4 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (2 Aug - Results & Review)
Downs...
3. Ye Olde Losing Streak Gimmick
Listen, Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes is always going to be the kind of combo that's solid in-ring, but their entire feud is kitten p*ss weak. Promos between the pair have been stilted, and it's impossible to shrug off the idea they're warring over who was less of a loser at MITB. That's old news at this point, so why is this still going on?
WWE is also doing a damn fine job of making Hayes look like less of a big deal than he was on NXT. It's a strange choice to have him lose so many matches, especially when he's gone from staring at the lights for top-liners like Cody Rhodes to doing the same vs. Andrade.
It's cool to see 'El Idolo' score some wins and all, but this little rivalry he's locked into hasn't been very exciting. Actually, this whole thing comes across as more of an AEW situation - matches for the sake of matches kinda vibes. Tony Khan must be rubbing his knees watching this unfold.
Sorry for the visual.