5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (22 May - Results & Review)
Sami Zayn won't help Cody Rhodes; Blake Monroe's mediocre debut; Melo and Trick produce scorcher.
There were real shoots of recovery on SmackDown's midcard this past Friday night. The women's division as a whole went up a notch, and a fantastic clash between old NXT running buddies turned rivals also handed a blue brand newbie some purpose as a villain. On top of that, the program served up a cracking main event and post-match angle.
Sadly, the 3 hour format is proving troublesome to SmackDown's writers, and there's definitely something to be said for moving things along a bit storytelling-wise in WWE generally. Triple H seems to like taking his time with plot lines, but there's a difference between pacing and just drip-feeding some boring reveals/moments that ultimately feel inconsequential.
Speaking of which, an undercard plot appears to have been abandoned following months of teasing. That'll make it more difficult for some fans to get invested when the announcers try to sell something as compelling. After all, if you don't get rewarded for that intrigue, then why bother paying attention to what's going on?
There's also the not so small matter of Blake Monroe's much-anticipated main roster debut. If this is all Hunter and gang have in mind for the one-time Mariah May, then she might be tempted to ring up Tony Khan and see if he has anything going. Maybe not, but this introduction really was a slap in the face - especially if WWE claim Monroe is going to be a major player. Fatal Influence, this was not.
Back on the plus side, the woman Blake shared screen time with looks like she's heading for something meaningful. Chelsea Green can do it all.
Here's every single bit of good and bad from Friday's last hurdle before SNME!