10 Things We Learned From WWE SmackDown In The UK (May 9)
2. The New Day
Exhibiting the patience the show continues to have with re-introducing old Monday Night Raw favourites, a new teaser aired for the imminent arrival of the longest reigning tag team champions in company history. It was the was best one so far.
Showing synergy with all the traditional New Day iconography as well as Xavier Woods' phenomenally successful UpUpDownDown side project, the skit opened on a retro screen loading up 'SmackDown Live! The Arcade Game'.
Viewed through first person, the player scrolls through the brand's entire tag division, but elects to ignore nearly all the tandems at the behest of the machine's abrasive 'BOOTY!' interruption for lingering too long over their 8-bit images.
Inevitably, the player arrives at The New Day, leading to the scene of Woods, Big E and Kofi joyously riding a unicorn over a rainbow and dancing down a yellow brick road all the way to SmackDown Live!
As with Lana's careful reconfiguration, the vignettes have been supremely helpful in reestablishing an aura for the characters that had been missing for months on the bloated flagship show.
A grand mix of the team's ability to simultaneously crack a smile and pose a threat, the condescending skit immediately positioned them as top dogs in their new yard.