7 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Aug 14)

Heel Braun is incoming?

by Jamie Kennedy
Braun Strowman Alexa Bliss
WWE.com

WWE got a lot of little things right on this week's SmackDown.

That's good, because they got a lot of little things wrong on last week's show, and it hurt the overall flow of the broadcast. The latest blue brand effort had some stutters itself, but only one of them could really be harmful long-term. It is worth saying that WWE should be careful how many "current events" they mix into storylines though.

Friday featured a welcome return that'll help the tag-team scene, some more SummerSlam developments on the female side of things, and a massive tease that one goofy, fun-loving Universal Champion could be about to return to his heelish best. WWE also found enough time to let a newborn singles babyface put his run into context.

If you were looking for sh*t-kicking in-ring action, then SmackDown wasn't the show for you. However, if you're happy enough to hear that things are heading in the right direction storyline/character wise, then read on to find out how WWE managed to pull the nose up right before booking two pay-per-views in one week...

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Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.