3 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 27)
John Cena stamps his ticket, but at what cost?
A story broke late last week suggesting that WWE were deeply concerned with SmackDown's declining quality. According to Backstage In WWE co-host Brad Shepard, people in the company "know it's not good," mirroring the widely-held fan opinion that Raw has long since surpassed it as the promotion's strongest main roster brand.
If true, this poses the question of why the company aren't doing anything to right the show's course. Road Dogg's run as lead writer has been disastrous. He has buried what was once WWE's most exciting show with inconsistent storytelling, lazy multi-person booking, and questionable character directions. Last night's offering was much of the same. Sure, there were highlights, but each was engulfed by a crippling low, many of which play into the brand's deeper issues.
John Cena was in the house as advertised, with his quest for a WrestleMania 34 opportunity manifesting in an unexpected way. Elsewhere, the women's division plodded through the same old mire, the Usos went face-to-face with The New Day, and Sami Zayn wrestled Baron Corbin ahead of Fastlane.
With SmackDown limping towards the 11 March pay-per-view, let's hope the rumours are true, and WWE step in to save this rapidly sinking ship before WrestleMania 34...