2 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 15)

Jeff Jarrett returns; SmackDown's comedy sinks the show; WWE books a first-time-ever match.

New Day The Viking Raiders Jinder Mahal Shanky
WWE.com

SmackDown hasn't hit the '7 Downs' mark since a woeful 4 February episode, but here we are.

WWE's SummerSlam build is all over the place. The pay-per-view happens in just a few weeks, and the only match of any significant weight is Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns in a 'Last Man Standing' effort - neither of those big time stars were on this week's show either.

No, the heavy lifting was left to bad comedy skits, counterproductive presentation of a so-called "top babyface", another bait and switch, another match that didn't happen and a truly baffling special guest referee reveal for that upcoming Usos vs. Street Profits rematch.

On the positive side, Pat McAfee delivered yet again and WWE did book a first-time-ever match. That's not something fans are able to say when tuning into company TV very often, so it was welcomed. Even that couldn't offset all of the bad stuff though, sadly.

Let's just say this definitely wasn't a banner night for the blue brand. Fingers crossed it's a mere blip and the hype for SummerSlam takes a sizeable upswing next week.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood.