7 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (July 9)

WWE tease a mega-match; Bayley gets replaced; NXT stars debut on SmackDown.

by Jamie Kennedy
The Usos Roman Reigns Paul Heyman
WWE.com

Last week's SmackDown was a stirring return to form for the blue brand.

Want some more good news? WWE went one step better on the latest episode by delivering fun debuts, another cracker between old rivals and a closing brawl that was both intense and layered with pay-per-view build. The upshot is that SmackDown continues simmering away nicely just in time for screaming live crowds to return.

People are in for a treat with some of these shows. Unlike Raw, which continues to drag its feet every Monday night, SmackDown is ready for those fans. Beyond main event brilliance, there's enough going on in the undercard to make everything seem worthwhile too, and that's a real credit to those putting the Friday night product together.

Bayley won't be around to see some of the coming fun, sadly - she announced a nine month layoff, and that opened the door for Bianca Belair's new challenger. It also leaves space for some fresh faces to make an impact, which isn't exactly a bad thing.

Here are all the 'Ups' and 'Downs' from another solid two hours.

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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.