WWE.com and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly breaks down SmackDown and Raw with his "best" superlatives of the two shows.
RAW
BEST MOMENT (Jacob Fatu run over by Jaida Parker): I know it is harsh to say the best moment of Raw was when a grown man was run over by a car on live television, but here we are. The 946 vs. The Bloodline rivalry took a step up in intensity when Jaida Parker plowed into The Samoan Werewolf in an wild moment to end the show. Absolute escalation, and that’s saying something when their previous rap sheet included assault, arson and kidnapping. The entire final part of the show, which started with a brawl inside the arena and spilled into the parking lot, isn’t new, but it was so well done that it advanced The 946 to the point of being a real threat.
BEST TALKING MOMENT (Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan): Jey Uso’s work to start the show was high quality and efficient, but the two parts of the show that stood out were brief: Oba Femi and Bronson Reed and Lynch and Morgan. Becky and Liv’s on-screen talk lasted under a minute, but it didn’t need to be any longer than that to set the stage for next week’s No. 1 Contender's Match. Liv asked what Becky has done to make the championship more interesting, and The Man responded, “You don’t even believe you can beat me one-on-one." There wasn’t much more to say.
BEST MATCH (Penta & Je’Von Evans vs. JD McDonough & Dom Mysterio): When you put these Superstars together in the ring, it’s difficult to have a bad match. We know what kind of competitors Dom and Penta are. JD is grossly underrated in that regard, but Evans was the star in this match. Evans had his typical high moment, but his ring awareness and storytelling shone, especially for a 21-year-old; it may have been the best of his short time on the main roster. Now, it might have been lost with Joe Hendry and then Bron Breakker interference, but it shouldn’t have been. If I had to give an honorable mention, it would be Lyra Valkyria and IYO SKY.
BEST MOMENT (LA Knight's video): Maybe I am just a sucker for a good video, but LA Knight hit it out of the ballpark with his two minutes in front of the camera laying out where he is, where he came from, and where he is going in terms of the World Heavyweight Championship and Roman Reigns. Knight kept the main event at WWE Money in the Bank front and center while Reigns wasn’t in the building. When The Megastar said that he’s aware this might be his last shot, it was solid work by Knight.
MVP (Parker): What a way to make your main roster debut. An appearance in the opening moments and the closing moments of the show, not to mention what she did to Jacob Fatu. Parker joining The 946 elevates her to a different level before she even gets into the ring. Does The Bloodline now counter with Naomi's return? If so, then Parker went from somebody who worked with The 946 in NXT to a top-of-the-card player.
SMACKDOWN
BEST MOMENT (Ending of the Triple Threat Men's Money in the Bank Qualifying Match): The last three minutes of the qualifier for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match between CM Punk, Gunther and Finn Bálor were riveting to watch, and the capacity crowd in Indianapolis felt it, too. A Coup de Grace by Bálor that Gunther broke up, followed by a Slingblade by The Prince, right into The Ring General's Sleeper, to the GTS by Punk to the dropkick, and Powerbomb by Gunther, to The Best of the World kicking out to the sleeper by Gunther, to the sleeper again, to the Coup de Grace to Gunther’s back, to Punk rolling over to get the pin was a match worth of action in 120 seconds. It was easily the best moment of SmackDown.
BEST TALKING MOMENT: (Randy Orton): Another sit-down with Michael Cole, but this time with Randy Orton. Orton’s message was that The American Nightmare is lying because he is indeed compromised, even if he still comes across as a "good guy" to all. The way Orton laid out all the “compromises” that Rhodes has gone through over the past 20 years was irrefutable. “He left, he found himself, he got a tattoo, a three-piece suit and a pocket watch...” What a line. How Orton said it, you believed it.
BEST MATCH: (Trick Williams vs. Baron Corbin | United States Title Steel Cage Match): You can’t go wrong when you have a Steel Cage Match to kick off SmackDown, let alone one for the United States Championship. Two big Superstars dangling 15 feet in the air on the cage isn’t something you see every day, and Williams huge superplex from the top of the structure was impressive. Trick’s clean win with three straight Book End Slams to retain felt like the rivalry was concluding — maybe.
BEST MOMENT: Sami Zayn is as delusional as they come, and his backstage segment with Cathy Kelley was highlighted by, once again, him being the only person in the company doing things for the "right" reasons, that his Undisputed WWE Title is a symbol of hope for millions of kids around the world. The scary part is that he truly believes what he is saying. “The Last Real Good Guy” coming off as a maniac is nuance at its finest. The juxtaposition of him continually manipulating Johnny Gargano – including during the same segment – was a nice reminder.
MVP (Lash Legend): Legend took a big step in her career as she is one win away from having a chance at the WWE Women’s Title. Legend was quite impressive in her Triple Threat Money in the Bank Women’s Qualifying Match, defeating Charlotte Flair and Giulia.
