Why Smackdown LIVE Is Becoming the Better Show
An Interesting Roster
When the brand split night took place and I was sat at home watching I honestly feared for Smackdown LIVE. The longer the show went on the more I was forced to watch as Monday night RAW took some of the biggest and best names the WWE has to offer. With both brands clearly needing young fresh talent it was really difficult to sit back and watch RAW take some of the strongest NXT graduates of the past three years or so. The moment Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks, and Cesaro were all drafted to Monday night RAW I began to panic and I remember telling my mum who sat up to watch the brand split with me that the chances of me actually watching Smackdown live were very very slim. These three names, in particular, were superstars I was confident we would be seeing drafted to Smackdown LIVE. It made perfect sense and for most hardcore wrestling fans we all seemed to agree (for a change) that they all belonged on the Smackdown roster. I still to this day have no idea who on earth thought it was a good idea to put Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens on the same show. Sure Smackdown drafted some brilliant names but outside the likes of Dean Ambrose, John Cena, Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton there wasn't much there and I honestly did worry that very quickly it was becoming clear what show was the strongest and it wasn't Smackdown LIVE.However, I could not have been proven wrong anymore. I will admit that I would still like to have seen the names mentioned above up on the Smackdown LIVE roster but these guys have made it work one hundred and ten percent. The first big time feud we had on Smackdown saw Dolph Ziggler challenge Dean Ambrose for the WWE Wold Championship in what was a feud that showcased Smackdown LIVE to be the land of opportunity. Even before the brand split night general manager Daniel Bryan and commissioner Shane McMahon made it clear that they would be making Smackdown a place of opportunity. The home of the underdogs, the place where anyone and everyone could get a chance to prove themselves. This feud really showed that. Dolph Ziggler is a superstar who for years has gone underutilised and misused and in Smackdown LIVE's early days he was given an opportunity and he took it. It was the perfect storyline to kick start Smackdown LIVE. The roster also over recent months has continued to push this idea. We have seen the likes of Heath Slater, Baron Corbin and Alexa Bliss given huge opportunities that they may never have gotten before. We have also been able to see new and old faces join the roster. On the draft night we got to see NXT Superstars Mojo Rawley, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, and American Alpha all called up to the main roster and in recent months the likes of Curt Hawkins and Rhyno have also joined the Smackdown roster with the Headbangers making an appearance and more talent yet to arrive on the scene. While Monday night RAW does continue to grow also it's Smackdown LIVE giving us something new and putting a different bunch of superstars at the top.
Less is More
One of the biggest issues I had when the brand split was announced was the hours each show got. It was clear that Monday Night RAW would remain a three-hour show (meaning they already had to have the bigger roster) however Smackdown LIVE was only going to be aired as a two-hour show. At first, I really did believe this was going to work against Smackdown. I mentioned a number of times both here on my blog and over on twitter that I believed that the hour less would work against Smackdown LIVE. Again, I could not have been more wrong. I have no idea where my logic even came from in the first place considering I'm such a huge NXT fan and I know how well a one hour show works I should have a little more faith in the two hour Smackdown LIVE show. In my first Smackdown LIVE review I did talk about how I didn't like the fact that it had that one hour less but literally one week later my opinions had completely changed. Just like NXT Smackdown LIVE was able to turn things around and prove that less really is more. Once you take away that hour your able to get a show that isn't full of unnecessary matches, pointless segments, and promos, and filers no one wants to see. Every week I genuinely look forward to watching Smackdown LIVE because I know I'm not going to be wasting my time. We're sure to get something different every week and I'm given a reason to actually tune in. The show doesn't feel like a drag and altogether it makes a happier, more exciting and unpredictable weekly show.Slow and Steady Wins the Race
I remember when Smackdown LIVE kick started and I was literally it's the biggest critique. I had something to moan about when it came to everything. From the setup, to the way the women's division was booked to the limited number of championships the brand had to offer. However, unlike Monday night RAW where we were given everything all at once Smackdown LIVE took a slower root. Instead of giving us it all within the first week they made us wait as the brand spent time growing and proving its point allowing us to have something to actually look forward to and anticipate. Let's take the women's division as the first example. The first couple of weeks was a nightmare. The superstars had nothing to compete for, the matches were far from exciting and the introduction was weak and done completely wrong. Within weeks, however, everything had changed. Matches were stronger, characters were adapted and showcased far better and the girls were given something to actually compete for. This has been another theme of Smackdown LIVE, Slow and Steady wins the race. The introduction to the new Women's title and the new Smackdown LIVE Tag team championships wasn't put on us straight away and instead we had to wait for witch effectively allowed us as fans time to get used to the new characters and for the superstars to establish themselves and make an impact. We have also been left waiting for new faces to arrive and for old faces to make a return. Again, we weren't given it all all at once on the first night. There is still that feeling of so much more coming for Smackdown LIVE and it's that contributes as another factor that makes Smackdown LIVE the better show.Divisions Are Standing Out
The one problem I continue to have with Monday Night RAW is that feeling it has of the show being all about certain superstars. Despite having three hours week in and week out it feels like we are getting the same if not similar things every single week. The action we are seeing from the tag team and women's division is far weaker than it should be and this is something we just are seeing done better over on Smackdown LIVE. The divisions actually feel important and every week again it feels like they are just growing and getting stronger. There's a clear focus there and enough time and attention is being paid to both division. They have actually given us something to look forward to with the tag team tournament where it genuinely feels as though any of these tag teams could be in the finals at the Backlash pay per view. There's unpredictability, a series of stories from American Alpha trying to prove they are the alpha of the division, Heath Slater using the tournament to try and get a full time Smackdown LIVE contract, to the WWE teasing the Usos possibly turning heel and working a feud with American Alpha.The exact same could be said for the Women's division. They may not be getting their lengthy matches they deserve just yet but it defiantly does feel like that is the next step. So far we really have been able to see all the different characters in the division. You have seven completely different characters who all bring something different and they all being showcased every single week. The build up to the Backlash pay per view has been very strong for the women's division. One of the best decisions the brand has made so far is allowing all six women to compete to become the first ever Smackdown LIVE Women's Champion. There are women in this match that have been waiting years for their chance to become champion and the fact they all are being given such a big opportunity shows the different directions the brands have gone in. We have multiple stories going on in the division also with Carmella turning heel and her on going feud with Nikki Bella, Eva Marie and her character witch by the way I have found myself completely invested in, and we have Becky as the clear fan favourite along with the likes of Alexa Bliss and Naomi looking to make a statement. There's so much potential and with the division only set to grow Smackdown LIVE is becoming one of the best places for Women's Wrestling.
Talking Smack
I will admit that I have not been the most loyal viewer of Smackdown LIVE's after show Talking Smack but it has had such an overall impact on the show that it had to be included in this blog post
today. Recently I have been watching the show much more and paying far more attention and I advise that if you don't currently watch it to go and give it a watch! It's that little bit more that the show just needs to give it that push. If I'm being honest it was that epic Miz promo that grabbed my attention and made me actually want to start watching. The after show is hosted by Renee Young who every week will be joined by Daniel Bryan and/or Smackdown LIVE superstars and up and coming shows will be pushed more and feuds will develop and even kick start. It's another thing that had given Smackdown LIVE that touch of edge and reality.It doesn't feel like I'm watching this huge scripted show. Instead it's added entertainment where you get to here exclusive interviews and get to see where storyline's and feuds are heading. It's the perfect little addition to Smackdown LIVE and something I'm so glad they decided to actually do.
We also have to quickly touch on pay per views. With both brands now having presented their single brand only pay per views, we can now take a look at them both and see where each show is going wrong and which is the better and all round stronger of the two. Now, when you take a look at the cards for both shows RAW's Clash Of Champions looked very very strong with some serious must see matches that saw dream matches such as Keivn Owens VS Seth Rollins and that women's triple threat but by the end of the night and I mentioned in my review for the show it just didn't live up to Backlash. The card had three or four more matches on the card than Backlash and while I did feel as thought the fact there were less matches on the Backlash card was goignt to work against them it actually did the opposite. The main event for Backlash was much stronger thanks to having more time and while Clash of Champions felt like an episode of RAW Backlash actually did feel like a must see, special pay per view. The show flowed better and I didn't feel as though I was being bombarded with crazy storylines and loads and loads of wrestling that was boarderline too much.
We also have to quickly touch on pay per views. With both brands now having presented their single brand only pay per views, we can now take a look at them both and see where each show is going wrong and which is the better and all round stronger of the two. Now, when you take a look at the cards for both shows RAW's Clash Of Champions looked very very strong with some serious must see matches that saw dream matches such as Keivn Owens VS Seth Rollins and that women's triple threat but by the end of the night and I mentioned in my review for the show it just didn't live up to Backlash. The card had three or four more matches on the card than Backlash and while I did feel as thought the fact there were less matches on the Backlash card was goignt to work against them it actually did the opposite. The main event for Backlash was much stronger thanks to having more time and while Clash of Champions felt like an episode of RAW Backlash actually did feel like a must see, special pay per view. The show flowed better and I didn't feel as though I was being bombarded with crazy storylines and loads and loads of wrestling that was boarderline too much.
I am one of the many people that have been enjoying Smackdown LIVE far more than Monday Night RAW. I've tried not to say this today but it does have that same effect NXT has been having over the past three years or so. There's still that feeling of so much more left to come and the over all feel of the show is completely different. It runs smoother, it focuses more so on the wrestling and keeps to the same moto of NXT witch is less is more. The build up to Backlash has been very strong and I honestly cannot wait to sit back and watch that pay per view. Remember that on Monday I will be uploading my Backlash Review and Reactions so keep an eye out for that. For now you can let me know what you have been thinking of Smackdown LIVE by leaving a comment bellow or by tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.
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