Levin’s SmackDown Live Review (9/18/2018)

Two days removed from the Hell in a Cell and I still have a few questions I need to be answered.

A.J. Styles is still the WWE Champion. The New Day may never relinquish the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Becky Lynch is now the SmackDown Women’s Champion, but the company’s attempt to put her over as a heel may backfire. Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy put on one hell of a show (pun intended) and The Miz and Maryse are up 2-0 on Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella.

I guess it’s time to see what the company can offer us in the aftermath of all this chaos from the pay-per-view. Let’s stick with the women, shall we?

The Becky Lynch Coronation

The birth of Lynch’s heel turn has finally begun. After the fans supported the new SmackDown Live Women’s Champion, her assault of Flair in the “coronation” of the new title holder. Lynch once again attacked her former BFF outside the ring, proving to all that this “change” is for the better and WWE has once again struck gold.

The company can use this feud, much like it did with Flair and Sasha Banks, to lay the groundwork for a program that might be the best on either Monday or Tuesday nights at the moment. The only thing I caution is WWE must keep this momentum fresh. Will there be as much of a drop off when Flair is not the opponent? Does Asuka become the heir apparent once again?

I love the angle and hope it doesn’t lose steam for Lynch’s sake.

WWE has ridden a roller coaster with the women’s division, especially on Tuesday nights. While Ronda Rousey continues to make headlines on Monday night with the Raw Women’s Title, Lynch now must continue to build her own momentum. There is no comparison of sorts. For all the rage about Rousey, the two-time blue team champion must become the vicious heel she portrayed tonight to make things more interesting.

Flair and Lynch are the headliners of this week division. Asuka has a chance to put together a solid program with Lynch. The other females on the roster don’t impress me enough to make Lynch look strong as a champion.

By comparison, Billie Kay and Asuka did nothing for me. WWE has allowed the Empress of Tomorrow fall into an abyss of mediocrity. How there can be an arc between the top of the Tuesday night champion and someone else other than Flair is a hard act to follow.

In other matches…

WWE wants to continue the drama of couples fighting with the invasion of Daniel Bryan on the set of Miz T.V.

The Miz does his usual shtick – which is still some of the best promotional work in the business today. I like the interaction between The Miz and his wife Maryse during the segment. I am still reminded of Tully Blanchard and Baby Doll for some odd reason. Not for the way they are portrayed, rather the connection and chemistry.

The Bryan confrontation with The Miz let leads to Maryse’s “injury” plays into the storyline, which we saw was fake. But the real match should be Bryan and The Miz once again, which is what fans will see at WWE Super Show-Down with the winner facing the WWE Champion.

US Champion Shinsuke Nakamura beats Rusev with help

Finally, it has come to this.

Nakamura beats Rusev with the help of Aiden English. I have been a huge fan of the Bulgarian Brute, but not the storyline of him and English as tag team partners.

English hits Rusev over the head with a microphone, after he distracts Rusev which sets up a feud between the two former tag team partners. This may also solidify Rusev as a babyface while English gets his one shining moment.

Next, please.

AJ Styles beats Andrade “Cien” Almas

If WWE wants to push Almas toward the main event picture, they had better figure a way for the former NXT star to win against the company’s best talent.

Again, Almas loses to an upper-tier superstar but has proven he can hold his own in the ring. The combination of him and Zelina Vega could prove to be one of those duos who find plenty of success next year.

Of course, after the “win” Styles was attacked by Samoa Joe, setting up the next installment of their feud for the WWE Title.

Cesaro beats Kofi Kingston

I love Cesaro and wish WWE would have the stones to put him in the main event picture. As a tag team partner, he is as dynamite. The match with Kingston is a build toward their upcoming tag team title match. Both superstars could be singles champions in other eras or potentially on another brand.