4 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 Nov - Results & Review)

Crown Jewel is in the rearview mirror, and it's full steam ahead to Survivor Series: WarGames then the John Cena Classic for WWE. This week's Raw set the scene for some of that, and SmackDown continued the theme of Cena stopping by to play recruitment coach as stars new and old fawned over him like he's Santa Claus.

There will be plenty more of this on WWE TV going forwards, and the same goes for SmackDown's announcers pretending that the women's WarGames match is some fiery battleground that needed to be settled in the double cage. Truthfully, it's a hollow gimmick bout add-on, and the Survivor Series lineup wouldn't miss it one bit if it wasn't there.

Oh well, so much for Triple H not booking to a calendar like Vince McMahon did before him.

Other choice cuts from the blue brand this week include some actual focus on the tag-team division (who knew that was possible?), Gunther and Finn Bálor headlining the episode, and the tasty prospect of Kevin Owens coming for reigning WWE Champ and "Last Real Good Guy" Sami Zayn soon enough.

All of that is welcome, and so is Tiffany Stratton reverting to her old NXT heel character now she's Women's Champion again. Despite losing everything she'd worked for over in Saudi Arabia, recent setbacks should be good for Chelsea Green too. Strong babyfaces need adversity to overcome, after all.

Here's all the good and bad from SmackDown then. The show burned through those 2 hours in jig time, which is a very positive sign overall.

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