The Three Stars of WWE Smackdown Live (5/29/18)

A look at the three stars for this week’s edition of WWE Smackdown Live.

In hockey, a game’s “three stars” represent the top three performers of the night. For more clarification, I defer to this Pittsburgh Gazette explanation:

“The tradition dates to the 1936-37 season, when Imperial Oil became the principal sponsor of Hockey Night in Canada radio broadcasts and was seeking a way to promote one of its products, Three Star gasoline. The idea of doing so by selecting the top three performers in a particular game purportedly came from a Canadian advertising agency.

Many clubs do recognize the player with the most three-star selections with an award or trophy, usually in conjunction with a corporate sponsorship, at the end of the season (or sometimes, each month). All six Canadian franchises, for example, have an affiliation with a well-known brewery.

The NHL keeps track of its own three-stars-of-the-night selections, but that is done on a league-wide basis. The league employs a system that awards 30 points to a first star, 20 to a second star and 10 to a third – a running total can be found on the league’s website – but it does not present an award based on them.”

In hockey tradition, the first star represents the best of the three, but all three are considered to be receiving a high honor.

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And now, the Three Stars of WWE Smackdown Live, May 29, 2018!

The Third Star:
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Zelina Vega

I know, Andrade didn’t even wrestle. He and Zelina didn’t even appear in-ring! Well I’m not sure if that speaks more to their talent or this show, put I am focused on them here.

This segment was gold. It’s easy for the viewer at home to accept Andrade going way back with Sin Cara. But combine that with both Andrade’s reaction and Zelina’s subsequent reaction, and you have the best character development on this week’s show. WWE is taking it slow with Andrade & Zelina, and it can really pay off in the end,

The Second Star:
Shinsuke Nakamura

Yeah, Shinsuke had a match, and it was great to see Tye Dillinger (who could also do wonders by turning heel), but this was about his work as a heel. The “language barrier” for Shinsuke is really a blessing, because it forces WWE to keep everything simple.

And in Shinsuke’s case, simple is better!

Others given consideration:
The New Day, The Bar, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, and Big Cass

And now…a distinction usually reserved for the top performer of the night…the first star!

The First Star:
Samoa Joe

The right guy won.

It would have been so easy to put Daniel Bryan or Big Cass in the Money In The Bank Ladder Match. Joe is bulletproof, and would lose nothing. But WWE didn’t do that.

The right guy won, and that’s Samoa Joe. He is doing some of his best work–ever–and that says a lot. Joe deserves a run at the top, and I really hope he holds that Briefcase and gets one.

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Who are your three stars of the night? Comment on social media @ChairshotGreg, @theCHAIRSHOTcom, and use the hashtag #UseYourHead!