7 Problems Plaguing WWE SmackDown Right Now

If you had a drinking game wherein you took a shot everytime Shane McMahon or some other member of the SmackDown roster said “Land of Opportunity,” you’d likely get blackout drunk by the second hour.

It’s the blue brand’s motto; their identity. On a show that was initially lacking in star power compared to RAW, it was a phrase used by Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon to indicate that spots were open for new or underutilized talent to take. From Heath Slater to Carmella, people who otherwise would have been ignored or mistreated before the brand split were given the chance to show their talents on the land of opportunity that was SmackDown.

However, not only is “The Land of Opportunity” overused as a phrase, it’s also been responsible for people who have no business having prominent spots getting them. Why is Jinder the WWE Champion? Because Land of Opportunity. Why did Alexa Bliss win the Women’s Championship before Becky Lynch really had a chance to have a good run? Because Land of Opportunity. Why did James Ellsworth dominate several weeks of TV? Because Land of Opportunity.

At some point, the philosophy has crossed the line from giving the rub to up-and-comers into just making illogical pushes for no adequate reason. It’s great that people such as Jinder Mahal and James Ellsworth have been able to achieve high-profile runs, something that might not have been possible. But when there are so many talented in-ring workers and dynamic personalities who are languishing in the undercard, it becomes debatable if “The Land of Opportunity” is the right philosophy.

SmackDown should embrace one that rewards actual merit. Instead of shocking viewers with out-of-nowhere pushes, it should gradually build up people it sees talent and potential in, and move organically from there. SmackDown absolutely has top-tier talent with the potential impactful stories.

But right now, they seem preoccupied with creating moments that only have impact in a vacuum, hence Mahal’s out-of-nowhere main event run. At this point, “The Land of Opportunity” is not SmackDown’s credo for the exposure of new talent, but a half-arsed excused for WWE’s lazy writing, and the show would benefit from getting some distance from it.