2 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 13)
Why hype SmackDown when you can hype Raw...on SmackDown?
Remember the WWE Draft?
It happened only last month, and was advertised as another "shake up" for Raw and SmackDown. Some stars would switch brands, others would remain, but the rosters would be locked in for another 12 months or so at least. There was just one slight issue with that: Survivor Series.
WWE knew they'd have to promote multiple 'us vs. them' scenarios, and that meant there'd be some cross-brand bleed over. That's why Raw's Drew McIntyre showed up on a rival show this week, but it doesn't explain why the company spent two hours making SmackDown more like Sunday Night Heat than a true alternative.
This wasn't a banner week for the blue team. Yes, Roman Reigns and Jey Uso is still kick ass, and sure, a few of the matches were fun, but man...the sudden title shots (booked without any attempt at context), frantic reset button presses on certain characters, ongoing Team SmackDown fluff and "Brand-To-Brand Invitational" stuff made this a tough watch.
23 November can't come soon enough. This time of year does nothing but spin its wheels...