This Weeks Smackdown LIVE Takeaways

Following the dramatic event that was SummerSlam twenty eighteen fans were treated to a must-see and revealing episode of Smackdown LIVE just last night. From a return to Hell in a Cell announcements and a huge title change, this week the blue brand stepped up and ensured fans had every reason to tune into the show and have plenty to discuss. In today we are going to be diving into the first Smackdown LIVE following SummerSlam and look at some of the biggest takeaways from Tuesday’s show.

Brie Bella’s Return and Hell in a Cell

The Miz vs Daniel Bryan is without a doubt one of the most entertaining and best-told stories in the WWE right now. Their match at SummerSlam this past Sunday was a genuine highlight of the night that saw Maryse partially assist her husband in scoring one of the biggest victories of his career. Following the closing moments of that match, this week’s episode of Smackdown LIVE kickstarted with one damn strong promo from the Miz and Maryse which was soon interrupted by Daniel Bryan. Moments later the dreaded “Brie Mood” sound echoed through the arena as she ran down to the ring literally punching the Miz in the fact. Soon after it was announced a mixed tag team match between the two sets of husband and wife will take place at the Hell in a Cell pay per view. The segment was a very strong opening. Everyone involved did a fantastic job and I can’t fault anything. We also must give props to Maryse who after four months of giving birth is looking amazing and back working on WWE TV.

Becky Lynch’s Promo

The decision to have Becky Lynch work as the heel was an interesting move. As one of the biggest and most over superstars on the entire roster was very interesting and risky to place Lynch in this position. It's not very convincing, it doesn’t feel truly natural, and the crowd reaction Lynch picked up on both nights this week spoke volumes. However, with that being said, Becky’s in-ring promo this past Tuesday was simply brilliant. By far the best promo/mic work of her entire career, Lynch made herself and her rivalry with Charlotte Flair a standout of the night. She directly addressed the fans and was able to turn a positive reaction from them into a way to showcase her heel persona in a unique and convincing way.

Aiden English Proves a Point

On Sunday night Aiden English was instructed to not get involved or stand at ringside for the mixed tag team match between Lana and Rusev and Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega. With RuRu and Lana failing to score the victory the pair were given a rematch this past Tuesday and while the match was better than Sundays the focus really was on those final matches. Both teams were solid, worked amazingly well together, and provided a true entertaining contest that really did have fans invested. The closing moments did see assistance from Aiden English result in Rusev and Lana scoring their first victory over their rivals, but it also proved a big point. Aiden English really is one to watch amongst this storyline. He proved a major point in and seeing the role he plays in the coming weeks and how his relationship with Lana and Rusev develops will be interesting.

Totally Invested

Another standout feud over on Smackdown LIVE and in the WWE as a whole is, of course, AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe. Their intense rivalry is by far one of the most personal and intense and the brutal attack from Joe this past Tuesday put further emphasis on that. Joe has focused so strongly on the personal life of Styles involving his family and that was another major key point of their segment last night. This is exactly the type of storyline I have wanted to see from Styles and his reign as champion and there is no denying this is some of the best work he has done since arriving in the WWE. Joe is shining throughout this feud and I genuinely cannot wait to see it develop more in the coming weeks.

Five Time

This week's Smackdown LIVE main event was sure one to watch. As I noted in my SummerSlam review, the tag team match between the New Day and the Bludgeon brothers is one with huge potential as the two teams sit as some of the best in tag team wrestling worldwide. Their main event matches up for the titles last night easily proved that very point but also highlighting the fact that the main roster can do tag team work just as strong as NXT, all they need is more time and effort put in by the backstage officials. The result did see the New Day take the win and become five-time tag team champions which while surprised me a little was very well received. Harper and Rowan most certainly deserved a better and strong run as champions, but this match as a whole was truly fantastic, both teams looked brilliant and the New Day really did deserve that big victory.

Overall, both RAW and Smackdown LIVE this week were strong shows. We genuinely had plenty to do and it became extremely evident that SummerSlam has left huge changes In the WWE for the better. As always, I would love to know what you thought of the past week in the wrestling world so feel free to leave a comment below or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria

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