We end another week with another SmackDown In A Nutshell…no shock there. This week’s question: what next from Retribution?
It’s a fair question, as the pint-sized pests have annoyed WWE Superstars across all brands and in the Performance Center for a couple weeks now.
Aside from knowing they look as though they got rejected by 205 Live, we don’t know much about them. Could that be because WWE isn’t really sure who should be in the group?
Wouldn’t shock me, at this point…
But, aside from whatever disruptions and shenanigans might come out of what’s next from Retribution…there is still a whole show to cover.
SummerSlam is just over a week away, and we do have a new location for it (even though the announcers only said it was rumored, having been revealed before the taped show aired…).
Braun Strowman and The Fiend continue their buildup toward their title clash. We have a battle royal to determine who will challenge Bayley for hers.
It’s a busy night, and we still have to wonder about what’s next from Retribution?
Lets crack open this Nutshell and find out!
Best Match of the night:
For a pure match, give me the battle royal…but there’s room for adjustment.
Big E and John Morrison was actually very good too…but the whole Retribution side of things tarnished the scoring.
Worst match of the night:
I’d say Shorty G and Sheamus.
Star of the Night
Hands down, Asuka. I am disappointed we didn’t see Shayna Baszler get it, because I think Shayna deserves to see her push fulfilled…but I am intrigued by what could come for the Empress of Tomorrow.
Spot of the Night:
The nifty double team by Lucha House Party, on the ramp against Cesaro? That’s my pick tonight.
Jobber of the Night:
The talent in the back that took the brunt of Retribution’s end of evening assault.
Upset of the Night:
Didn’t really feel like it, but Gran Metalik over Shinsuke Nakamura probably can be called one.
Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:
Well, we finally got Retribution getting hands on WWE Superstars…and some bigger names at that in John Morrison and Big E.
HERE WE GO AGAIN!
RETRIBUTION is here on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/souBwqHYxe
— WWE (@WWE) August 15, 2020
Though, the whole thing felt…rehashed? I know someone reading will be able to confirm, but the way things happened Friday night, I feel we’ve seen this before.
New group attacks Superstars to open show. Match is re-booted to close.
Locker room unites to surround and protect, but leaves some sacrificial lambs in the back.
The only thing that was missing? Once the locker room guys ran to the back, having one or two attack Big E and Morrison again probably would have been smart…I was looking for that.
Botch of the night:
Another week, still giving this to the Retribution angle. WWE needs to get moving on this quick, it’s losing steam and I feel many fans may already be tired of it.
LOL Moment of the night:
A couple for me.
One, hearing the announcers plug that they don’t know where, but they know they will be someplace different next week and with new experiences for the fans.
This made me LOL because, well, hours before the show aired, we knew WWE was rolling into the Amway Center.
Second, how about The Fiend sticking his tongue out at Braun as the show was fading out. Maybe it was meant more sinister…but I took it with humor.
Noteworthy Moment:
Kalisto is back, so that has to be noteworthy.
Gran Metalik pinned one half of the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, which is also noteworthy.
It also felt like, as the show went off the air, we are seeing a double turn. We have heard about The Fiend becoming a face, weird as that seems…so if he’s fighting Braun, it only makes sense, right?
And see…I am not the only one thinking double turn…
Double turn on this week’s TV-14 #WWE #Smackdown? https://t.co/rqdxdWd7Dx pic.twitter.com/3hVKFyoLGc
— NoDQ.com: #WWE #Summerslam 2020 news (@nodqdotcom) August 15, 2020
Because tonight, slamming Alexa and whatnot, Strowman definitely embodied a heel.
The big one, I think, had to be Asuka winning the battle royal. That means that the Empress of Tomorrow could become Asuka Two Belts at SummerSlam.
Overall lowlights:
Any guesses?
Seriously?
It’s Retribution. The camera work is annoying, the group hasn’t said a word or delivered a message…it’s kind of…meh.
The Retribution segments give me motion sickness.
#SmackDown— Rip City Beaver but wearing a face mask (@ripcitybeav) August 15, 2020
It could be so much more…and maybe it will be…but they need to put out a manifesto or something. Tell us why you are mad and doing what you are doing.
Don’t just run around, masked because Vince doesn’t know who he wants in the group yet, beating up trainees and officials mostly.
Overall highlights:
I liked face Braun, but I am intrigued to see where the new Braun goes. Though, I still find it hard to imagine The Fiend as a babyface.
Unless WWE tries to position The Fiend as if he’s like Bray Wyatt’s version of Finn Balor’s “Demon”? But even then…I don’t know.
Also very much looking forward to seeing Asuka get a shot at both titles at SummerSlam.
Do I think she wins both? Probably not, but there are plenty of ways WWE could go with this…and I probably am only thinking of a few.
I do think that it will be a way to get Bayley and Sasha closer to feuding…though I don’t think it will happen at SummerSlam (even with Payback a week later).
After the final bell:
Whatever the reason may be, as we stand just over a week away from SummerSlam, the card seems lacking. This SmackDown didn’t completely help that.
I will say I am more into the Braun Strowman/Fiend/Alexa triangle than I thought I would be. A Braun Strowman turn is an interesting curve, too.
Sure, we have a hair versus hair match for SummerSlam now…and AJ Styles versus Jeff Hardy for the IC strap on next week’s SmackDown…
But overall, it’s as though WWE is having a hard time getting us excited about SummerSlam, because they aren’t getting excited about it either (and oddly, I can relate).
I am not sure what excites me less…SummerSlam a week from Sunday, or Payback now a week from SummerSlam.
Of course, now that we have a PPV immediately after another PPV, there will be at least a match or two that don’t end clean, thus giving us a rematch a week later.
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