7 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 14)

by Andy H Murray

1. WWE's Video Producers Deserve A Raise

When was the last time WWE's video production team served up a vignette or package that was less than a 7/10? They're routinely fantastic, and the group deserve all the credit in the world for once again proving themselves one of the company's biggest assets last night.

SmackDown delivered a comprehensive breakdown of the entire Miz vs. Daniel Bryan saga, starting with their mentor/student relationship on NXT eight years ago. From there, we took a trip through their respective roads to World Title glory, Daniel's forced retirement, then his instalment as General Manager, including the famous Talking Smack showdown. Finally, it was the road to SummerSlam 2018, highlighting Bryan's comeback, the revival of his bad blood with Miz, and all the incidents leading to Sunday's much-anticipated match.

A more detailed retrospective of a single WWE storyline you will not find. Though they didn't necessarily tell us anything new, the packages were immaculate, and one of the few things on the show that generated palpable SummerSlam excitement.

It's a shame that WWE don't take this long-form approach more often, as any storyline in the company could theoretically benefit from such treatment. Still, there was nothing to complain about here.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.