5 Ups And 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 19)

Ups...

5. Every Semi Finalist Got To Talk In Opening Segment

Even though The Miz was needlessly buried during it, there were some positives to take away from the opening segment on Smackdown. There are 4 men still remaining in the tournament to crown a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. At Survivor Series, Dean Ambrose will face Kevin Owens in the Semi Finals, and Alberto Del Rio will collide with Roman Reigns. There's a decent chance that both babyfaces will advance to the Final, where Ambrose will square off with Reigns. That seems to be the most likely scenario, rather than Kevin Owens or Del Rio making it to the title bout. Even so, it's been heartening to see Owens placed in such a lofty position. Better yet, by virtue of the fact he and Del Rio hold the Intercontinental and United States Titles respectfully, there has been emphasis placed on those belts. It was great to see all 4 Semi Finalists given the opportunity to talk on Smackdown. This was simply storytelling from WWE, but it's entirely effective. Often, the promotion have a tendency to try and overthink the hype to big matches, but the tournament sells itself at this point. Giving every potential winner the chance to speak felt a little old-school, and it was welcome.