5 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Mar 21)
In which Maryse plays a better Nikki Bella than Nikki Bella.
While Raw continues hitting potholes on the Road to WrestleMania, SmackDown is chugging along at a steady pace. The blue brand has had its missteps, but last night was another enjoyable show ahead of the year's biggest event, and while many of SD's Mania bookings aren't particularly inspiring, the writers are putting considerable effort into their progression.
Just like last week, Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles dominated proceedings. Nobody's face was thrown through a car window, but the duo book-ended the show, with Shane pulling-off a daring announce table elbow drop to end the broadcast. It was a huge moment, a complete turnaround from last week, and further proof that these men are going to try to kill each other in Orlando.
The Miz and Maryse starred in a set of Total Bellas parody segments throughout the evening, while Bray Wyatt finally took control of his rivalry with Randy Orton. We got a big Tag Team Title bout between American Alpha and The Usos and quickfire action in the women's division, and while not as wildly inconsistent as last week's show, SD still had its peaks and valleys.
Let's look at the segments that hit the mark, and those that fell short...