imagine Daniel Bryan gleefully offering away The Miz in favour of Charlotte, then the rest can probably be put together out of shot as well.
Pouring through the start of a new era on Tuesday nights, here are 10 things we learned from the April 10 edition of WWE Smackdown Live!
10. Zayn And Owens
Nothing will ever keep Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens apart, and maybe that's the way it should be.
Shortly before the 2016 Brand Extension took hold, the two faced off in glorious war at the Battleground pay-per-view that was billed to be a feud-ending final battle. Zayn won the closely-fought contest, but neither this nor the prior Monday's Draft would separate them as they made their permanent home on Monday Night Raw.
In the shadow of Owens' Universal Title glory, Sami floundered on the 'A Show' and was even used as a token jobber for 'KO' more than once.
With a decade of work between them as partners and rivals across multiple companies, the two never stray too far from one another, and the 'Superstar Shake-up' did little to redress the balance.
The United States Champion kicked off the show, appearing with the secondary title as Dean Ambrose had on Raw to announce he was now a part of Smackdown Live!
Sporting a new look sans facial hair, Owens followed up on his Raw diatribe about being a proudly Canadian US Champion, but couldn't gloat long before his old friend Zayn emerged to lay claim to the prize along with former WWE Champion AJ Styles and the ever-improving Baron Corbin. What's old is new again. Again.