Right on. I'm completely OK with Smackdown being kind of predictable but just telling its stories well. I feel like they're accomplishing what a weekly 2 hour NXT show would look like. (NXT is also notable for following logic and not trying to go out of its way to shock/surprise the viewers)

He also - and I know this is kind of a backhanded compliment - is the kind of wrestler who won't outshine a flashier opponent. You WANT a guy like Miz against an AJ Styles or an Apollo Crews because he'll let those guys shine while keeping up with whatever style gets thrown at him.

I'm not a good guy. I'm not a bad guy. I'm a guy who interrupts weddings he wasn't invited to and insults the bride and groom until he gets a title shot he didn't earn. What do you mean that's a bad guy?

Yup. The answer is staring at them in the face (w/ eyebrow cocked). For all their comparing Reigns to The Rock and trying to glom some of Rock's shine onto Reigns, they're forgetting that the fans had a couple years to hate The Rock (when they were supposed to) before loving him enthusiastically.

I LOVE Ranallo on the CWC. I kind of hate him on Smackdown because he (or, more likely, someone backstage) feels the need to make him shoehorn pop culture references everywhere. On the bright side, his yelling has made JBL tone down his yelling.

They also - and I watched most of Takeover at 3AM Saturday so forgive me if I'm wrong here - they never really gave a great close-up shot of it. It was a medium shot standing next to Triple H. So it just looked like a giant ball bearing on top of an obelisk. Woohoo.

The thing that weirds me out is that both Reigns and Eva Marie were busted for adderall. I don't know if the "submitting prescription info" process is too complicated for wrestlers to keep up or whatever, but that's something that should change. And if the wrestlers are using it to keep awake through the travel…

The "why" for the wellness policy begins with a "B" and ends with an "ENOIT"

And re: feeling bad for Charlotte, I agree, but I think it's just part of being a heel. I did get a kick out of her getting booed when Bayley hugged her at Takeover and Bayley saying "I had to!" while she was walking away.

If there's one knock I have against Sasha (aside from, seriously, "stop killing yourself in marquee matches"), it's that she really, really, really doesn't have much to say. Like, she's fantastic at embodying her character in presentation and body language, but a lot of the times her promos fill time by proclaiming…

Charlotte has grown an INCREDIBLE amount since her feud with Becky. Like she's totally unfazed by the audience now and is far and away the best female heel in WWE right now (maybe best heel?). As much as I want to see Sasha/Bayley III rip it up on a major WWE PPV, I am hyped through the roof that we're getting…

Supposedly, Nikki will be mostly a part-time worker from here on out. I weirdly have faith in the Smackdown! writers room, even though, yeah, you're right, they need to promote the Total Divas/Bellas brand. I think Becky will be the one keeping the division afloat week in and week out, regardless.

I don't even understand how heel American Alpha would work right now. They're like… Bayley levels of sunshine split between two men who can wrestle well.

That's a risk, for sure, but Cass is, I think, established enough to make it through. He had a solid, brief singles run when Enzo was injured. He's not the best talker, but he has Enzo. But yeah, no point in guessing something that'll never happen. We're getting another Reigns run so everyone can hate the belt and the…

I think Becky will be the top female face on Smackdown, which is perfect. She and Natalya are good enough in-ring veterans to get the newer wrestlers up to speed in between feuding with Nikki or whomever (and Bliss and Carmella are already nearly there). Smackdown weirdly has the more balanced women's division right…

I'm hoping against all hope that they throw it on Cass. There's almost literally no shot of that happening at all, but it would be the freshest option (and Enzo's promo the following week would be NUCLEAR). I did actually turn off the show after Jericho's entrance because, yeah, no way Reigns was losing that match. I…

I'm guessing Joe will get a rematch at the next Takeover, which gives them a few months to build someone (probably Roode or Itami, but god I would love another Fatal 4-way for the title)

I kind of hope that the segment was a legit retirement speech/passing of the torch to The Club. The Dudleyz don't have much to offer as a tag team these days*, and I'd love to see them among the HOF inductions next year.

"Sheamus, you've lost three matches in three weeks. You're Strowman's opponent next RAW", I think, would be the logical thing for Foley to do. But you know. Foley's taken a lot of chair shots over the years.

My roommate who doesn't watch wrestling was hanging out during that match and his reaction to the end of the match was "WHAT THE HELL? HE WON? HE DIDN'T *DO* ANYTHING."