5 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (4 Oct - Results & Review)
AJ Styles returns; WWE's road to Bad Blood has dumpsters and ladders.
It didn't make the cut because it was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it teaser, but there's a solid chance that vignette on SmackDown was hype for Motor City Machine Guns duo Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. If so (most online are 99.9% certain), then the ex-TNA tandem will add a ton to the blue brand's doubles division.
Reigning champs Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa will be watching. They ended the episode as champs following a typically spot-heavy ladder bout vs. The Street Profits and DIY. It was a wild ride, and the kind MCMG would love to be part of. Soon, gentlemen. Soon. First up, R-KO will presumably get the title nod.
Friday's SmackDown was akin to a two-hour Kickoff for Bad Blood. There were several hype packages, most of the biggest stars were absent, and WWE put on a flurry of entertaining enough attractions featuring those who didn't make the PLE cut. That's fair enough, but it would've been lovely to see Triple H bless Nashville with a bit more star power.
They did get the return of AJ Styles, in fairness. Keeping an eye on his developing worked health issues should be interesting.
Here's all the good and bad!