5 things WWE got right on Smackdown Live this week-14 August 2018
This weeks episode of Smackdown Live was all about narrative building, and while that may slightly bore you after Raw produced an unforgettable final moment on Monday night, the blue brand took the steady road to Summerslam. While it would have been better if the superstars of Smackdown Live fired on all cylinders this week, its understandable from a bookers point of view to see why WWE took this conservative route.
However, for the first time in many weeks, Smackdown Live did not get everything right with its booking and matches, but the writers did get enough right to keep the blue brand's hot streak intact. Which lead to a great overall episode that built on past tensions, kept certain superstars in the limelight and elevated a programme above the rest. This is what Smackdown Live got right this week.
#1 The Smackdown Live Women's Title match reaches its peak
The Smackdown Live Women's Title match has been built up extremely well over the last few weeks, and this week it finally reached its peak. Opening the show, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Carmella had a war of words on what their match at Summerslam would mean to each one of them, and many important plot points were well defined in this opener.
The subplot of Becky's frustration of sitting in Charlotte's shadow was highlighted. The point that Charlotte is always the favorite to win in any match she is out in and the fact that Carmella is a 'diva' wrestling in an era she cannot keep up with.
Those points have given this match the definition it truly was working to build up in the last few weeks, as it is the underdog in Lynch taking on the favorite which is Charlotte taking on the diva centric wrestler Carmella. Good writing by WWE to give this match a backstory, a motive, and a definition.