Isenberg Reacts: WWE Smackdown Live “Take Notes on How To Script a Go-Home Show, RAW”

July 19, 2017

Punjabi Prison Tease

The WWE Championship feud kicked off Smackdown Live, with Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers talking about the structure and the rules (or, are there no rules?) of the match. Randy Orton makes his way to the ring, climbs the prison and says that he has nothing to lose come Sunday and 1.3 billion people are on the shoulders of the champion. Orton hypes up the match and Mahal stands there with an angry and slightly concerned look.

This feud has been booked strong since day one. They have not tried to do too much or dilute the story by adding more and more pieces to it. It has come down to Orton’s legacy and family vs. Mahal and his people of India. With the Punjabi Prison match being so rare, I hope that it comes off better than the rest of them. I believe it will, since both of these men are faster and more athletic than the previous opponents in this structure. I still am curious to see if Randy Orton will win and become champion heading into SummerSlam. If that is the case, I am not sure who his opponent would be. A rematch clause? Shinsuke Nakamura? Does WWE dare give us Orton vs. Cena AGAIN?

WZZ 6.5

Jimmy Uso defeated Kofi Kingston

It is always nice to remember how good of a wrestler Kofi Kingston is. Even though the match was shorter than I was hoping for, it did what it needed to do. Jey Uso attempted to assist his brother, but The New Day would cut him off from the outside. Kofi landed a crossbody, but Jimmy used Kingston’s momentum, turning it into a roll-up victory and heading into Battleground with a win under his belt.

This was been another consistent feud and I hope that they keep the titles on The Uso’s. Tonight’s match was simple, basic and used for nothing more than evening the odds in terms of victories over the past few weeks.

Will another dirty victory be in store, possibly setting up a final encounter at SummerSlam? I think that would be ideal, considering Smackdown Live is focusing pretty primarily on these two teams when it comes to having the titles on the line. The New Day and The Uso’s have been the most consistent pairing, with very little down time in their feud. That is a good sign, but how long will they go?

WZ 5.5

Josh controls most of the creative writing and ideas for the show on a weekly basis, as well as an on-air talent.
Aside from working with WrestleZone, Isenberg began his career in Broadcast Journalism interning at ESPN and worked with CBS Radio for three years. He has also had the opportunity to interview some of the best athletes and performers alive, including Andrew McCutchen, Ben Roethlisberger, Chris Jericho, Billy Gunn, Karl Anderson, Matt Hardy, Steven Strasburg and others.
Currently, Josh Isenberg works for Major League Baseball in their Advanced Media Productions. He grew up in Pittsburgh and went to Point Park University, which is where Chair Shot Reality is filmed each week.
His life outside of his obsession with wrestling include being a savant for Seinfeld, NFL, NBA, MLB and many television shows. He also has an undying love for musicals, which includes many shows he was a part of in high school. Some of his favorite wrestling moments can be linked to such superstars as Edge, The Rock, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and The Great Khali.

Follow @JoshIsenberg4