So let’s do this again! Hopefully Smackdown Live reloads tonight. I especially want to see The Club reunited with AJ Styles. Stay tuned for my reactions as the night goes on.
8:01pm They start off with a rather obvious development. They can’t have both secondary titles on Raw and pretend the shows are equal. KO to SDL!
8:05pm Baron Corbin picks right up where he left off: secondary title feud.
8:07pm You knew Sami Zayn couldn’t be far behind! Welcome to Smackdown!
8:08pm AJ Styles is still here!
8:11pm Wait what? Chris Jericho can win the US Championship and then go away with Fozzy? Does Kevin Owens go back to Raw if that happens? Let’s hope KO keeps the strap and stays on SDL.
8:14pm Commercial break question: who will Shinsuke Nakamura feud with now that Miz is on Raw?
8:20pm So what is Erick Rowan doing by himself on Smackdown?
8:23pm I like the idea of a faction with members on both brands, and it does cultivate a mystique for Bray Wyatt. But the Wyatt Family is misused more often than not. So we shall see…
8:30pm This is would be a good time for Gallows and Anderson to run in… Wishful thinking, perhaps.
8:40pm I was right about the incoming tag team ambush. The Shining Stars were not who I had in mind, however.
8:41pm Jinder Mahal is coming to Smackdown. Woohoo.
8:58pm Now for the Smackdown Live women’s division! Who’s coming? Charlotte, Sasha, both, neither?
9:02pm Tamina is coming to SDL.
9:03pm The crowd wants Sasha. Shane gives them Charlotte. Is Sasha still on the way?
9:04pm Looks like she isn’t.
9:08pm Sin Cara on Smackdown makes no damn sense. They never found a place for Kalisto. Rusev will be a good get when he returns. Rusev and Lana can be an “it couple” in lieu of Miz and Maryse.
9:09pm Aiden English is going to be this round’s Heath Slater.
9:19pm Uh, Bob Fosse used bowler hats–not top hats.
9:21pm SDLanswers my 8:14 question with Dolph Ziggler.
9:30pm Just in case the WWE is reading this, the triple threat match would be a good time to introduce The Club.
9:33pm The New Day is a good addition. They haven’t had much to do on Rawrecently.
9:37pm AJ Styles just Too Sweet-ed himself. Foreshadowing?
9:59pm No Gallows and Anderson. Ah, well.
10:01pm Smackdown Live is a decent wrestling show–it wasn’t 24 hours ago. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Rusev/Lana aren’t exactly an equal trade for Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt and Miz/Maryse. But the newcomers can tell good stories. It will still be a good show, but I care less for this set of characters/wrestlers. If they aren’t going to put The Club back together with AJ Styles, then they ought to do it on Raw with Finn Balor.
This is more on the whiskey side of the equation than the papist. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to Raw tonight and Smackdown Live tomorrow night! Keep A.J. Styles on Smackdown! That probably isn’t happening, so hopefully SDL gets some interesting talent.
UPDATE: So maybe I’ll live blog the Superstar Shake-up. Follow along if you’re so inclined.
8:02pm Miz as Cena is hilarious. He could use some fresh new feuds on Raw.
8:05pm Dean Ambrose is going to Raw??!?!? Please, no! That would be worse than A.J. Styles leaving (for me). I guess it does make some sense to have all the former Shield members on one show.
8:08pm DIRTY DEEDS!
Per the whiskey angle, here’s what I’m drinking tonight. Not mind-blowing, but a quality easy-drinking beer.
8:13pm Is Sami going to SDL? Doesn’t look like they’re going to tell us yet.
8:17pm Looks like we have a match. Time for me to drink and wonder about Smackdown without Miz, Dean and (probably) AJ. Presumably SDL will get some heavy artillery back tomorrow? Not a bad way to build buzz for tomorrow.
8:35pm Curt Hawkins is back on Monday Night Raw. And we care…because?
8:56pm What will become of Seth Rollins?
8:59pm Seth is staying on Raw, unless Stephanie McMahon comes out and fires him. Will the Shield members all be on Raw after tomorrow night?
9:02pm …or Kurt Angle.
9:04pm Nope. Seth stays.
9:07pm They are keeping both secondary titles on Raw? This isn’t good for Smackdown…
9:35pm Bray Wyatt is on Raw, but still rassling Randy Orton in a House of Horrors match. And nobody still knows what that is. Wyatt vs. Finn Balor could be a spooky feud.
9:39pm EitherSmackdown is not getting adequate compensation, or they are just saving that for tomorrow. I hope it’s the latter. I also hope Gallows and Anderson end up with A.J. Styles, whichever show that may be.
9:42pm Kalisto and Slater/Rhyno are joining Raw. The latter doesn’t mean much to me either way. I’m a Smackdown Live partisan, and a Kaliso fan, but it doesn’t make any sense to keep him out of the Cruiserweight division on Raw.
9:58pm Reigns is still too much of a face. If he’s a heel, he shouldn’t be reluctant to retire The Undertaker.
10:01pm Can someone get Braun Strowman a new shirt? I’m tired of seeing his man-cleavage.
10:03pm Gotta love the “Your deserve it!” chants for Roman Reigns. This is definitely putting Braun Strowman over.
10:16pm The Shining Stars and The aforementioned Club against Sheamus, Cesaro and the Hardy Boyz. Gee, I wonder who is winning this match…
10:17pm Elias Samson, The Drifter, is just kinda watching the match in the ring. Like a cut-rate Sting, except with a guitar rather than a baseball bat.
10:26pm So did I miss something? Did Elias Samson just wander out there for no reason? Did he do anything? Is he on Raw?
10:28pm Dana Brooke stays on Raw,Emma(NOTlina) is going to Smackdown?
10:32pm Moment of truth for Sasha Banks?
10:37pm Alexa Bliss to Smackdown. Bayley and Sasha Banks seem to be doubling down on their rivalry, so Charlotte is probably switching brands tomorrow night.
10:39pm And Mickie James. Hey Mickie!
10:40pm Nia Jax here to welcome the newcomers and continue hostilities with Banks and Bayley. Charlotte is the odd woman out in this scene.
10:50pm Does this mean AJ Styles is staying on Smackdown Live? I am not resting easy until SDL is off the air tomorrow night. Send Gallows and Anderson over, though!
11:06pm So we’ll find out who is coming to Smackdown tomorrow. See you then!