5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (14 Aug - Results & Review)

1. WWE Title Foes Take A Step Back

Last week, CM Punk and Kevin Owens kicked off their feud with an intense face to face that had to be broken up by security. Here, not so much. The warring pair meandered through some choppy dialogue about an ROH confrontation 20 years ago, then traded insults about who got speared worse than the other during big matches vs. Goldberg and Roman Reigns. KO even said he’s “still the same fat indie loser” he was back then.

That…maybe wasn’t the best thing to say.

This was reminiscent of Punk’s promo opposite Eddie Kingston in AEW, but it didn’t land in front of WWE’s crowd the same way. Personally, this fan often feels like WWE needs to give more context, because a lot of the ‘this happened ages ago on the independent scene or in Japan’ stuff just doesn’t cut it with their audience. Tony Khan has that luxury because he operates in front of a smaller hardcore fan culture.

Also, Punk and Owens needed to be stopped from fighting last week but not here? The violence and drama is supposed to escalate, not scale back, so it didn't work that they barely even looked like coming to blows on Friday. The live crowd seemed ready to see some punches at least, but they'd never come.

Honestly? You called me fat and didn't like me wrestling in a t-shirt on the independents 2 decades ago is not a strong enough crutch to lean on. There must be more if this rivalry is going to experience lift off and become more than a 'B' level distraction for Punk between more major issues. That'd be a waste of KO's comeback too, so fingers crossed next week's match is killer.