5 things WWE did right on tonight's SmackDown Live
With the show of shows less than a month away, WWE is firing on all cylinders in regards to the build-up to Mania. After Kofi's back to back thrilling performances in the gauntlet match and inside the Elimination Chamber last month, he ran the gauntlet again on tonight's show.
After witnessing a head-scratching decision on Monday Night Raw in the form of Angle's Mania opponent, let's look into 5 things WWE ended up doing right tonight.
#5 The Miz might work well as a babyface
As previously announced on WWE's official website, The Miz addressed Shane McMahon's actions at Fastlane and his challenge for The A-lister at WrestleMania.
He went on to state how Shane was just like his father: A conniving, vile and disgusting human being. Mike was destined to flip burgers, but scratched and clawed to reach where he is.
At the end of The Miz's address, a "you deserve it" chant broke out and the challenge was accepted! Judging by the crowd reaction, it's clear that The Miz can pull off the babyface persona. It would be interesting to see these two face off against each other at WrestleMania, with the roles having been completely reversed.
#4 SmackDown women get into the mix
The Iiconics came out and began belittling Sasha Banks and Bayley, mocking them for going back to NXT. A tag team match followed with the SmackDown duo managing to stand tall at the end of the bout.
This win hints that the Women's tag team match at WrestleMania might turn into a tag team open, with the SmackDown women coming into the mix. With three teams from the red brand already being rumored to compete in the match, we might get more additions from the blue side as Mania approaches.
#3 Bryan's story comes full circle
Back in 2014, Daniel Bryan's Yes Movement resulted in tons of mainstream attention for WWE, followed by him winning the WWE World Heavyweight title in the main event of WrestleMania 30.
Bryan spent the entirety of the build-up to Mania, being called a B+ player by The Authority. This was the perfect recipe for one of the biggest underdog stories of all time, with Bryan getting the kind of reactions Superstars like Austin and The Rock got in their heydays.
Bryan came out before Kofi's match tonight and berated him, labelling Kofi as a B+ player at best. Bryan is on the other end of the stick this time and is nailing the role of a dastardly heel to perfection.
Also read: 3 reasons Drew McIntyre interrupted Lesnar on Raw