WWE SmackDown 04/17/18: StackedDown
About Last Night is a quick reflection on the matches and segments, or random observations, from a wrestling show that sticks out to us the morning after we watch them. If you would like to get your comments featured, chime in below in our comments section or tweet us. You can also help support us on Patreon.
About Jeff Hardy…
It was a bummer losing the United States Championship to Raw on Monday night, but it also meant losing Jinder Mahal so it was a sacrifice worth making. Fortunately, the title came right back with a talented wrestler in Jeff Hardy the following night since he had beaten him for the title on Raw. Having Jeff on SmackDown is a really smart move, as he’s a very popular midcard face and that’s been a major problem lately for the brand. Bobby Roode wasn’t cutting it, and Randy Orton would be better suited hovering near the top, or reducing his role. Plus, Matt Hardy already has Bray Wyatt to serve as his tag team partner so Brother Nero isn’t needed right now.
I could see Jeff doing wonders for the United States Championship, and helping elevate everyone in the midcard if they’re willing to rotate people around rather than spend months on the same feud. With Baron Corbin and Jinder Mahal gone, I at least have some hope for this.
About Samoa Joe…
The biggest acquisition for SmackDown was easily Samoa Joe. He showed up to destroy Sin Cara because of course he did, but then he cut a very weird promo that confused me at first. He went on a rant about how he’s going to take the Intercontinental Championship from Seth Rollins and then take the Universal Championship from Roman if (when) he defeats Brock Lesnar. Calling out two people from Raw in your first promo on SmackDown was an odd choice, but I guess it worked since he opened the promo calling out the show as “The Land of Handouts” so he’s going to bring over two belts from Raw.
The potential for Joe on SmackDown is huge, since he doesn’t have to deal with the likes of Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, or Braun Strowman. He could easily become the top heel of the brand, having matches against the likes of AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan. That’s a shame for The Miz who just moved over too, but I’m sure he can still have a position in the main event scene even if it isn’t involving the title. Please put the WWE Championship on Joe sooner rather than later.
About The Tag Team Additions…
SmackDown lost two tag teams with Breezango and The Ascension heading to a show that needs their skills to fill three hours, and one team broke up with Chad Gable abandoning Shelton Benjamin. But they did get The Good Brothers and The Bar, who I could actually see being more useful outside of the tag division. The Good Brothers obviously should be re-paired with AJ Styles to form The Club, which I feel could work as them being faces. This would be great if The Miz recruits two new superstars for The Miztourage. Sheamus and Cesaro are fine as a tag team, but would definitely be better as singles competitors – especially Cesaro. I wouldn’t expect the break up to happen immediately, but in a crowded tag division the shake-up settles down and they at least get one match for the titles, I would expect the break up to go down.
About The NXT Call-Ups…
SmackDown didn’t just take talent from Raw, they also dipped back into the NXT pool to bring up more talent to join The IIconics. One of those call-ups was SAnitY, which was a long time coming since they’ve been spinning their wheels since losing the NXT Tag Team Titles. I would be curious to see how they do going against The New Day, as well as The Bludgeon Brothers since they share the same creepy aesthetic. The one down side of this move though is that Nikki Cross is staying back in NXT. However, I’ve heard there’s plans for her down there so hopefully she gets a big push before she joins the rest of the group.
The biggest NXT call-up though is former NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas as his business associate Zelina Vega. Almas has been killing it during his reign as champion, as well as having an impressive showing in the 2018 Royal Rumble match. He is going to be an amazing addition to the roster if he’s instantly pushed as a big deal and given time to put on some great matches. They’ve been looking for a big Latin star, and Almas could absolutely fit the bill.
About Big Cass, or Shinsuke Nakamura Keeps Punching AJ Styles in the Dick…
Big Cass made his return to WWE after being out for nearly a year with an injury, and he picked up right where he left off by being a dick who hates short people. Expect this time the short bearded person he’s hating on is not a piece of shit and is instead beloved hero Daniel Bryan. They took no time at all propelling him into a big program with Bryan, and it worked out perfectly. This gives Bryan a feud to keep him busy before the inevitable feud with The Miz at SummerSlam, and they could possibly align Cass as a bodyguard for Miz. I feel like Big Cass has always been super talented, and now he finally has a shot in the spotlight after he was derailed quickly after breaking out into a singles star.
We also had Shinsuke Nakamura interfere in the main event along with Big Cass, punching AJ Styles in the dick once again. The facial expressions Nakamura makes as a heel are just the best and makes him look terrifyingly unhinged. Add to that he keep ducking Renee when asked to explain himself because he suddenly forgot how to speak English, and it’s all so brilliant. It hides his issues with promos while stick making him come off as a huge asshole. Please keep him punching Styles in the dick every single week.
What did you think of this week’s SmackDown? Let us know in the comments!
