Much like Monday Night Raw one day earlier, Tuesday's edition of SmackDown Live showcased its breadth and newfound depth of fresh storylines that comes with such a large infusion of talent.
What was first advertised as Daniel Bryan's long-awaited face-to-face meeting with The Miz on Miz TV turned into something else entirely -- setting the stage for both the short- and long-term future of the Miz-Bryan rivalry and SmackDown at large.
Big Cass, sidelined since last August with an ACL injury, opened the show by interrupting The Miz's endless string of self-adulation upon his return to Tuesday nights. Cass came to the ring in a designer suit and sounded like someone with a lot to prove -- and it doesn't get bigger than getting right into it with Daniel Bryan, whom Cass apparently has felt slighted by since his setback.
Why has Cass felt no love since his return, while fans go berserk over Bryan? How could he, someone with such a daunting physical presence, take a backseat to anyone, never mind to a person he considers an overrated hack like Bryan?
"It looks like he should be my garbage man, but on Tuesdays, instead of picking up my trash, he comes to SmackDown Live and spews trash at each and every one of you," Cass said of Bryan.
After Cass' intrusion, and Bryan's no-show, cameras flashed backstage as Asuka and Becky Lynch made their way out to the ring. Cass had laid Bryan low, and then in the late stages of the show Bryan made his way out of the trainer's room to confirm a backlash match between the two of them. It's an interesting welcome-back moment for Cass, who looks like he is being positioned for a shot at being one of the high-profile stars on the new and improved SmackDown roster.
"It doesn't matter how big you are, because everyone is the same size when they're on the mat, and they're tapping OUT." - @WWEDanielBryan looks forward to meeting @BigCassWWE at #WWEBacklash! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/5jO6Giwncv
- WWE (@WWE) April 25, 2018
Will the creative team make the bold decision to let Bryan, the most popular figure in WWE, take a loss so early in his comeback, even if some foul play is involved? Or can you justify weakening a seven-foot behemoth who has a fresh, post-Enzo Amore start with a loss in a high profile pay-per-view event this early in his return?
Whatever happens, it's a welcome change of pace. After months of the Bryan-Shane McMahon-Kevin Owens-Sami Zayn hullabaloo that lasted far longer than it should have, the former SmackDown general manager needs to showcase himself without so many other factors in play.
But this episode of SmackDown was far from the Daniel Bryan show; in fact, he made just the two brief on-screen appearances. AJ Styles linked back up with Gallows & Anderson, fresh off their move to SmackDown in the Superstar Shakeup, but their match against Shinsuke Nakamura, Rusev and Aiden English had a familiar (and somehow even more painful) ending than previous weeks' attacks.
Beyond that, other new arrivals stepped up as well. The IIconics showed they are more than irritating mouthpieces with an astounding tag team win, while Shelton Benjamin proved he does not need Chad Gable by his side with a shocking upset of his own.
SmackDown has dubbed itself the land of opportunity, but before the Superstar Shakeup a week ago, the overall heartbeat of the show was reliant on the same stars week in, week out. That approach had worn thin, even with the return of Bryan the in-ring performer, but Tuesday showed us we have something to look forward to in the 90 or so minutes between the opening segment and main event as SmackDown moves forward.
After ANOTHER low blow to @AJStylesOrg, @ShinsukeN hurt those closest to the @WWE Champion...in the form of @KarlAndersonWWE. #SDLive pic.twitter.com/GJmx1eximK
- WWE (@WWE) April 25, 2018
Other notes
Styles, Gallows and Anderson fell in their reunion match, and it only got worse after Nakamura pinned Gallows. Styles attacked Nakamura, only for the latter to hit yet another low blow -- his fourth in as many confrontations with Styles. He lined Styles up for a Kinshasa, only for Anderson to jump in the way and "take the bullet" for his friend, and Styles wasn't able to help Anderson as Nakamura nailed a second knee strike for good measure.
The mind games continued just days before their rematch for the WWE championship at Greatest Royal Rumble, and the tension and stakes couldn't be higher. But there was another bright spot to this main event, with Anderson and Gallows immediately getting back into the main event. Before their move to SmackDown, they had become irreverent, almost insignificant, players. Joining forces with Styles again should give them more berth to succeed and eventually challenge for the tag team titles on Tuesday nights.
After her unprecedented winning streak, Asuka is now on a two-match televised losing streak. After falling to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, ending one of the most unbelievable starts to a career in the WWE she, along with partner Becky Lynch, lost to The IIconics. Granted, it came after Peyton Royce illegally put her foot on the rope to help pin Becky, but facts are facts. The last thing SmackDown can afford right now is another women's faction appearing ordinary (see: the Riott Squad or Welcoming Committee). And let's face it: Asuka can take another loss or two without losing her air of star power, especially if she's not the one taking the fall.
Shelton Benjamin defeated Randy Orton in the middle of the ring in 2018. Yes, it came as a result of a masked Sunil Singh interfering, and yes, these multi-directional storylines hanging over the United States championship (and Orton himself) need to be streamlined, but Benjamin is a solid in-ring performer who deserves a chance after months of underwhelming tag team results with Chad Gable. Who knows where it could go from here?
Speaking of that match, Jeff Hardy was ringside and seems a likely future foe for Orton, once Jinder Mahal's challenge in Saudi Arabia is sorted out. More than almost anyone else, Orton needs a momentum shifter to get him out of his current state of uncertainty. He has not shined in what seems like an eternity, even when he did have the WWE championship. His rivalries with Bray Wyatt and Mahal were stale. That could, and should, change against Hardy.
Can anyone say mic drop? After an endless stream of boasting by Carmella, who again played her own highlight reel, she and Flair signed their contract to have a proper match at Backlash. But instead of an all-out brawl at the end, Charlotte nonchalantly slammed Carmella's head into the table and then threw the table on the champ before walking out of the ring like nothing ever happened. Different, and effective.
Not that Naomi should be relegated to sidekick status by any means, but having her intertwined in The Usos' storylines in a fresh take for someone who needs one. On Tuesday, she came to the ring as Jimmy Uso was getting manhandled by Rowan, causing a long enough distraction with her entrance to allow Jey Uso to hit a flying kick on Harper on the outside. All of that distraction allowed Jimmy, to snag the win.
Yes, Naomi won the women's battle royal at WrestleMania, but it seems that trophy's already been forgotten. It's hard to see her vying for the SmackDown women's title any time soon, with Carmella and Charlotte beginning a rivalry, not to mention Asuka lingering in the background. Some mixed-gender matches involving Naomi and Jimmy, two fantastic athletes, would not be the worst decision while things get sorted out in the short term.