5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (10 July - Results & Review)
Gunther chokes out Nick Aldis; Baron Corbin returns; WWE makes SummerSlam main event official.
Well, you've got to give WWE some credit for packing a ton of goodies into this week's 2 hour SmackDown. Nobody misses that third hour, to be honest. Well, maybe some on the undercard do, because there's less ring time to go around, but the blue brand has a better zip to it at the moment. Somehow, the company's production team still managed to mistime the ending terribly, but more on that to come.
CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes has been set as one of SummerSlam's main events early-next month, Gunther vs. Nick Aldis could be added to the weekender following a brutal 'Ring General' attack on the SmackDown GM here, and none other than Baron Corbin just winged back into view as part of the United States Title crowd. That was one of the most unexpected returns in a while, not least 'cause many believed Corbin would launch his comeback as the monster creation underneath Danhausen's sheet instead.
Finn Bálor also finally scored his first win since jumping shows, and it looks like creative is keen on running it back with Finn vs. Punk at some point too. That'll be a glorified exhibition at best though, surely. Meh, at least it'll be a good match.
Not everything is clicking, of course. This Bloodline business remains a noose around everyone's necks whenever Roman Reigns isn't around, and some of the cast involved have been neutered to the point they're actually less over than they were before this faction was rebooted. That's not cool.
Here's all the good and bad.