What The Actual Fuck (SmackDown Talk)

Yeah Backlash is being sold on Nakamura alone haha.

Although Mahal's momentum is actually quite good now. I am interested to see what happens, and to see how he does in a match with Orton too. They should maybe book him like "here's what Del Rio could have had if he wasn't such a spaz"

The Fashion Police are the best thing in WWE atm haha.

I agree with JBL too, just give them carte blanche because they have that special something. It's a shame they don't have a Kurt Angle figure to work with, but in time a similar thing could happen where a more serious or less colourful character benefits from tv time with those two, ala ECK.

*Cough* Cesaro

Another great Usos promo this week, and more great stuff from Breezango. They really need to ditch that name.

Jinder pinned Orton too in the tag match. At least wwe are still going with Mahals push, I'm looking forward to seeing how Randy does with him. He has a history of pretty crap matches against new guys, so it'll be interesting to see if he's prepared to try for Jinder.

Randy is a stubborn sob, but maybe he has mellowed. (that's the kind of detail I'd not know though, so a good heads up. I know he's stubborn, he comes across as a bit of an ass to me, but a known history of underperforming with new guys, that next level of detail I'd miss with my history of getting bored with WWE for extended periods and not watching or taking any notice of anything)

I don't know how but Fandango is playing it really dry whilst also being a silly bitch. It works really well. I love all the detail they put into their skits, backgrounds and props too. Sympathetic to wrestling and detective noir. There is a respect to their art haha. All this from some silly side show filler, that's how you know they genuinely have... It

The Uso's too, they did the thing they did to Alpha where they made people sit up and listen. If they are on the proper show every week it will be better for it. I like the division, it just needs consistent appearances by the top 4 teams. But this week felt like a bit of a house show tour overall, but they were in the Foggy Apple and sometimes WWE does phone it in on the UK tour main shows.

I think the longest most interesting period in all of the broadcasts was talking smack and that was mostly just JBL and Ronnie chatting.

I don't know how Miz and Ambrose got so bland so quick on Raw. Last week when AJ said SD makes stars and... I shouldn't say what I want to say. Erm. Raw... takes stars (he clearly wanted to say Raw breaks stars) he was clearly right. He was really passionate too. Again that was on talking smack lol.

There's clearly something about the SD locker room, staff, something that makes people step up though. It did take a hit in the shake up, as I think people quite liked some of those who left, especially in terms of backstage morale and work ethic, but it still has it's spark. AJ is clearly one of the leaders that drives performances up, but maybe the magic touch ingrained in the whole crew. And this will mean Raw will never be able to capture what makes SD seem like a different product, most weeks. (the two main male and female matches were just shoving everyone out there awkwardly this week, which is unusual for SD, unless it's qualifiers or title matches that mean something it always seems forced, but usually SD seems free flowing and achieves weekly goals in progression) Jinder did get the pin, but if it was the usual booking it would have been it's own moment, not something that came after a barrage of other rivals rivalling at each other. SD hit it's peak with Triple threat main events or singles with commentary spots to further one rivalry and make someone else look good in the main event hanging with the others etc.

That dragged on. I don't normally like to analyse booking too much, but it stood out because it felt different to how it had done for a bit when pretty much everyone came out of each SD better off regardless of W/L

Thing is with Orton as a top worker, there's not really anyone that he's elevated. Cena as a top-liner made Edge, Edge helped loads of guys by making them look great before beating them (there was one match years ago he made John Morrison look fantastic before beating him), Jeff Hardy made CM Punk and the number of guys Trips has made is crazy. Orton's worked with loads of emerging top-liners over the years, and none of them looked any better for it. Cody and Ted DiBiase never recovered, Kofi Kingston, Sheamus, even CM Punk looked a chump after their Mania match. Orton's not built to make new guys, so I'm not convinced on Jinder's chances at all.

Usos, New Day, Fashion Police, AA - would make for a stunning ladder match at some point...

As for SD as a whole, I'm certain it's the third hour that's killing Raw. SD has the hour less, so more can be put into writing it. There's also an absence of genuine WWE guys who you could see headlining Mania - there's Orton, Cena's a part-timer now, AJ, and that's about it. Guys like Miz, Ambrose, and anyone else has to see the gaps at the top of the card, and think 'this is my opportunity to be huge!'. That's got to be much more motivational than being on Raw and seeing Rollins, Wyatt, Balor, Lesnar, Strowman and Reigns all standing in your way.

Yeah, they do have the underdog mentality on SD. This could be good for SZ, he must be thinking if he gets a good few months of solid work he could be facing Nakamura, AJ, KO at the top end of the card, rather than whatever he did on Raw when it wasn't the Owens rivalry.

When you say those 4 names you can't help but think SD is like an ultimate NXT. Raw has Rollins and Balor, but they are sharing time with part timers, the "real heavyweights" and Raw booking. Rollins is well in with the company, but he could easily get really boring, face or heel he has the same drawn out boring style of promo (I kind of think he is boring anyway - apart from matches where he can do basically anything, the NXT invasion for HHH and working with Ambrose were my favourite Seth times really, the rest is all quite safe and samey, even when working with Jericho at his heel peak ffs lol)

Quick little article on The Fashion Police http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2708548-fresh-blood-of-breezango-will-define-future-of-wwe-smackdown-tag-team-division

Embrace the silliness is damn right. We pretty much covered how those two have everything a wrestler needs to be a catalyst to a division and a show, but it's nice to see a credible article on them.

Again I'll say it, they are like E+C, and that goes way further than just what they can do themselves, it's what they could inspire from others like Edge and Christian did. Just Ask Kurt, Austin, Foley or even Vince. I think Series 2 of their network show is actually coming up soon, and I would guess Breeze and Dango will be on it a fair bit (I think E+C actually did a detective skit last year come to think of it, where they would interrogate wrestlers, hmm haha) And hopefully Kurt is reunited with them this year as much as possible

The rap battle.

As SD live is now 89% 80s foreign heels vs the good old US of A, and not even Americans care now (beyond some mild live audience cheap pops) I thought I'd ask a question about something that isn't being ruined on SD...

The Fashion Police (again)

Sunday night the mystery is solved, the one we all care about. Who trashed the precinct, and who stole and mutilated Tully. Who do you think will be revealed? As there is a lack of tag teams right now, could we see a debut at BATTLEGROUND?

I'm hoping this actually leads to the debut of SANITY. The dynamic just fits. SD needs something fresh, and the tag division could be the best way to go.

And if it's not them, could it be the revenge of Tony Chimel?!?! He has actually featured a lot in Fashion Files as the butt of visual background jokes on the evidence board haha

im hoping sanity too but got a feeling Harper and rowan reunite as they've just been lost in the shuffle as singles stars

Good point. It will be them because usually wwe is good at making you forget people on the roster by not giving them any air time first. And obviously they made me forget those two when I wrote that. EY with the FP would be great though. But Rowan showed some good character work a month or so ago so it might be okay if they go with Harper and Rowan.

SANITY vs New day would have legs too though. Two trio's, polar opposite characters. A SANITY debut would make for better tv overall,.

Just what Jinder needs to add to his appeal. Singh brothers' God awful acting killing SD live before it's even started. It's not even watchable even if it's just a device to set up a Nakamura interruption.

Don't give terrible terrible talent the main spotlight on a show. It just looks cheap and tacky. It really reminds me of other periods where I just stopped watching WWE for long stretches. If talent cant act, dont give them a chance to show it on live tv.

I'm wondering if the Fashion Police are setting up the debuts of the Authors of Pain. They've improved massively on NXT from when they debuted, and Breeze and 'Dango are just perfect guys to get hurled around the ring to build them up as a credible team from the off.

JBL's also left Smackdown. Whilst he was great when he debuted on commentary, he just got shitter the longer he did it. Graves over on Raw is really showing him what a heel commentator needs to be doing, and is probably the best commentator they have at the moment.

I like JBL when he talks about wrestling on various shows, but on Smackdown he is a shadow of his former self, he is still funny in parts and does still add some good stuff, but he gets distracted far too easily.

Cory Graves is taking over on SD with 205 live getting Nigel Mcguiness (hopefully one step toward 205 becoming the UK show instead, with a few foreign talents?) It makes sense as Graves is at both nights filming anyway. Last week Graves was actually sounding pretty tired of hyping 205 live when he mentioned how must see it is on Raw too, so that has worked out pretty well for him, I reckon.

I'm back to defending Mahal and the use of him again.

Its time to stick up for the last 2 weeks of the booking of Mahal, which I think is being universally panned without consideration of the fact he is taking heat off Nakamura, who was starting to get toxic comments made about him, and if they seep too far into the audiences minds he'd be doomed to fail. They directly addressed something that i had noticed, the US casual fan is treating Nakamura as a joke. So Mahal basically copying them, now makes it impossible to them actually think that about Nakamura without being seen as just as dumb as the Mahal character looks saying those things.

On the surface it looks like a dumb angle and poor use of Mahal (who we accept isn't main event calibre compared to others on the show, despite being thrown in the deep end and doing okay), but if some conservative fans (I use conservative instead of using any colloquial term for the dumber bred american) considers laughing at Nakamura for something trivial, then they are no smarter than the dumb fuck that Mahal currently looks like on Smackdown. Problem nipped in the bud. It's holding a mirror up to fans, who are mostly not ignorant, and suggesting they all are, which alienates Mahal, and anyone who might consider Nakamura "a stupid dancing carrot who doesn't deserve to beat Orton..."

Maybe I'm wrong, but sometimes things get universally panned before all things are considered

Most of the card for Hell In A Cell looks pretty good - New Day vs Usos in the cell makes sense, and I'm hoping it steals the show. Shane has to go off the top of the Cell or do something stupid else people will dump on it. Mahal can be shoved into the midcard slot again, hopefully to drop the title to Nakamura, hoping Rusev is allowed some kind of performance vs Orton.

On paper, looks a good card so far.

Read your comment and it hit me. I think KO might be powerbombing Shane off/through the cell

It does look a good card. Just seen the New Day declare that match and that is pretty exciting. First ever tag match in a cell, and those teams deserve that match. (maybe not the first haha)

Jinder can eat a knee in seconds (exactly what should have happened at SummerSlam) that move is perfect for shock instant wins. But if he does retain, please god not a carbon copy of the last few. It might be worth having the Bolly's accidentally cost Jinder in terms of a story though.

I guess it's going to be Natalya vs Flair in a standard match. That will be a quality match.

I cant believe that the WWE title isn't going to be inside a cell that just tells me that again them two twats who I cant stand with there terrible and I mean terrible acting through out Jinders promos.

However what I am excited for after being gone for a month Fashion Files returns next week

So I think the fashion files new case may have been solved Harper and Rowan debuted a new gimmick with new clothes and thor like hammers and now called The Bludgeon Brothers, remember they was looking for 2B.

Today's news. India tour reduced to one show...

Jinder was a resounding success then. The card is just Raw talent and Jinder, plus some Indian NXT talent.

Have you seen the press release to explain why they've dropped a show?

"To meet the requests of WWE fans in India, and deliver the biggest main event in the country's history, WWE is combining two nights of family-friendly action into a one-night only, exclusive Supershow."

That's bullshit PR at it's finest. If only they had after Benoit, they wouldn't have had anywhere near the same level as negative press...

Brilliant

In other words "WWE achieves truly outstanding ticket sales in India" ...

Ahhh Smackdown... Kevin and Sami's faces at the back of the class during Shane's lame team talk hahaha. EVERYBODY PUMPED UP, YEAHHHH! Just watch them no sell it. It’s perfect storytelling. That was all they needed. It wasn’t highlighted, but the cameras were positioned so you could notice them. Subtle. SD will be a good one, I can feel it.

Insanely loud crowd for the Newwwww champ AJ and Daniel Bryan. Bryan acts as AJ's advocate for one night only to sell the PPV even more. His arms are big, his arms are strong, his legs are big his legs are strong (amazing sarcy promo style that Bryan honed on talking smack) his head is big, his head is... thick. Bryan really gets to lay in to Brock now (almost like he will now get to fight him at WM haha or it’s the stuff they would have used to promote that fight) digs that Brock is a perennial quitter and that he tapped to a weak ass knee bar in UFC haha. Huge, huge reaction.

US title match. I wonder if Corbin will actually unmask Sin this week? They teased it like the standard Mexican values vs a heel thing that WWE always does, but with Sin signing a new deal (cheers Fergie) and being made to look tougher, I get the feeling that they may let him be Hunico , or at least be more than the mask. It would suit the tougher image they went for a few weeks back, and make Corbin look like a turd. If it doesn’t happen here, maybe some time soon. It would be cool for Corbin to retain by unmasking him and laying him out during a struggle to get the mask, before leaving with belt and mask...
Decent match, but no furthering of what they started with his mask obsession. Corbin just smartly caught Cara and ended him. Oh well.

Women’s title match. Fast paced match with a few stiff shots. Well worked and emotional especially at the end with Ric Flair coming out to celebrate with Charlotte.

Uso's dealt out the survivor series hype ish.

UNSUBTLE BACKSTAGE SEGMENT WITH SAMI AND KEVIN. An over scripted feel. Whyyy? It wasn’t needed at all, and they are still doing the weird thing they did with Jericho and KO's friendship storyline too. The key take away though is that they think they are better than the Shield and New Day. In their mind they must be the best trio in WWE...

New Day hype the Shield match. Hounds vs Unicorns. Dogs eat their own poo, they chew and swallow it, mmmhhhmm... Shield are down for Cuffing season. For those of you that aren't on Black Twitter... haha

Sami Zayn pogoing to KO's music. Yes!

Another good match for tv. Then someone plays the Shield music, and they come down in half and half t shirts, just to make sure their gimmick is still a little more watery than the original. Byron sticks out like a sore thumb unable to subtly sell something by blurting out “oh yeah shield? Look, look we have a unified front here on Smackdown. Bring it” oh so Sami and Kevin aren’t going to blind side new day and run? Okay then... Could you make it any more obvious? He is a true moment killer at the announce desk. It just doesn’t need to be said. Another case of the over scripted.

There it is without the blind side anyway, they just slink away. Going into business for themselves, you could say...

Uso's zoom on down as the only guys prepared, a little moment to stare down Roman - teasing the conflict of Bloodline and Shield and where Roman’s loyalties lie. (A must book situation)

Cesaro and Sheamus rock up next, so it’s a slow feed to keep the crowd in a state of excitement. The action is in the ring too which is important.

The women are backstage with Foxy marching ahead to jump the women’s locker room. Bliss does her mega forearm finisher on Charlotte lol.

Here are the rest. Titus and Finn on the same level of importance to the story now... ( okay this brings me on to another point in the back of my mind about the fresher talent probably getting the short end of the stick at the PPV in favour of HHH, Kurt, Cena, Strowman, Shane and Orton. But hey... Joe, Roode, Balor and Nakamura will be in the match at least lol you could even say KO and Zayn could be more important to the actual story of the PPV than those 4, but we shall see)

Anyway, so Apollo and Joe go in on SD Live talent...

Shane sprints down, Corbin and Ziggler are now helping too.

Nakamura and Roode are somewhere

Here’s a major Focus. Kurt beacons BRAAAAUUUUNNNN as if he was Pete Dunne. Shane gets to look bad ass even though Braun will destroy him. (again, build up the guys who need it )

Shield beat down Shane until Kurt comes in to signal for a Shield bomb. They let the cameras pick up the “if you think this is bad you wait until Sunday” stuff, so they haven’t completely forgotten how to do realism.

Angle Slam. Time to kill... do another Shield Bomb. Raw’s title music plays on the end credit shot to kill any slight realism achieved just before lol. That’s not even the arena PA, it’s the production.

A top notch go home show just with a few silly things that bring it down. WWE production and continuity isn’t great at achieving realism right now. And some mistakes are really basic. Too many scripted lines that are too obviously scripted as well. They are trying to be finely polished, but they’ve over polished and rubbed off the silver plate leaving a coppery hue.

Got to say the video package for Styles vs Mahal is like a proper classic feud where there is a true good guy and real bad guy. None of the silly shite they started having Jinder do. Hopefully he can hang with Styles because this could be the making of both of them being truly memorable to every kind of wrestling fan. No argument that AJ is the biggest babyface in wrestling right now. And Jinder is a perfect rival for that right now. It feels like a classic rivalry in the making.