3 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Feb 18)
WWE crowns new champions; SmackDown tag-teams threaten a split; Goldberg does...nothing.
Well, thank f*ck that's over.
WWE didn't try to keep Sami Zayn's latest Intercontinental Title win a secret this week. They'd taped his success over Shinsuke Nakamura last Friday, but told the world what had happened before airing the match on TV this weekend. In truth, the actual execution felt like a mercy killing for Shin's woeful reign.
There's no point in beating around the bush - SmackDown's latest was another forgettable slice of wrestling telly that only had a few things going for it. Skippable programming is one thing, but it's another problem entirely when creative starts using transitional episodes to book storylines that nobody really needs to see.
The company did that here too.
Elsewhere, Goldberg went nose-to-nose with Roman Reigns, the tag-team scene sans New Day continued to be an absolute mess, top stars are still stuck in nothing angles and more. At least WWE had the sense to make a popular high-flyer look good, and there was that midcard title change to help cheer everyone up pre-Elimination Chamber.
Here's all the good and bad from the blue brand's Saudi Arabia go home.