10 Things We Learned From WWE SmackDown (April 18)
7. Dual Purpose
The 'Superstar Shake-up' created a rather convoluted set of circumstances for WWE to work through on pay-per-view, as the upcoming Network special became a muddled mess of matches between stars across both brands.
This was awkwardly apparent last week especially when Kevin Owens and Bray Wyatt switched shows despite their matches already being signed for the WrestleMania follow-up show Payback.
The company looked to rectify things on both broadcasts this week.
First, Chris Jericho announced that if he defeats Owens for the United States Title, he'll migrate to the blue brand. 'KO' blew that notion off in his response, obnoxiously looking forward to next contender AJ Styles, but the lingering doubt was thinly veiled enough to carry the programme to it's conclusion next week.
Furthermore, Bray Wyatt brought his kiddie-horror theatrics to both shows, threatening Orton on both with the still-unconfirmed dangers of his House of Horrors showdown with the new champion.
Dragging both angles across the brands has probably been trickier than WWE would have liked, but it has at least placed some gravitas on both flagging rivalries. It also pays tribute to the overall success of the Brand Extension that 'laws' of movement across shows have largely been obeyed since the July 2016 roll-out.