WWE Smackdown Live results and observations (4/11/17): Superstar Shakeup, Part Two
The scene of WWE's Superstar Shakeup shifted to Boston Tuesday, as it was Smackdown Live's turn to unveil its acquisitions from Raw.
A lot of fans were concerned that with all of the talent Smackdown Live lost to Raw one night earlier that WWE would not send talent of equal value back to the blue brand.
By the end of the night, I believe the fans' concerns were quelled quite a bit.
Before I get into my observations, here are the full match results from TD Garden:
- Randy Orton vs. Erick Rowan ended in a no contest
- WWE Smackdown Tag Team championship – The Usos def. American Alpha
- Mojo Rawley def. Jinder Mahal
- Tye Dillinger def. Aiden English
- AJ Styles def. Sami Zayn & Baron Corbin
Who did Smackdown Live acquire?
While the cupboard was not left completely bare after Monday night, it was clear that Smackdown Live was in need of some big-name talent to make up for what it lost to Raw.
Smackdown Live received a lot of help in the form of WWE United States champion Kevin Owens, former WWE Raw Women's champion Charlotte Flair, former WWE Raw Tag Team champions The New Day, Zayn, Rusev, Lana, Jinder Mahal, Tamina, Byron Saxton and The Shining Stars.
You add those newcomers to the likes to what Smackdown Live already, including Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Orton, Naomi and Becky Lynch and the brand was left in very good shape moving forward.
Not to mention, Smackdown Live is still the home of John Cena whenever he is done performing his outside duties.
Kevin Owens, Zayn are meant for each other
When the brand extension first took place last summer, I was certain one of the first things WWE would do was separate Owens and Zayn.
It turned out I was wrong.
When WWE announced it was doing this Superstar Shakeup, I figured WWE would take advantage of the opportunity it missed the first time around and get those two guys away from each other.
Well, I was wrong again.
There isn't anything wrong with Owens and Zayn being on the same brand. They're feud has maintained its heat for more than a year in WWE and the matches never get old.
I just figured that WWE would put them on separate paths for a while so that when Owens and Zayn eventually crossed paths again down the road, it would have a ton of meaning.
Instead, it looks like these guys are just destined to fight each other forever and ever and ever and ever.
The Queen has arrived on Smackdown Live
Arguably Smackdown Live's biggest acquisition was Charlotte.
Charlotte heading over to Smackdown Live helps the blue brand in a number of ways. Firstly, she adds a marquee name to Smackdown Live's women's division, which it didn't have before Tuesday night.
Charlotte has been in the main event of a WWE pay-per-view, which lent her a lot more star power than any of the other women on Smackdown Live.
Another positive of Charlotte heading over to Smackdown Live is that it gets her away from Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax and even Dana Brooke, as she had done everything she could have possibly done with those women.
On Smackdown Live, she instantly has fresh matchups with the likes of Naomi and Lynch, which I would pay good money to see.
Will Smackdown Live's tag team division finally be featured?
The New Day's addition to Smackdown Live instantly makes the entertaining trio the most notable team on the brand.
It shouldn't be that way with the likes of American Alpha and The Usos already there, but that is the way it is.
American Alpha and The Usos showed once again Tuesday why they should be featured in a more prominent role on Smackdown Live with another fantastic title match.
Because American Alpha and The Usos are not featured on television that often, they usually receive tepid responses from the fans during their respective entrances.
However, by the end of their matches together, American Alpha and The Usos usually have the fans jumping out of their seats because of the excitement they are all witnessing.
That is the sign of four quality workers that should be featured more prominently.
Hopefully, The New Day's arrival gives Smackdown Live extra incentive to feature the tag team division on a more regular basis. The New Day has become an act that WWE's creative team has to carve out a spot for every week because of how financially successful the trio has become.
If The New Day is being featured on television every week, hopefully the rest of the division will be as well.
Styles is chasing the United States title
Zayn and Owens may have been the top male additions to Smackdown Live, but the blue show still belongs to Styles, and he proved as much when he defeated Zayn and Corbin in a fantastic triple threat match to become the No. 1 contender for the United States title.
Owens, the current United States champion, is scheduled to defend his title at Payback against Chris Jericho. No matter the outcome, Styles will face the winner of that match for the title.
Styles has earned a permanent spot in the main of Smackdown Live, but with WWE champion, Orton, still occupied with that mess of a feud with Bray Wyatt, Styles needs something to do until that opportunity swings his way again.
Having Styles chase the United States championship instantly adds credibility to the title. A guy of his caliber his seen as above that title, but the fact that he is pursuing it makes it seem important again.
Nakamura vs. Ziggler incoming
Something I am very excited to see one day is a match between Nakamura and Ziggler. Nakamura and Ziggler are two of the best in-ring performers WWE has on its roster and it could represent a great first feud for the former NXT champion.
The beginning of the apparent rivalry began Tuesday when Nakamura interrupted Ziggler with his grand entrance.
The Boston fans gave Nakamura a rousing ovation, as he sauntered to the ring. Once he stepped into the ring, Ziggler questioned what he was doing there.
Ziggler eventually attempted to kick Nakamura, but Nakamura caught his leg. Ziggler was able to escape and slithered out of the ring, but not before he was taunted by Nakamura.
I cannot wait to see more between these two.
Gronk helped Rawley again
Since Smackdown Live was in Boston, we should have known that New England Patriots tight end/party animal Rob Gronkowski was going to be at TD Garden to help his pal, Rawley.
Gronkowski sat in the front once again during Rawley's match against Mahal — the man the Pro Bowler ran through at WrestleMania.
Gronkowski got into another altercation with Mahal that ended with Gronkowski being the one to throw an adult beverage into Mahal's face.
Rawley took advantage of the beer toss and picked up another win over Mahal.
I know WWE wants to get the mainstream exposure that Gronkowski can bring, but it almost feels like Rawley is a background player in all of this. Eventually, Rawley will have to be more than just Gronk's pal to get over.
I feel like I want to see Mahal go against Gronkowski more than I want to see him go against Rawley. Rawley could just stand in Gronkowski's corner for all I care.
The problem is that Gronkowski is not going to be there every week. He obviously has his own obligations that come before jumping around a wrestling ring with his friend.
Rawley will be there every week and will need to do something to keep the fans interested in what he is doing.
Lana gets her own vignette
One intriguing bit of information coming out of Smackdown Live was that Lana was "coming soon."
She apparently has picked up the ball Emma/Emmalina dropped and ran with it to Smackdown Live.
Rusev is coming over to Smackdown Live, but with him sidelined with an injury, Lana will need something to do. I guess WWE saw this as the perfect opportunity to finally see if Lana can hang in the ring on the main roster.
Lana has had matches on NXT's Florida live events in the past, but nothing prominent on television outside of the big women's tag team match at WrestleMania last year.
I guess it is time to see if she can sink or swim on her own merit. Hey, if it doesn't work, she can always just be Rusev's manager, which I think is a great pairing.