WWE SmackDown Live – February 5, 2019 (Review)

What was your favorite moment from SmackDown Live?

Kyle Payne

There was so much to like about this episode of SmackDown. The show started off hot with Charlotte Flair gloating about Becky Lynch’s situation, only to be interrupted by ‘The Man’, despite her suspension. One again, Lynch came across as an absolute star and is so over with the audience. The stare down between HHH and Becky, her slap and her defiance, was excellent and the cheers for her were unprecedented. There is no one more over than her, it’s as clear as day.

Speaking of promos, the Usos cut a killer one that reminded everyone that there are very few tag teams even remotely close to their level. Daniel Bryan and his promo, without attacking the audience, was great. There is nothing better than a heel that sees himself as the hero.

The show also had good wrestling though. Mustafa Ali’s ability to make you believe (and who also cut a good promo of his own) led to a competitive match with Randy Orton. They had a nice encounter that I would love to see more of down the line. Daniel Bryan vs. Jeff Hardy was also great and this is a terrific feud down the line for the championship belt. The non-finish also helped. Another highlight was Samoa Joe, who is a phenomenal heel not portrayed as a coward but rather a destroyer. The video package for Asuka was nice.

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Nate Craver

For once, I’m not going with Becky Lynch. Last night, I thought Samoa Joe was the best thing about Smackdown Live. He was able to come across as the vicious destroyer that he is. I know it won’t lead to him actually winning the title from Daniel Bryan. However, if WWE needs a secondary heel on the show, he fits the bill perfectly. If only there was a mid-card title he could hold that wasn’t being used on the show…

Steven Lugo

“How dare you ‘what’ my good friend, Rowan?”

The New Daniel Bryan promo was the best. While Becky’s staredown with Triple H certainly felt bigger, there is just something so unique about Bryan’s heel run right now. The audience of his home state of Washington cheered him the way Canada used to cheer heel Bret Hart. Bryan, standing there with his giant ‘intellectual peer’, Rowan, telling fans what he feels they need to hear about their consumption is both hilarious and thought-provoking. What can I say? He’s the planet’s champion.

Louis Dangoor

The opening segment. Charlotte was a cocky heel and the ultimate troll, Becky Lynch feels like a badass and Triple H eating a Lynch slap before going face-to-face with ‘The Man’ in an intense stare-down was awesome. She is confident and feels like a huge deal.

Samoa Joe is also brilliant. The way he was attacking Orton straight as the replay ended made him feel chaotic and his promo was intense as ever. So was Bryan’s. He’s fantastic on the mic and you can tell he believes every single word he says. That RKO was also damn cool. I actually also liked Mandy Rose saying that her and Sonya have been in the chamber before unlike most of the other women in the match. It was a nice instance of WWE actually have some continuity and paying attention to detail.

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