HEYDORN’S SMACKDOWN RECEIPT 6/24: Main event lacks some logic, but juggles needed MITB hype

This week’s episode of WWE Smackdown has wrapped. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and relive some of the madness.

-I thought Drew McIntyre had a good night. He opened Smackdown with some fanfare and sword aside, looked the part of a top champion. Not sure I’m buying how they got to the tag main event for entry in the Money in the Bank ladder match, but “A” for effort.

-WWE is really reaching for tricks regarding MITB qualification. Why not make this more formulaic? Like the WWE Draft. It happens a certain way at the same time of year. Or the G1. If WWE puts context and a level of seriousness around the MITB prize, the event will automatically mean more.

-Sami Zayn is a smart add to the Money in the Bank ladder match. Obviously, he has zero chance of winning the thing, but his involvement pretty much makes it good.

-The Shanky dancing thing has to stop. He’s on his own now after Jinder Mahal walked on him and what does he have besides that silliness?

-It’s good to see Adam Pearce grow a backbone again as the Smackdown figurehead and throw some shade back at Sonya Deville. She got squashed by Lacey Evans and Raquel Gonzalez, which given their push right now, isn’t the worst thing in the world. It drives a story more than anything else.

-Natalya did a nice job playing Ronda Rousey dress up. Not exactly a championship match angle, but it was a chapter in their story. It’s almost as if WWE doesn’t have faith in the credibility of their own titles. It’s jarring just how much the championships are glossed over in favor of stuff like dress up.

-Oh, Ricochet. Back to the bottom of the card you go. It was kinda fun while it lasted. Honestly, Gunther needed to squash him and retain his Intercontinental Championship. He’s the priority and has a high upside that has gotten even higher since joining the main roster.

-Hey! Shotzi is in Money in the Bank. A fresh face for the match and someone that could elevate herself in it if presented right and if she can find a stand out spot for herself in it.

-The longer WWE holds on the Max Dupri payoff, the less impact it’ll have. I don’t believe that the reveal of who his team is will leave enough of a mark to warrant this type of hype. Nothing like shooting a new act in the foot before the debut even happens, huh?

-Really good Smackdown main event. Not only was it full of exciting action, but it very much helped build The Usos vs. Street Profits at Money in the Bank. McIntyre and Sheamus winning makes perfectly good sense and McIntyre is still my pick to win the briefcase next weekend.

CATCH-UP: HEYDORN’S DYNAMITE RECEIPT 6/22: Decent go home show can’t fix messy Forbidden Door build