10 Things We Learned From WWE SmackDown Live! (May 2)
2. The King Of Pay-Per-View
Responses to Shinsuke Nakamura's SmackDown Live! arrival have been justifiably mixed, with some so-so Dolph Ziggler segments making little effort to protect the aura of 'King of Strong Style' ahead of what should be an excellent debut contest for the former NXT Champion.
However, the company have rebounded from that false start by smartly advertising Backlash almost entirely around Nakamura's maiden match.
Centring the pay-per-view advertisement solely around 'The Artist' even gave Dolph motivation to make an example of Sin Cara in a protracted squash and further reason for the two to collide beyond the woeful Michael Jackson tête-à-tête on last week's show.
The company would be best served to keep Shinsuke's presence limited between now and then, almost requesting that viewers politely forget his opening salvos in an effort to regain a wow-factor akin to the incredible response he received making his NXT debut in Dallas last year.
A lack of purpose since turning heel has grossly hindered Dolph Ziggler's trajectory, and his jealousy over Nakamura's favourable treatment may be the perfect catalyst for his own reset.
If permitted to score further wins over Tuesday night scrubs in a similar manner to his comfortable despatch of 'The International Sensation' in the build-up, Dolph may still gain fresh momentum following his inevitable pay-per-view loss.