6 Ups & 1 Down From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (June 27)
Squashes, rematches, and a fired up Viper highlight a successful show.
SmackDown hit the air last night with the intention of drawing a line under the Money In The Bank controversy once and for all. James Ellsworth was banned from ringside, giving the brand's women the chance to determine a fair and just briefcase holder on merit alone, and while their 'historic moment' has already been lost, the rematch delivered.
Ellsworth found a way to get involved, but he wasn't the deciding factor this time, and that's what's important. Carmella, Natalya, Tamina, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte stole the show in the main event, and with Naomi putting in a commanding performance against Lana in the evening's second PPV rematch, last night belonged to the women.
Outside the division, Baron Corbin and Sami Zayn wrote another entertaining chapter in their ongoing feud, The Usos overcame The Hype Bros, and Fashion Vice continued, as the "who attacked Tyler Breeze?" saga rumbles on. It was a strong show across the board, and SmackDown's strongest since WrestleMania 33, with little in the way of major complaints.
Has the blue brand escaped its recent slump? It's still too early to say, but last night was another definitive step forward. Let's take a look at the segments that raised the bar, and the one that held it down...