4 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Aug 21)
ThunderDome > Performance Center.
Last week's SmackDown was notable for WWE's attention to detail on a lot of smaller elements, but the latest episode was a bit different. It was more preoccupied with two things: SummerSlam's final tweaks and literally distracting viewers with flashing lights.
Did it work? Well, at a glance, yes.
Watching SmackDown inside the Amway Cent...sorry, ThunderDome was a better experience overall than it has been since WWE locked themselves away in the claustrophobic confines of the Performance Center earlier this year. They were able to flex their creative muscles when it came to presentation, and the result was typical WWE sparkle - they do this sort of thing very well.
Beneath all those LED boards though, some familiar problems cropped up. The promotion seem incapable of adding context before major moments on the undercard, and they've totally wasted one of the most promising title reigns in years.
On the plus side, a much-anticipated match has been propelled into view, and the Universal Title scene could be about to see vast improvements if SummerSlam ends the way it should. Fingers crossed for that one...