WWE SmackDown Live In Newcastle: 10 Things We Learned
Miz vs. Bryan highlights a fun night of action.
WWE's ongoing European tour rolled into Newcastle, England this Thursday (17 May), with the men and women of SmackDown coming together for a fun show before a boisterous crowd in the Metro Radio Arena.
There were some discrepancies between the billed card and what WWE actually delivered. Carmella and Charlotte Flair's Women's Title match was nixed in favour of an eight-woman tag, while the advertised AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Karl Anderson/Luke Gallows vs. The Bar bouts were merged. Nonetheless, WWE still delivered nine matches across the show's three hours, highlighted by a tremendous clash between perma-rivals The Miz and Daniel Bryan, with the main roster, NXT, and UK division all represented.
House shows aren't canon, but they're always fun, even if the focus is on the pantomime above all else. On top of this, WWE often use them as testing grounds for future storylines. A carefully booked live event usually offers several indications of where the company may be headed over the coming weeks and months, and this was no different.
Naturally, WhatCulture had a few bodies in attendance, so let's dive into the night's biggest takeaways...
10. The New Day Are Never Splitting Up
A SmackDown Tag Title Triple Threat between the Bludgeon Brothers, Usos, and New Day opened things up, and unsurprisingly, the Kingston/Woods/Big E trio scored one of the night's loudest pops.
From their customary self-introduction to E playfully slapping Jey Uso's backside with the Samoan trapped in an abdominal stretch, everything they did got a reaction. They're over as hell, particularly among younger fans, and their merchandise was everywhere. That they're still so popular four years into their run as a team speaks volumes to their endearing value as entertainers, and their crowd-pleasing antics were a perfect way to start a three-hour show.
It doesn't matter how "stale" or "repetitive" the gimmick becomes: these guys are one of the most marketable acts in the company. They're way too popular to go anywhere anytime soon, and if you're sick of The New Day, you're just going to have to live with it. ht their own strong support, but they were nowhere near as widely supported as The New Day, who'll be a spotlighted act for years to come.