How SmackDown On Fox FINALLY Became WWE's A-Show

Indeed - or should that be inPEED (might as well shoot my shot while WWE are moving the desks around in HQ again) - SmackDown was another terrific show in a run of them, save for the stupidity at the beginning and, rather worryingly, what Braun Strowman was up to.

'The Monster Among Men' hasn't found his groove as Universal Champion in the manner his Raw equivalent has, and the constant comparisons with Drew McIntyre such as that one there aren't helping his cause. More's the pity too, because a SmackDown's quality creative came to him this week, rather than him bringing it himself.

WWE have gone full cartoon with Miz and Morrison's dual efforts to take the Champion down a peg or two and take his belt at Backlash, and while it's been serviceable silliness, it's not felt in keeping with the prestige they've tried to recapture with the Universal Title. What was good about the fairly routine go-home six-man featuring the title combatants, Dolph Ziggler and Heavy Machinery was the inclusion of the ancillary characters and their fresh new motivations.

Ziggler was glad to help the heels to get one last crack at Otis, whilst Tucker was thrilled to gain revenge for a pre-WrestleMania attack in a relatively high profile clash. The past was facing up to the future too - between her boyfriend and Braun, Mandy Rose also kept one eye on Strowman's title as the babyfaces celebrated the win. Tucker had given the Money In The Bank briefcase a similarly stretched stare earlier in the night too.

Characters! Characters with goals, ambitions, ideas and schemes! Characters with goals, ambitions, ideas and schemes that we the viewers are being permitted to be in front of so we can fully appreciate the payoff! What the fresh h*ll is this?

These are the new normal on SmackDown. Things happening right now in 2020, and on a fairly consistent basis. And there's evidence to suggest they're working.

CONT'D...