7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 17)
1. The Authority?
What the f*ck was this?
Adam Pearce, the guy who confronted Sasha Banks and Bayley in the doctor's office to tell them some bad news, has literally been presented as someone who breaks up brawls on TV every now and then. He has never once been presented as a character capable of making matches or with any authority at all.
He's an agent, the kind of guy who tells heels to calm down when they're ripping babyfaces to shreds or threatening to put someone through the announce table. It's absolutely random that he was suddenly thrust into power on SmackDown and forcing Bayley to wrestle Lacey Evans in Sasha's stead.
Worse, Cole called Pearce a "WWE official" on commentary and even thanked him for making the match happen. Eh!? Are viewers supposed to believe that Adam is the guy behind all the decisions on Friday nights, or was this a one-off?