Smackdown Spoilers

SmackDown kicks off with an in-ring promo from Seth Rollins. Rollins says on Sunday he won't need J&J security nor Kane as a gatekeeper. Kane interrupts. The two exchange words. Rollins brings up the fact that Kane lost to Cena on Monday's RAW. Kane then suggested that since he laid down for Seth, it's time for Seth to return the favor. This leads to a match between the two.

* Seth Rollins vs. Kane in a non-title match ended in a no-contest. Kane tries to get Rollins to lay down for him but then reveals that he was just messing around with him. Kane then announces Dean Ambrose vs. Rollins will take place instead. As Ambrose makes his way down the ramp, Luke Harper comes out and the two brawl. Ambrose loses the upper hand until Roman Reigns makes the save.

* Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins & Luke Harper is announced for later tonight.

* Ryback vs. Rusev was hyped for tonight.

* Neville & Dolph Ziggler defeated Bad News Barrett & Sheamus. Prior to the match, Sheamus cuts a promo on Neville and Ziggler's size.

* Bray Wyatt promo is shown.

* Naomi defeated Natalya via the Rearview.

* The Prime Time Players cut a promo on Cesaro and Kidd.

* Ryback defeated Rusev by DQ. Rusev was disqualified for using a chain. After the match, Rusev used the chain to apply The Accolade on Ryback.

* Backstage segment with J&J Security, Luke Harper and Seth Rollins. Harper ends up warning Rollins to not get in his way.

* Kofi Kingston (w/Big E, Xavier Woods) defeated Cesaro (w/Tyson Kidd). Before the match, New Day cuts a promo.

* Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose defeated Seth Rollins and Luke Harper. Reigns speared Rollins and pinned him to win the match. This concluded tonight's taping.

Whats the size of the tag team division in wwe these days?

Good few teams, or scraping the barrel.

Used to love the tag team fued's.

WWE doesn't see tag matches as anything more than a way to use two wrestlers they have no plan for and as a way to get the crowd hot opening a show.  Both at Mania and also for Extreme Rules the tag titles didn't make the main show.  And of course, Orton single-handedly can beat the best WWE tag teams.  For an insight into how weak the tag division is, Los Matadores were in a fatal-four way for the titles at Mania.

Still, this is the division as such:
- Cesaro & Tyson Kidd (Champions)
- Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara).  Recently promoted from NXT to be the high flying tag team while Jey Uso is out injured
- The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods).  Really a trio formed after WWE had broken up their trios.
- The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neill).  For some reason they broke up in 2014, did nothing and then re-formed.
- Los Matadores
- The Ascension.  Brought up from NXT and the 80s they were meant to be a big heel dominating team, but are now jobbers.
- The Usos. As mentioned above Jey is out injured probably for around 6 months.

I think it is safe to assume that Miz & Mizdow and Gold & Stardust have both broken up.  But none of those will do anything individually, so they could be back together again in a few weeks.

I think that's it.  There may be others.  But it's really hard to care if WWE don't.
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Wait, did Roman Reigns pin the World Champion on Smackdown?

Cheers Prometheus

The annoying thing about the WWE's current tag division is talent wise, its in great shape. Take then teams P mentioned, add in Enzo and Cass and you have a division with incredible potential.

The problem is, WWE seem to struggle to make meaningful feuds around the titles, nevermind the undercard. A division can only thrive if theres somwthing else driving the teams that arent in the title picture.

Sadly you are right Samo. A couple of heel teams, a couple of jobber teams and a couple of face teams and you have a division.

Both LU and Impact have recently featured trios and tag tournies. I'd have actually had more interest in the next PPV if WWE had done something like this. Focus on the tag division, put in couple of odd-pairing teams so that you have your 8 and have a PPV tag team tournie.

Not only would you have focus on this division and give it a new spring of life, but it would give WWE longer to focus on its main feuds that have come out of WM and have Extreme Rules as the next PPV.

But everything has to be so predictably the same. WWE need a women's match so people can go pee, etc. etc.

Apparently Cesaro and Kidd are set to work as the face team in the Extreme Rules match due to the reaction they got in Europe. Very much enjoying the (clearly required) attitude change from the New Day. There's a decent division together there and they showed at Mania (pre-show, sure) that they can go.

Crimey wrote:Wait, did Roman Reigns pin the World Champion on Smackdown?

I don't have a huge problem with this as there will surely be their feud coming soon down the line. I'd have actually had Reigns in a 3-way at this PPV. But I do think that WWE has to be careful in how they book Rollins that they just don't end up making their champion look really weak.

I think WWE really missed a trick coming out of Mania. I think they could have stuck Itami up on Raw and had him feud with Big Show. I know that no-one saw the Battle Royal as it was on the pre-show, but that seemed an obvious story direction. Show threw Itami over the rope, Itami wants revenge, Itami can then demonstrate his speed and agility and chop the big man down with his kicks, etc.

Instead, who, just who thought that a Big Show / Reigns feud would interest anyone. Reigns can pick up Big Show, run round the arena with him on his shoulders and do a dance and I still wont care.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Apparently Cesaro and Kidd are set to work as the face team in the Extreme Rules match due to the reaction they got in Europe. Very much enjoying the (clearly required) attitude change from the New Day. There's a decent division together there and they showed at Mania (pre-show, sure) that they can go.

That is really interesting, because I'd assumed that Cesaro and Kidd retained and that there would soon be a program with the Lucha Dragons. I think we've already seen that Cesaro can make Kalisto look like a star.

Seems like this is more likely to lead to an extended New Day / Cesaro & Kidd feud.

I sense Cesaro and Kidd could probably work heel or face depending on opponent.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I sense Cesaro and Kidd could probably work heel or face depending on opponent.

I wish this were my insight, but I read it elsewhere.

'When two heel teams meet in WWE, whichever one has the lighter skin will work face'

It makes sense for Cesaro and Kidd to work as the face or the less heelish team at this moment, the WWE are trying to get New Day over as heels so the last thing they need to do is have them work face.

That makes sense. So, do you see the New Day coming out of this as champions? And if so, does that mean that their program with Cesaro & Kidd will continue, or will the Lucha Dragons enter the title picture?

I've been thinking the next step is the Lucha Dragons getting into the title picture. And I think that Cesaro & Kidd will get much better matches out of them than the New Day.

So, I've no problem with the booking for this PPV. But I'm less sold on the what comes after.

I'd like to think Cesaro and Kidd will be the Champs for a while yet, the New Day are still finding their feet so I'd be surprised if they threw the belts on them, they're still a bit of a mess at the moment, I noticed that Cesaro and Kidd have new T-Shirts, if they're producing merch for them then that to me suggests they fancy keeping them in a somewhat prominent role so I'm thinking they'll be retaining the belts at Extreme Rules

Which would be how I'd book this too. But then they go heel again with facing the Lucha Dragons.

Sorry, I've spent too much time on this face / heel turn by Cesaro & Kidd. It's tag teams, it's Cesaro and it's preshow. So, you really know how much thinking Vince has given to this whole thing.

I think its just that I'm actually really looking forward to more stuff between Lucha Dragons and Kidd / Cesaro. And I don't want WWE to throttle that before its got out of the stables.

I don't think they'll work face to be honest, they might play a bit to the crowd but i think they'll just get the job done with minimum fuss, as you say, if its pre show its more than likely Vince wouldn't be caring to much about this.

I think the tag team match was one of the most fun matches I've seen on WWE TV for some time. Right back to those awesome Wyatt family / Shield matches.