6 Ups And 7 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Nov 22)
Downs...
7. The Coldest Of Opens
Such is the very, very low expectations of their usual weekly product that you have to give WWE a modicum of credit whenever they do something outside their typical template. For example, SmackDown's rarely seen cold opening this week.
Unfortunately, as formatically interesting as it was, it also happened to be complete tosh. The segment, which saw the entire blue brand locker room horsing around like kids during playtime before they were corralled into obedience by a Roman Reigns address, was patently ridiculous. Are we to believe this sort of tomfoolery is commonplace behind the SmackDown curtain when rivals haven't been thrust together under the banner of conflict, or was the whole skit a tongue-in-cheek commentary on WWE's reported backstage malaise?
It was neither, but an entirely thoughtless shortcut to reflect the circumstances. And it even ended with Ali literally opening SmackDown's 'door', as if the physical gate itself was the only impediment to invasion.