5 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 17)
Zayn & Owens knock it out of the park as SD's strong run continues.
SmackDown is on the rise again.
After 10 months of mediocrity, WWE just delivered their second consecutive good-to-great Tuesday night show for the first time in months. This episode highlighted some of the best the blue brand has to offer, and while SD's two hours weren't without their issues, each was eclipsed by an awesome high point.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn once again dominated the show, first interrupting Daniel Bryan's opening segment, then facing off against Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton in the main event. Jinder Mahal was back on television after going missing last week, too. He threw down a huge Survivor Series challenge, but was met with an unexpected response from AJ Styles, who's now on the WWE Champion's radar.
Elsewhere, SmackDown's women competed in a six-person tag, the Fashion Files returned, and Baron Corbin ate a shocking loss. An eventful night all round, and the kind that'll go a long way to rebuilding the blue brand's damaged reputation.
It's only two weeks, so it'd be premature to call this a rebirth. Regardless, SD's recent upturn can't be denied. Let's take a look at the positives and negatives from this week's episode.