WWE SmackDown results: Daniel Bryan, Kane and Nakamura impress but blood brand needs a reboot

The name of the picture



EXTREME Rules is just days away, so it was up to the superstars of SmackDown LIVE to crank up the excitement ahead of the big show.


Did the blue brand get extreme? Or just extremely dull? Here are five things we learnt from last night’s SmackDown.



 Daniel Bryan was at his high-flying best on SmackDown


Daniel Bryan was at his high-flying best on SmackDown

Team Hell No and The New Day rocks together


Things started with The Miz interviewing Daniel Bryan and Kane – another chance for Miz and Bryan to squabble and add more fuel to the fire of their impending feud.


But it was cut short when The Bludgeon Bros and nutty trio SAnitY arrived for a beat-down  - prompting The New Day to run out for fun 5-on-5 brawl.



As is standard, the teams joined forces later in the night for a 10-man tag team match.



 Daniel Bryan hit Eric Young with a running knee for the win


Daniel Bryan hit Eric Young with a running knee for the win

Bryan hit Eric Young with a running knee for the win.


(Amusingly, Young was Impact Wrestling’s bargain basket version of Bryan when the rival promotion ripped off the Bryan v Authority storyline in 2014.)


SAnitY are starting to look like the Riott Squad of the men’s division – on jobber duty after just a few short weeks on the main roster.




Rusev has a scored a win over AJ Styles


OK, so it was in a tag team match. And Rusev didn’t pin or tap AJ.


But it was still a win and gives the Bulgarian Brute some momentum heading into Extreme Rules.


It started with yet another singles match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura, with Rusev on commentary (he surprisingly sharp).



 Rusev got the win when he nailed Jeff Hardy with the Machka Kick


Rusev got the win when he nailed Jeff Hardy with the Machka Kick

Rusev got involved in the match, turning it into a 2-on-2 beat-down, so Nak’s Extreme Rules opponent Jeff Hardy ran down to make the save.


Paige then arrived to make an impromptu tag match, with Rusev getting the win when he nailed Hardy with the Machka Kick.


Can he do it to Styles this Sunday? If the leaked plans for SummerSlam are anything to go by (reportedly Styles v Samoa Joe), then probably not.



James Ellsworth will be locked in a cage at Extreme Rules


Ellsworth proved once again that he ISN’T ready for Asuka when they faced off last night in a Lumberjack Match.


Asuka pummeled Ellsworth and when he tried to scarper (again), lumberjacks Becky Lynch and Naomi tossed poor Ellsworth back to the ring – so Asuka took out Ellsworth and all the Lumberjacks with a top rope dive.



 Asuka pummelled James Ellsworth on Tuesday night


Asuka pummelled James Ellsworth on Tuesday night

 The Empress got the win with the Asuka Lock but Ellsworth sprayed her eyes with a mystery canister


The Empress got the win with the Asuka Lock but Ellsworth sprayed her eyes with a mystery canister

‘The Empress’ then got the win with the Asuka Lock, but Ellsworth sprayed her eyes with a mystery canister post-match – giving Carmella the chance to super-kick Asuka.


Backstage, Paige announced that Ellsworth will be locked in a cage and hoisted above the ring to stop him from interfering in the Carmella v Asuka match this Sunday.


But a tenner says he still manages to help Carmella win – and does the old ‘scared of heights’ shtick that’s standard for these cage above the ring matches.



Andrade 'Cien' Almas is back


After a strong main roster debut a few weeks ago, Almas finally returned to TV and faced off against Sin Cara.


WWE has a habit of pairing Latino wrestlers together for first-time feuds, but this worked – it was an innovative, fast-paced matchup between the two Luchador-style grapplers.



 Andrade Almas has huge potential against the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan


Andrade Almas has huge potential against the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan

 Almas scored a victory when he hit Sin Cara running double knees in the corner


Almas scored a victory when he hit Sin Cara running double knees in the corner

 Sin Cara and Andrade Almas put on an innovative and fast-paced match-up


Sin Cara and Andrade Almas put on an innovative and fast-paced match-up

 Andrade Almas finally returned to TV and faced off against Sin Cara


Andrade Almas finally returned to TV and faced off against Sin Cara

(Sin Cara did the best suicide dive seen on TV in ages – which is saying something, considering it happens about 20 times every Monday night on Raw.)


Almas scored a victory when he hit Sin Cara running double knees in the corner.


He’s got such huge potential against the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan.



SmackDown needs to shake things up again


The post-WrestleMania superstar shake-up was a coup for SmackDown, with some brightest


and best talent heading to the blue brand.


Indeed, SmackDown had potential to become the superior brand once again, but it’s fallen back into WWE’s tired booking formula.


It’s the same old stuff: the opening interview that turns into a brawl, that turns into a tag team match later in the show.



The guest commentary spot that inevitably leads to outside interference.


The challenger getting a win ahead of a PPV to make it look like they have the momentum.


The general manager coming out to make an impromptu tag team bout (“RIGHT NOW!”).


WWE repeats this cycle of predictable beats on a monthly, if not weekly basis.


Come on, SmackDown – your roster of superstars is too good to rely of this lazy, formulaic booking. We’ve seen it all before.





EXTREME Rules is just days away, so it was up to the superstars of SmackDown LIVE to crank up the excitement ahead of the big show.

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