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Although their roles in the WWE weekly entertainment system have surged since the last brand division debuted in 2016, Raw and SmackDown continue to have very different identities from wrestling fans. Some call the blue mark the show for "brands", while Raw remains home to casual fans. But since WrestleMania 34 in April, it's clear that SmackDown has become the most consistent home for entertainment and logical narration, especially since Raw has made such a splash in recent months.
However, you define the specific role that each show plays, it's hard to dispute the fact that SmackDown is the "A Show" to date in 2018. This week has not been different. segment involving Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair.
SmackDown is not only much more digestible than his three-hour sister on Monday night, but he has always given more time and energy to tell better stories, be it Daniel Bryan-The Miz or AJ Styles-Samoa Joe. This week, the same treatment was given to Rusev and Aiden English.
While it's fair to claim that returning to a two card system at the WWE card each month is overkill, SmackDown is so good that it could deserve its own showcase.
Becky Lynch refuses to be reconciled
The last segment of the series saw SmackDown CEO, Paige, announce to Lynch to present her the SmackDown women's title she had won at Hell in a Cell. Lynch said that it took her two years to get back to where she belongs and "from now on, it's my show and my title". Charlotte Flair went out to give Lynch his respect and tell him "wife to wife," that Lynch was the best of both Sundays. "Congratulations, but you paid an exorbitant price to regain that title and thrown more than a friendship," Flair said. She also made one of their October 6 rematch at Super Show-Down in Australia.
With a smile on his heel on his face, Lynch told Flair to "close your face, it's the champion's turn to speak". She then gave Flair a chance to raise his hand, which was denied. Thus, his offer to Flair to put the title around his size. Flair spoke of the respect that she has manifested simply by coming here and said that she wished there was a little bit of her best friend "inside of what it was. ;became". Lynch responded by telling Flair to call him "queen", which caused Flair to leave. After Lynch called her a bitch, Flair attacked her and hit her with a forearm. But Lynch quickly took control and threw Flair in the steps and then on the table of commentators. After applying his Dis-Arm-Her in the ring, Lynch left before turning around and adding a suplex Becksploder.
Call her a heel or just a baby face in Steve Austin's mold. Heck, you can call him as you want. Two nights after their fantastic title game, Lynch continued to show that her recent personality twist is becoming one of the best things to do at WWE. The dialogue between the two was just as perfectly written as it was executed and the swag that Lynch exhumed by beating is simply intoxicating. This is what his character has always needed, even if it comes in a package that none of us would have expected at this level. In fact, Lynch has been so good, Flair is starting to receive partial bursts from the crowd. Although some may argue that this upsets the psychology of the quarrel, it works because of the time that Lynch had already worked as an unlucky face-to-face, which was seldom due to him. He has done a lot to make his recent harmful actions feel justified. Grade: A-
Daniel Bryan escapes a trap on Miz TV
The Miz revealed that he will face Bryan at the Super Show-Down for a shot at the WWE Championship and has touted a major Miz TV guest who has turned out to be simply Maryse. The Miz called Bryan and Brie Bella "a marriage of convenience," Maryse saying that Bella uses Bryan to market his image and that Miz insists that Bryan use it to lead his fights. Maryse added that tonight would be her last at SmackDown "for the moment" so she can focus on motherhood.
Bryan came to answer Miz's challenge and remind him that no one is talking about his wife. But his attack on Miz ended when a shotgun dropkick sent Miz flying into Maryse in the corner. The medical staff came to his aid almost instantly and had a stretcher ready. As Bryan crouched to apologize, Mary stood up and started laughing. Maryse then held Bryan's shoulders but when Miz came forward, Bryan dodged and Miz knocked Maryse off the apron. Bryan put Miz on top to complete the segment. Later backstage, Bryan called Miz a coward and promised to hit his ticket for the WWE title in Melbourne.
With Brie Bella inexplicably missing while she was appearing on Raw the night before, Bryan-Miz's quarrel had received the bonus to open the series. Unfortunately, the segment fell flat with a noticeable lack of creativity in terms of overall scenario. Bryan, frustrated, continued to play in the traps of The Miz, which supports the current direction from the angle, but the execution in this case left a lot to be desired. The same was true for EMT's visit to help Maryse with a stretcher after she was just surprised to have taken part in a wrestling match just 48 hours earlier. Grade: C
Aiden English breaks Rusev Day
After his last showdown at Hell in a Cell, Rusev said in English that he would not be needed for Tuesday's game in the United States. "If it's your best," said Rusev, "it's just not enough." A distraught Englishman then let out his frustration at a WWE producer shouting that everything was Lana's fault and that Rusev Day was nothing without him. Lana heard the rage and despite the laughter of English, she threatened to tell Rusev. Later, Lana's attempt to do so was interrupted twice by Rusev, who said he would have to wait until he needed English to "do the honors" and sing it in the ring.
United States Championship – Shinsuke Nakamura (c) def. Rusev via pinfall to retain the title: After English provided an extra passionate serenade to introduce Rusev, he spent much of the match arguing with Lana outside the ring. At one point, the English grabbed the mic against Lana's wishes and began to sing "Rusev Day" to make noise. But while Rusev looked set to win, the Englishman jumped on the apron to shout "Rusev" in the microphone and distracted his teammate. Nakamura rolled it from behind for the pin. The English then attacked Rusev from behind with the microphone, tore off the dish and sang in an opaque voice "Happy Rusev Day" before dropping it while Lana was screaming to leave.
While it's discouraging to see someone like Rusev emptying his fourth chance since WrestleMania, the story of the English trick has been well told in three different segments of the series. SmackDown had taken a long time to develop, but the results were felt with a surprisingly strong rendition of Lana and the English backstage, which created a suspense as to whether Rusev would learn the earlier comments from the English . What will be interesting to see is whether English can be presented so despicably that a legitimate quarrel with Rusev is viable. Grade: B +
What happened on SmackDown Live?
- Cesaro def. Kofi Kingston via pinfall: With New Day in safari outfit and Big E with an Australian accent, the trio exchanged trash talks before the match with The Bar while promoting their fight at the WWE Super Show-Down. The entertaining match saw Kingston use the ropes to perform a gymnastic jump on Cesaro outside. After Kingston sold an injury to his left leg, the finish came when Cesaro kicked his leg before hitting a Gotch Neutralizer for the 1-2-3.
- Randy Orton sends a message to future victims: Orton snuck past a producer in the TV truck to threaten to work faster on a great video Orton brutally defeating Jeff Hardy last month. Orton continued to intimidate the producer and eventually smothered him while making him look at pictures of Hardy's earlobe. "Tell me something, what do you feel when you see that?" Orton said. "It's disturbing, is not it?" Orton went on to say that everything he did to Hardy would be nothing compared to what he did to his next victim.
- AJ Styles def. Andrade "Cien" Almas via pinfall: This untitled match was preceded by an interview in which Styles said he was happy that his match against Samoa Joe in Australia was not a disqualification. He also stated that Joe's controversial loss to Hell in a Cell was the karma he deserved. The three-segment match with Almas was on the edge of a la carte quality and showed how "Cien" is in the limelight. A series of big dots and close falls ended with Styles knocking over a Jacknife DDT to hit the Clash Styles for the win. Joe then attacked from behind while Styles was celebrating and shouted, "You know the truth, you'll never be safe!" They were fighting outside until Joe pushed Styles into the eyes and retreated into the crowd.
- Asuka def. Billie Kay via submission: With Naomi at his side in a duel that continues to feel forced, Asuka did a surprisingly fast job on Kay, who had joined her teammate Peyton Royce to heckle her before the game. Kay hit because of the Asuka lock.
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