4 things WWE got right on Smackdown Live( 12 June 2018)
Gone are the days of labeling Smackdown Live as the "B show" of the company as the quality of their matches, the elite level of their superstars and the potential of their storytelling far supersedes Raw in almost every aspect.
It is apparent by the astounding difference the in quality of Raw and Smackdown Live every passing week that WWE is certainly putting more effort into building up the blue brand as formidable show in the company, and on this week’s edition of Smackdown Live the creative team once again accomplished their goal.
The blue brand's contribution to the build to the 2018 Money in the Bank pay-per-view was pleasantly more energetic, more exciting and more fun than anything WWE attempted on Monday Night Raw.
Therefore, the question that now stands is, did the go home episode of Smackdown Live get fans excited for Money in the Bank?
The simple answer is it did, as the creative team booked great matches that kept fans interested throughout the entire two-hour runtime, even if there were a few hiccups here and there.
#1 A great match card
.One of the biggest positives from the 2018 superstar shakeup was the sight of witnessing marquee talent such as Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, and Asuka all move to the "land of opportunity," as every week Smackdown finds new ways to pit every one of these superstars against each other.
This week on Smackdown Live fans witnessed three marquee matches, which were Samoa Joe vs. Rusev, Daniel Bryan vs. Shelton Benjamin, Jeff Hardy vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and all those matches excelled at the story it was trying to tell.
Rusev vs. Joe was a hard-hitting affair that highlighted how agile both big men are, Bryan vs. Benjamin was a few minutes away from becoming a technical masterpiece, and Nakamura vs. Hardy was a dream match that featured some daring offense from two high octane wrestlers.
Even though these wrestlers never elevate these matches to the next level, as it is a made for TV bout, it is refreshing to witness new matches every week that keep the brand fresh and roster active.