5 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (July 18)
2. The Tag Feud Cools Off
SmackDown made one of its most repetitive starts of the year last night, and once Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton were finished talking at each other, The New Day and Usos fought in yet another singles match. Jimmy Uso and Kofi Kingston stepped into the ring this time, and while the action was perfectly acceptable, the booking makes it hard to get psyched for the feud anymore.
New Day vs. Usos should’ve been a money program. They’re two of the best tag teams in the company, which, coupled with their clash of personalities, should’ve helped raise the bar for SD’s ailing division. Unfortunately, creative have done a terrible job of maintaining heat since the rap battle, and this was another unexciting contest.
On a technical level, the action was fine. Jimmy and Kofi are both solid wrestlers, and their work had no obvious flaws, with Uso picking up a much needed victory. Despite this, there was nothing to get excited about. There was a strong sense of “been there, done that,” to the match, and just like the WWE Championship feud, this storyline is now defined by its monotony.