Has SmackDown Live turned a corner as a brand?


Following the superstar shake-up after WrestleMania, many thought that the SmackDown roster had been taken to the next level, and many thought the future was bright for the blue brand which up to that  point had been outperforming Raw. Unfortunately, after the tenure of The Modern Day Maharajah and various booking mistakes, SmackDown has taken a tumble. However, following ‘Hell in a Cell’ and the SmackDown after, it's looking like Tuesday nights have finally turned a corner and are on the way back up, but is caution needed in the short term? 

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

One of the most promising story lines at the moment is the rekindled friendship between Zayn and Owens and the subsequent heel turn from Zayn. Since his feud with Strowman, Zayn has failed to be used in a meaningful role and his move to the blue brand had up to this point, yielded anything good. Yet, finally, SmackDown writers have woken up and smelt the coffee and given Zayn the storyline he deserves. Although it was not the role many envisaged, it has the potential to be one of the best story lines in recent history. If Sami and Kevin can use their telepathic connection built up through years of actual friendship, they could become the stable of the blue brand and propel it into the future. Who knows how long it will go on, but regardless it has the potential to be brilliant. 

Steadily improving tag division

At an under-10 end of season football awards ceremony, the SmackDown tag division would have cleaned up the ‘most improved’ award. The Usos and New Day’s feud has been arguably one of the best tag team feuds in recent years and the high caliber of matches, reaching a scintillating climax at Hell in the Cell, has drawn attention to the division. Furthermore, the recent push of Benjamin and Gable and the vignettes involving Breezango have made the tag division of great interest. 

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