6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (June 19)
.....RUN!
This is the second week in a row that SmackDown has had three times as many 'Ups' as it did 'Downs', and that's a major positive for WWE.
Friday's episode featured a colossal (if ill-timed) debut that'll shake up the upper midcard scene, some seriously good duelling promos that will set up a couple of nifty pay-per-view matches and some really, really good pro wrestling action. Nobody can ask any more of a two-hour weekly than that.
The only serious downside came by way of familiar storytelling struggles with one of the brand's biggest rivalries; Jeff Hardy and Sheamus are let down by comedic flourishes WWE cannot resist, but they also need to be careful of their own wording. They have the power to make this angle better.
SmackDown was great overall though. It motored along at a nice pace, didn't linger too long on some of the lesser stories/feuds and left everyone guessing with the conclusion. Honestly, the future is almost as bright as Bray Wyatt's Hawaiian shirts.
Or that lantern he carries about. Before he blew it out, of course...