11 Ups & 1 Down From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Oct 30)
2. A Simple Solution To A Tough Problem
Could WWE have possibly come up with a more acceptable Daniel Bryan substitute than Samoa Joe?
Yes, we've already seen this match several times in 2018, and no, it isn't quite as big a pay-per-view attraction as Styles vs. Bryan was, but WWE were in a difficult position. Their options were extremely limited and with the bulk of SmackDown's other top stars tied up in the World Cup, they had a tough choice on their hands.
Rusev isn't doing anything at the moment, but that's another repeat booking.
Andrade Almas? He's lucky to make TV most weeks, and barely has any heat, though it'd be an awesome match.
... Big Show? LOL.
WWE did the right thing. Joe's previous matches with Styles were the finest of AJ's lengthy title run, and while he's probably going to Saudi Arabia to lose, there's no reason to believe he won't do a stellar job again. As far as replacements go, this one makes all the sense in the world.