5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (3 July - Results & Review)
1. Finn’s Jump Looks More And More Pointless
Cody welcomed Finn Bálor to SmackDown, as if being designated to a specific brand actually matters in this company. Then, Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga jumped Finn. Tama said he’s “closing the book on everything from [his] past”, and that Bálor is next. Tama’s previous New Japan-inspired storyline with Shinsuke Nakamura went nowhere, and there’s no reason to suspect this one will be any different. Also, is this honestly why WWE moved Finn from Raw to SmackDown?!
He could barely get on the show when it was 3 hours, and now he’s slumming it with the ex-MFT guys.
Things do not look promising for Bálor on Friday nights. He was moved over to SmackDown so he wouldn't need to collide with his old Judgment Day cohorts over on Raw, but all the Irishman has done since jumping is interact with more former JD members (Damian Priest and R-Truth), then this stuff with Tama and Talla. It's hardly inspiring a ton of confidence in the way he's going to be used for the rest of the year.
Sure, there's time for things to change, and everyone knows Finn will knock it out of the park with anything he's handed inside the ring, but character is key. There's limited juice to this story with the Tongas already. Part of the problem is that WWE consistently fails to add proper context to anything these dudes are talking about. Why should viewers have to dive into New Japan lore when the product they're watching could explain it?
What is this, AEW?!