5 Takeaways From SmackdownLive - 6/19/18

This is my series, simply known as "5 Takeaways", where I will share my personal main talking points coming out of Raw and SmackdownLive.

These are all my opinion, so I may miss a nugget or two. If you have something to add to my list, or a list of your own, feel free to share in the comment section below!

Also, please check out The Enzuigiri podcast, Reddit, and Facebook page!

https://m.facebook.com/groups/theenzuigiri

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheEnzuigiriPodcast

https://m.soundcloud.com/theenzuigiri

We are a group of long-time wrestling fans living in the Tri-State area. We have results, news, and so much more!

Carmella opened the show alone, and talked about how she used to struggle with confidence issues... then "siked" us all out! She was then interrupted by Asuka... only it was James Ellsworth! What a swerve!

In all seriousness, it's good to have Ellsworth back on SmackdownLive. Carmella's character hasn't necessarily been getting old to me, but his return has definitely freshened up the story.

In a weird promo, Jeff Hardy donned his awesome face paint (hopefully he also brings back his "No More Words" theme song), and talked about Shinsuke Nakamura. He spoke about wanting revenge and how Nakamura has "opened his eyes". The Rockstar responded by saying he's going to "close" Hardy's eyes.

Strange exchange, but I'm glad Hardy is rocking the face paint again. He now is back to his unique persona instead of "generic superstar #1", and this feud should be interesting, if not then it's at least a way to get the US title on television.

After defeating now former WWE superstar Big Cass, Daniel Bryan looked to become the next challenger for the WWE championship. Instead, he ran into what appears to be his next opponents in the Bludgeon Brothers, as they laid him out during the gauntlet match, and cost Bryan his shot.

Assuming this turns into a two-on-two rivalry, it'll be interesting to see who joins forces with him. I'm predicting it will be Samoa Joe (purely out of mutual respect).

After weeks on vignettes advertising their debut (and another month of silence), Sanity made their first appearance on the main roster. Attacking the Usos, the former NXT group chose a big name team to make an example out of.

I'm excited to see what WWE does with these guys, as they will be a breath of fresh air on SmackdownLive. The two teams will put on some good matches, and I'd assume whoever comes out on top (Sanity) will be the next contenders for the Bludgeon Brothers.

In the main event, a 5 man gauntlet match was held to determine the #1 contender for the WWE championship. Surprisingly, Rusev ended up coming out on top. By making The Miz submit to the Accolade, the Bulgarian Brute shocked many and made his showdown with AJ Styles at Extreme Rules official.

Rusev Day has been massively popular with the crowd, that it's about time WWE (tries to) take advantage of this. I doubt he will dethrone the Phenomenal One, but this will be a fun match for sure.