A look at the 3 Stars of The Night 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 for June 12, 2018!

The Third Star:
Rusev

Tonight’s edition of WWE Smackdown was all about the in-ring competition. And Rusev delivered in the ring with one of the best in Samoa Joe.

So why does Rusev make the list over Joe? Because he won. And as I have long said: wins and losses don’t matter…except when they matter. Smackdown is positioning its superstars, as of now, so that wins and losses matter.

The Second Star:
Daniel Bryan

 

#SDLive @WWEDanielBryan vs. @Sheltyb803 had the crowd reacting to the little transitions during the match. If you tell a story in the ring, people will react.

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) June 13, 2018

Daniel Bryan is the heart and soul of Smackdown Live, and he’s carrying the brand on his shoulders while AJ Styles nurses nagging injuries.

Others given consideration:
The Miz, Paige, Asuka, The IIconics, Shelton Benjamin, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, Becky Lynch, and Carmella

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

The First Star:
Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura, of Heelsuke as many have taken a linking to calling him, is really excelling in his heel role. Most recently, he has taken the Last Man Standing stipulation and fully owned it while promoting his title shot against AJ Styles at WWE Money In The Bank.

I really hope we see Nakamura walk out as the winner on Sunday, but I also believe we will. Be it a long reign or a shorter one, this rendition of Shinsuke Nakamura is ready to carry the title and build a face champion through their chase in the process.

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