5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 30)
WWE babyfaces are stupid; John Cena swoops in; Baron Corbin is a SmackDown highlight.
People would've erupted with laughter had anyone suggested that Baron bloody Corbin would be one of SmackDown's best characters when live crowds returned, but...he is.
The ex-'King' has lost his crown and is now mired in a sympathetic tale of misery. This week, Corbs jousted on the mic with John Cena to great effect, then opportunistically tried to force his way into the Universal Title scene. Normally, that'd be cause for alarm, but not these days - Baron is making the most of this new gimmick.
Elsewhere, Sasha Banks' return was a bit more of a mixed bag. Yes, it's great to see Banks back on SmackDown (the women's division really needed her), but WWE didn't have to make someone else look like an absolute idiot in the process. Sadly, they did, and that preceded one of the most obvious turns ever.
Anyone hoping for amazing matches would've been left disappointed though. Friday's show didn't have a lot of that. Instead, WWE focused on setting up the blue half of SummerSlam. The actual wrestling was secondary, which might not suit everyone.
Here are all the 'ups' and the 'downs'...