WWE has a rocky history when it comes to executing nostalgia. For every Hardy Brothers return at WrestleMania 33, there’s the Bellas, overstaying their welcome like a drunk uncle after Christmas lunch.
But even I have to admit that they got it right this time. There is absolutely no circumstance under which I need more Booker T in my life – not on commentary, not for pay-per-view pre-shows, not even during milestone episodes of SmackDown Live. The man’s an incoherent, bumbling mess.
But King Booker?! Now that’s a different story. The arrogant, pompous monarch’s over-the-top spiel perfectly complimented the New Day’s ridiculous antics. Having one five-time champ pass the torch to another was inspired and weirdly poetic. Plus, anything involving the New Day guarantees a fun start to the show, and this was no exception. I encourage everyone who missed it last night to take a moment and watch it now – and by “now”, I mean after you’ve finished reading this article. Obviously.
And that was just the opening segment! There was certainly a lot going on during this week’s episode of SmackDown Live. We had a surprise appearance, first-time matchups, sneak attacks and a title defense.
What was good? What didn’t work? Luckily our WrestleTalk writing team is here to give you our unsolicited opinions. Keep reading to find out which moments from last night’s show were our favorite, which were our least favorite, and what our overall impressions were.
