4 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (April 25)
"The Land of Opportunity" finally lives up to its name.
Like Raw, SmackDown is very much in a transitional period at the moment. The roster is flush with new faces, and while Kevin Owens and Charlotte have hit the ground running, the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura are still settling into their new home, and The New Day haven't even debuted yet.
Such acts are too talented to fail on Tuesday nights, but until they find their feet, SmackDown will struggle to feel like a truly "new" show. This is further emphasised by the ongoing Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton feud, which should have ended at WrestleMania 33, but has persisted instead, making it a tedious link to the past.
Payback should provide a new beginning for Orton, however, who now has Jinder Mahal to contend with. The duo kicked their rivalry into the next gear last night, and with a new set of contenders for The Usos' SmackDown Tag Team Titles crowned, the brand's direction ahead of May's Backlash PPV is starting to look clearer.
Last night's show wasn't SD's best offering this year, but it was about as strong as we can hope for during this tumultuous time. Headlined by a tremendous Women's Championship main event, the in-ring action was largely mediocre, but the show still produced a number of major talking points and new developments for its most important cast members. How did it all stack up? Let's find out...