5 Biggest Winners & Losers From WWE SmackDown Live (20 Sept)
While Raw continues to struggle getting out of second gear, SmackDown remains impressive.
The “New Era” appears to be little more than a slogan on Monday Night Raw. Despite a few stand-out moments here and there, the red brand remains largely unchanged despite the 2016 Brand Split, with the three-hour format still haunted by the same tedious storytelling and booking techniques as before. While Raw has rarely been outright bad since the Draft, the show is firmly stuck in a holding pattern, and seems destined to never change.
SmackDown, meanwhile, has quietly become WWE’s most compelling TV show. Left shorthanded in the Draft, many assumed that SD’s long-standing “B-show” status would be further compounded by the split, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Raw might have the bulk of WWE’s best workers, but the best booking is found on SmackDown. The show’s writers are presenting their stories and characters in a way that makes almost everybody feel important, and while the matches don’t always deliver, the angles that frame them have been excellent.
Even the likes of Carmella and Baron Corbin now fight with a purpose, and while SmackDown is still far from flawless, this week’s show was another great outing for a brand that now eclipses its big red cousin. The October PPV, No Mercy, is already taking shape with a series of well-woven rivalries, and last night provided further development for all involved.
Going beyond straightforward match results, here are the 5 biggest winners and losers from WWE SmackDown Live.