SmackDown In A Nutshell: ThunderDome Is Now Home

It’s time to wrap up another week, which means we close with SmackDown In A Nutshell. This time around, ThunderDome is now home!

As in, this week’s edition of the blue brand show is the first live WWE broadcast in a while, and it’s coming to us from the Amway Center.

This gives us a glimpse of what’s to come for the near term, at least. WWE is taking over the arena and making it into their new home away from the Performance Center.

This show will surely help work out some kinks ahead of SummerSlam, though WWE did have a preview of it the other day (and it looked promising).

So what are we watching for? Well, final hype of course. Braun Strowman will face The Fiend on Sunday, so that will be front and center.

There are several other matches worth noting, such as Bayley having to defend against Asuka (who could leave SummerSlam as the Empress of Two Belts!).

So, ThunderDome is now home.

Let’s crack open this Nutshell and check it out!

Best Match of the night:

Honestly? We were quite light in this department, which was a bit of a letdown considering the timing.

For a go-home show, and the first live show in a while, and first in the ThunderDome concept? I expected more to choose from.

As it stands, I will take Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles, with Hardy claiming another Intercontinental Championship.

Worst match of the night:

How about we skip the matches and go for a segment?

I mean, sure, we had some bad matches. Most were not even average.

But the segment with Bayley, Banks and Graves was just not very good. Painful at times even.

Then again, the two matches we got immediately after, featuring that duo against Naomi? I’d probably have chosen them for the worst of the night.

And those two matches? They had consequences.

Crowd Chants of the Night:

No chants, but it was really cool to see WWE’s spin on the virtual fan concept. We’ve gotten several major professional sports leagues trying different things.

Some work, some don’t. Maybe this one loses it’s appeal after a while, but for the immediate reaction I have to give WWE points.

Star of the Night

Jeff Hardy gets it, for winning the Intercontinental Championship.

Spot of the Night:

Would have to be Braun Strowman shoving or tossing Bray Wyatt off the loading dock. Big spot, because unlike past shows, there was no benefit of editing after the fact…so WWE had to be much smarter with the camera angles and crash pads.

Jobber of the Night:

Drew Gulak and Jey Uso took some shots from Strowman, after Strowman absorbed a beating by Retribution.

Upset of the Night:

Nothing really makes it here. Hardy’s win isn’t so much an upset as it is surprising…sort of.

Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:

There are a few here.

Vince McMahon, getting a brush with The Fiend.

Retribution showing up early and attacking Strowman, after The Fiend bailed on him. Really thought we might have gotten a brief but uncomfortable alliance.

Speaking of Retribution, the group has now seemingly doubled in numbers. Might have actually gotten some bigger guys too.

WWE at least alluded to Sonya Deville’s scary weekend encounter. Also, Deville and Mandy Rose will now apparently be fighting a no-DQ match, loser leaves WWE?

Botch of the night:

The “paramedics” loading up Wyatt. Dude is supposed to have just taken a hard fall and he’s not moving…so why not try to pick him up without immobilizing him?!

Seriously, whether it was planned or spontaneous, even one of the on-lookers yelled out “stabilize him, he just had a big fall” or something to that effect.

I mean, we all know stuff is scripted and planned…but at least act it out better.

LOL Moment of the night:

I also chuckled at the botch. Yep, I have issues.

Noteworthy Moment:

Not sure if we should be reading into either thing here…however…

The Fiend was in the ring as it was being surrounded by Retribution…and then he bailed. Doubt he has anything to do with the group, but maybe its one idea WWE is kicking around?

The Miz was the last down to the ring, after everything was over and done with. Not sure if this is a hint, or just going with a Miz-only-takes-care-of-Miz angle like last week.

Overall lowlights:

Silly me, I wanted more from the go-home show. I came in with high expectations for a big night like this…first in the new set, first live in months, and mostly meh.

But seriously, with that many Superstars in the ring, we couldn’t get even one unmasking of a Retribution person?

Overall highlights:

OK, I said mostly, but it was not entirely bad.

ThunderDome as a set should be a boost. Will it help the sagging ratings?

Not sure…but it’s new and fresh and we can run with that for now.

I liked Hardy winning the belt. I think it should have managed to land on the SummerSlam card, but WWE has their reasons.

After the final bell:

This was an odd show in my mind. Perhaps too much going on ahead of SummerSlam?

I said this elsewhere, but while I am sure WWE wanted to take the new toy for a test drive before Sunday…perhaps WWE should have let things play out at the PC?

Highlight was the title change. Beyond that, it was mostly flat.

Maybe you liked the ambulance segment with The Fiend popping out after Strowman heaved Wyatt off the loading dock? But right now, I am not sure I am feeling that whole Wyatt/Strowman angle anymore.

In the end, it’s on to SummerSlam. The new set looks legit, so it should help enhance things for at least the next few weeks.