6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 4)
WWE puts on another IC Title classic; Bray Wyatt almost loses it; The Bloodline...sucks?!
What an image that is.
The visual of a sneering, dominant GUNTHER looking down on underdog Rey Mysterio is the kind that has followed the latter throughout his iconic career. Nobody in pro wrestling works the 'big man vs. little man' dynamic better than Rey, and he proved that yet again on this week's episode of SmackDown.
WWE pre-taped Friday's show in St. Louis last week. That was done to give the roster breathing room before flying out to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel, but it didn't really hurt the overall quality of the two-hour lead-in for Saturday's pay-per-view. Spoilers be damned, this was an episode worth checking out if you like character development and killer wrestling.
The creative team managed to further Bray Wyatt's tortured guise, rehab Liv Morgan, continue the idea of a union between Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, and put on that dazzling IC Title main. Negatives shockingly came from The Bloodline (who really didn't need to be here) and a segment involving Braun Strowman, MVP and some enhancement workers.
Here's all the good and bad from WWE's final stop before Crown Jewel.