15 WWE SummerSlam 2018 Impulse Reactions
11. Floor Show
SmackDown Live!'s tag team division already suffers for its art.
The blue brand doubles league has been good enough over the past few years to fool Vince McMahon into thinking that tag team wrestling may again serve minimal purpose. To this end, the likes of The Bar, The Usos and these pairings were persistently programmed altogether on Tuesdays. But the rotation can result in over-familiarity.
What was the immediate solution for this problem, particularly when no finish was pitched? Do just about everything meaningful outside of the ring.
That's not to say the battle was a hardcore war, but virtually every major spot from the two sides occurred on the arena floor, heightening the impact on night one and saving lots of other major moments for the many, many rematches likely still to come.
Big E almost stole the headlines with his impressive Big Ending to Rowan next to the steel steps, but Xavier Woods again excelled, converting a standard flying elbow into one landing square on a downed ringside Harper. The disqualification finish felt a little cheap on the night, but there are richer contests ahead before this rivalry loses value.