Best and Worst of SmackDown Live: 16 May, 2017
Nothing in this show was really awful, truth be told. However, did it succeed in its objective to get us excited for Backlash, this weekend? No, it did not. Which makes it just another ho-hum episode of SmackDown Live.
After scoring the lowest ratings of the previous year, last week, we had assumed that SmackDown Live would pull out all the stops to make this episode a memorable one. Unfortunately, while they did try, this was not to be.
Let's go to the scene of the crime- Manchester, New Hampshire and analyse what worked and what didn’t, on this week’s blue brand showcase. Read on, guys.
#1 Worst: Where was Rusev?
What kind of potential Number 1 challenger is Rusev if he only keeps making empty threats to his boss- Shane McMahon?
In last week’s episode, he promised to return to SmackDown and confront Shane McMahon, demanding why his request to become Number 1 contender for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank was not being heeded by the commissioner? In many ways, this was the angle we were looking forward to the most.
Not only did Rusev not show up at the show, he ended up looking weak in the process...as a man who just makes empty promises and is not meant to be taken seriously at all.