Last night we caught a glimpse of WWE at its self-indulgent, derivative worst. And as a devout fan of SmackDown Live, I don’t say that lightly.
In a move ripped straight from WWE’s glory days, Vince ‘the age of authority figures is over’ McMahon trotted out at the top of the show to announce that Kofi was an undeserving challenger and that he would be replaced in the Fastlane main event by a returning Kevin Owens. And by “WWE’s glory days”, naturally I mean two weeks ago when they did the exact same thing to Becky Lynch.
Now of course the possibility remains that Kofi could still get his shot at Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania, which is undoubtedly a bigger stage better suited for the feel-good babyface victory. But in today’s climate it’s so critical to capture lightning in a bottle when given the chance. At a time when fan support can be fleeting, it’s crucial to capatilize when wrestlers are at their peak. Drag out this underdog tale too long and you risk letting all that electricity dissipate.
The obvious truth is that as much as we love seeing Kofi in the WWE Championship frame now, three weeks ago he was little more than a likeable member of an entertaining stable. And the risk is his star could easily fade if WWE fails to follow through on this push. Just like Rusev, EC3, Bobby Roode, Lashley, Bálor, Nakamura, Braun Strowman and countless others who may have seen their best days in WWE pass them by.
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With that said, you don’t have to be a genius to figure out where this is heading. In fact, it probably makes more sense if you aren’t. A McMahon family civil war.
Yaaaaaayyy.
Vince has seemingly made a habit recently of undermining his children and Triple H, ruthlessly doling out suspensions, threatening imprisonment and unilaterally changing main events. These rash decisions have not only showed up his family members, but have already led to some dire consequences. Becky Lynch was arrested, Ronda Rousey has vacated the Raw Women’s Championship and the SmackDown audience feel cheated over Kofi’s Fastlane removal. One would expect this to boil over at some point in the near future, most likely over the Raw Women’s title picture which appears certain to main event WrestleMania.
None of this overly excites me, but I’m willing to see it out. Perhaps I’ll be pleasantly surprised. One thing I can’t forgive however was the manner in which SmackDown’s announcers covered Kofi’s removal from the Fastlane match. Aside from the usual back-and-forth over whether Kofi’s eleven-year tenure made him deserving of a title shot, Tom Phillips had one puzzling line.
“Kofi is a professional. Many other Superstars would have quit. They would have hopped on social media and griped, but Kofi’s in here fighting.“
Was that a shot at the much publicised dissatisfied talent on the roster, many of whom were recently released? If so, that’s pretty low.
Perhaps by the time WresleMania rolls around, this will all be a distant memory. Only time will tell. In the interim, I only hope that Vince’s increasing interference leads to something rewarding. Let’s get to the good from last night’s episode.
What was your favourite moment from SmackDown Live?
Dylan Kapisky
R-Truth. Everything R-Truth did on this show was absolute gold. From suggesting he grew up idolizing John Cena (despite being older than him), to defeating Andrade and Rey Mysterio in the same match, the current US Champion was incredible last night.
In fact, since joining forces with Carmella in late-2018, Truth has been a consistent highlight of WWE programming, despite being in the twilight of his career. He’s funnier than he’s ever been, and wrestling with all of the athleticism of a man half his age. And last night was no different.
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Nicholas Holicki
Despite my criticisms of how we got there, I was still glad to see Kevin Owens and his new tattoos – and new finisher – back in a WWE ring. Since being written off TV following a brutal beating by Bobby Lashley in October last year (which in reality allowed Owens to undergo double knee surgery), I must admit that I’ve missed the pompous Canadian.
But now he’s back, in the title picture for Fastlane and has made the jump to the blue brand. As if SmackDown needed another star to bolster its ranks.
Kyle Payne
What an excellent show from start to finish. We had great wrestling, storyline progression, and unexpected but welcome twists. Having Kingston replaced with Owens was perfect because it gives us the WrestleMania match we’ve been wanting and gives Bryan someone to face at Fastlane in the meantime. It’s unfortunate it had to be Owens, as the fans may struggle to accept him since he’s being treated as a babyface. But it’s nevertheless great to have him back.
The highlight of the show was definitely the triple threat match between R-Truth, Mysterio and Andrade. What a fast-paced and action-packed match with great spots. Hopefully we can see this match again on a grander stage – perhaps at Fastlane. The tag match between Ricochet & Black and Nakamura & Rusev was also good and made me realise I’d like to see Nakamura feud with Black sometime in the future.
Mind games, you say? @WWEAleister knows a thing or two about them. #SDLive @ShinsukeN pic.twitter.com/kY1U0hX3dG
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) February 27, 2019
Nate Craver
The Kofi reaction at the opening of the show. The crowd was hot for Kofi. New Day wasn’t over-the-top cheesy, but played the line of goofy and enjoyable perfectly. He also cut an awesome promo. Seems like maybe Kofi is in line to get his title shot at WrestleMania instead of Fastlane. I think that’s a good thing. I’m still guessing he winds up in a multi-man match. Either way, Kofi is making the most of his chances.
What was the worst part of last night’s episode?
Dylan Kapisky
Control-C, Control-V, AHA! I’ll admit, I’m reaching here, y’all. This was a damn fine episode of SmackDown Live, with very few obvious flaws. Therefore, my “worst segment” is merely a small issue, from a fraction of a segment. While all of the parts were played right, Vince McMahon replacing Kofi Kingston with a hand-chosen opponent is a direct copy of the storyline between Becky, Ronda, and Charlotte. That’s a bad thing. Moving on.
Nicholas Holicki
The absence of both Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa from another live broadcast. After a fairly nonsensical pairing of the two last week, their role was reduced to a meaningless backstage cameo on Monday and complete anonymity last night. This despite Gargano having being announced to face Cesaro over the weekend.
Now, the suggestion is that this is being done for storyline reasons, as Gargano and Ciampa have a complicated relationship on NXT which wasn’t being translated to the main roster. But surely there must be some way of having both guys on SmackDown without completely invalidating everything they do in developmental. It’s been one week since their main roster call-up and we’ve seen them go from being booked badly to not being booked at all. It’s disappointing.
Kyle Payne
For me it was certain pinfalls. I don’t think that Nakamura and Rusev should have taken the loss so soon in their tag team venture – not that I think they should even be teaming at all, but here we are. I also don’t think Bryan should have taken the pinfall again. While I understand they are trying to build up Owens, they didn’t have to do it this way. Rowan should have taken the fall.
Are ya nasties on your best behavior? #SDLive @LaceyEvansWWE pic.twitter.com/IfPtfel1Jj
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) February 27, 2019
Nate Craver
Lacey Evans. I really don’t get how this is getting her over. It makes no sense. Maybe the fact that we’re talking about her is a good thing, but I don’t see it. I don’t think this is doing her any favors.
How would you rate the show overall? (From best to worst: SmackDamn, SmackTastic, Smack Bang in the Middle, SmackDowner and A Smack in the Face)
Dylan Kapisky
SmackDamn! What a week for WWE television. Raw was a chaotic and emotional affair, while SmackDown delivered in just about every segment. We had R-Truth’s comedy, Kevin Owens returning, Matt Hardy returning, and even a contract signing that didn’t end with a table being broken in half! Incredible show from top to bottom.
Nicholas Holicki
While I hated the opening segment which – once again – revolved around McMahon family shenanigans, I’m willing to hold off on making a final judgment until this storyline resolves itself.
That said, aside from Kevin Owens’ return, SmackDown was marked by an glaring absence of any talking points. Especially when contrasted against the madness that was Monday’s buzz-worthy Raw. There were some decent matches, an amusing R-Truth segment, and more of Charlotte just being Charlotte. But none of it felt particularly inspired. (Plus that awful, awful Ricochet and Aleister Black promo.)
So, in that vein, I have to score last night a Smack Bang in the Middle.
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Kyle Payne
SmackTastic once again! If you’re the viewer who only enjoys watching the wrestling part, you’ll be happy. If you like storyline progression, you’ll be happy. Seriously, it was a great show. Tag team matches were aplenty and all good with their own strengths. The triple threat match was the highlight for me with every member of the match having ample time to shine and the finish was the right one.
It’s nice to see Truth get this respect from the company and the opportunity to shine. Matt’s return was a welcome surprise and he looked good teaming with his brother once again. Owens’ return was also great and the seeds being planted for Bryan vs. Kofi and Orton vs. Styles for WrestleMania is very, very exciting.
The show wasn’t perfect with some questionable finishes in my opinion and Asuka once again has been overshadowed by Rousey. That’s upsetting.
Nate Craver
SmackTastic. We got the return of the Hardys in North Carolina. We got a great triple threat with an unexpected answer to an open challenge. It looks like WWE is not going to keep pushing DIY on the main roster as a tag team. There was a good main event with a Stone Cold Stunner. Kevin OWENS is back. While I don’t like the Kofi angle short term, it might be better long term for WrestleMania.
PROCURE. pic.twitter.com/1UGy5dalAf
— MATT HARDY (@MATTHARDYBRAND) February 27, 2019
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