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Coming off the thrill ride of an episode that was this weeks Monday Night Raw, SmackDown Live had a lot to live up to in following that up. When the episode opened with the full promo from The Mizs appearance on last weeks episode of Talking Smack -- an appearance that drew considerable buzz from the fans -- the tone was set for a strong reply to Raws big statement of a finale.It sadly couldnt live up to that hype, with the episode instead getting tied down by one problem in particular that caused many of the issues that plagued both of WWEs shows in the pre-draft era -- an unquenchable desire to take excitement and buzz thats organic and fan-driven and synthesize it into an asset that simply augments plans they already had.Things didnt immediately go off the rails, however. Shane McMahon immediately demanded that Daniel Bryan needed to apologize to The Miz, and Bryan responded with a somewhat snarky reply that hed try to be a little less honest next time around. Combined with Bryans retort, in which he stated it was a little ironic coming from the guy who has issues with Brock Lesnar, there were a lot of things going in the shows favor. There was genuine conflict for the first time between SmackDowns general manager and commissioner -- during which we were subtly reminded of the conflict between McMahon and Lesnar -- and there was a sense that wed almost certainly get more from Bryan as the night rolled along.After SmackDowns title sequence ended, the Miz came out to the loudest reaction hes gotten in years without a proper foil next to him to drive that kind of hatred. He quickly demanded his music be cut and the vibe got very serious. Dont boo me, he said, further amping up the crowd. One hundred and forty-eight days is what it took to get all of your attention?The Miz really started rolling with another strong promo in the middle of the ring, pointing over and over to the fact that hes the go-to guy for the WWE, for everything from interviews, to TV appearance, to movies to red carpets to commercials and beyond -- and most importantly, that his so-called safe and cowardly style has allowed him to do that over his entire career without interruption.He turned it around by calling the crowd a bunch of cowards for supporting guys like Bryan just because the first 10 or 12 years of their careers happened in VFW halls. He had the crowd whipped into a frenzy when Dolph Zigglers music hit.What followed was five minutes that were the true personification of letting the air out of a balloon. Ziggler reiterated several of Bryans points from last week, and even added a few of his own -- accusing Miz of simply wanting the title so that he could be famous, but he kept leaning on calling Miz a coward.By no real fault of either Miz or Ziggler, the segment quickly lost its steam, despite some coward chants from the Dallas-faithful and a truly crazy look in Mizs eyes as Maryse backed him away from the confrontation.This sequence sorely lacked because of Bryans absence. By attempting to take the excitement that came together organically with the Miz-Bryan showdown and crafting it into an excuse for another in a fairly long line of Miz-Ziggler showdowns for the Intercontinental championship, they seem to have diluted the effect rather quickly.That could change again in a heartbeat with the right decision, or by finding a way to involve Bryan more directly into the conflict without him being able to get into the ring. But considering the level of excitement that Mizs Talking Smack promo generated, and how directly they dealt with it in the opening of this episode of SmackDown, the direction they chose to go in within the first 10 minutes of this episode was a bit much to stomach.Once Talking Smack rolled around, some light was shed on the decisions that WWE brass had made as it became clear that there might not be much, if any, future at all between The Miz and SmackDowns GM.He pressed all those buttons -- he knows how to press them, said Bryan of The Miz. Which is why theyre not letting us do anything on TV together anymore. Theyre like Bryan, Miz -- you guys are done.#SDLive GM @WWEDanielBryan explains his actions last week on #TalkingSmack on @WWENetwork. @MikeTheMiz pic.twitter.com/SCHtPk2g3o- WWE (@WWE) August 31, 2016In the meantime, well see if Bryan has anything else to say when he appears on SportsCenter on Wednesday with Jonathan Coachman during his Off the Top Rope segment.A.J. Styles is getting better by the week. He was in his element acting like a goofball backstage, but proved he can snap back into seriousness in a heartbeat as well. Styles even helped Apollo Crews seem more relevant in less than 30 seconds than even a brief feud with The Miz over the Intercontinental Championship could make him.Having Crews challenge Styles gives him a showcase to do some of his best work, and it makes Styles look sharp in the ring with another guy who makes a habit of making the guy hes working with look a whole lot better. Crews got in most of the offense during the match, with Styles pulling off a three-move combination leading up to a Phenomenal forearm in short succession to pick up the victory. This is a great example of putting meaning into a match thats put together the same night -- a quick, compelling backstage segment, a confrontation, then a good 10-minute match that helped both guys.The main event match between Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin, on the other hand, seemed to do the exact opposite. Taking a guy like Corbin, whos barely been in the ring over the last couple of months and only appearing in brief backstage segments, and making him look stronger than your top champion for most of a match seems counter-productive just over a week out from Backlash, SmackDown Lives first brand-specific pay-per-view.If youre saying theres very little difference between the two aforementioned matches, theres at least some merit to the argument, at least on the surface. But Crews has been in the ring and fighting for championships and simply lacking the right circumstance to become more relevant, while Corbin has largely floundered since both he and Crews were part of a four-way match to determine the No. 1 contender for the Intercontinental championship. Finally, Corbin is still a ways away from being a main event competitor within the ropes despite some strong showings in both WWE and NXT; Crews issues lie in finding his character and connection with the fans, whereas hes entertaining and polished in the ring.The showdown between Ambrose and Styles, who was ringside for the main event, predictably boiled over at the tail end of the match, which actually used Corbin well. The show ending with Styles stuck uncomfortably straddling the ropes for way too long diminished the rebound of interest between Styles and Ambrose a bit, but with the path both guys have been on since SummerSlam and the uncertainty of the result, Im confident the go-home episode of SmackDown Live will deliver, as far as these two go.Hits and missesIf the Headbangers coming in is the next in an ongoing line of emeritus tag teams being brought in for stretches to help younger talent, you can sign me up. Tag team wrestling provides the right kind of environment for nostalgia without taking away too much from the in-ring project -- and being in there with the right new or up-and-coming teams can be beneficial to the long-term health of the tag team division. All that being said, the crowd didnt have much to offer as far as a reaction to the one-time tag champs took on Heath Slater and Rhyno. The gore to pick up the victory for his team was unsurprising, but the Heaths Kids section in the crowd lifting up their signs at the conclusion of the match was a nice touch and a nod to just how much the fans have gotten behind Slater in recent weeks.Ive enjoyed the continued effort to spotlight Slater myself, but Renee Youngs visit to his trailer seemed like a bit of a misstep. With the way that Slaters segments had gone previously, it felt like the creative choice would be for Slater to hire an actress to portray his wife in order to cover up the ever-growing list of lies he was telling to try to drum up sympathy in his pursuit of a contract. I could still be surprised, but with the way things played out, it didnt quite feel right, as genuine sympathy is not really what has driven the support for Slater; its more about his mouth getting him into trouble over and over again and Slater not being able to get out of his own way. The crowd is certainly getting behind him either way, and his story and where its going is a big reason to keep tuning in.The exchange between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton was effective and compelling. Just as Styles seems to bring the best out of people inside the ring, Wyatts gift is his ability to elevate the psychological build to matches outside of it. Orton has done a lot of speaking with his actions, to great effect, but to hear him talk about his scars, external and internal alike, felt real and on-point. Wyatt was his usual masterful self in helping to create a narrative for a match, but each of these guys seems as if they could really use a big win. It remains to be seen how this rivalry might carry on effectively past Backlash, but for now, Im in.JBL took a definitive step backward this week. I was and still am hopeful that SmackDowns announcing team can pull it together, but he stepped on a couple of moments that didnt really require his interjection; most specifically, the end of Wyatts entrance. Mauro Ranallo was doing great work before the shift in announcer assignments, but I fear having his momentum or trains of thought stepped on one too many times by JBL could continue to highlight the SmackDown Live teams issues with getting on the same page. On the plus side, there was a concerted effort from David Otunga stepping up and making his presence known -- and I think that could help bridge the gap between where the announcers are and where they could be going forward if its done right.The womens tag team match was a little bit longer than it had to be if the ultimate goal was to end the match with a distraction in the end. It was another good step in making Carmella a contemptible figure, but these attacks eventually have to lead to something more than just having Nikki Bella laid out for a few minutes.It was a good, if brief, showing from The Hype Bros in their victory in the tag team title tournament, but my goodness, how far have The Vaudevillians fallen since their main roster debuts? Theyve gone from challenging for the top tag titles shortly after WrestleMania to, just a few months later, being mere fodder for the rest of SmackDown Lives tag team division.I dont even know where to begin to discuss Gary The Milkman Millman, so Im just going to say that bringing Kane back could and should have been a bigger deal. <a href="https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/">Cheap Jerseys From China</a>.2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. <a href="https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/">Cheap Authentic Jerseys</a>.J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. <a href="https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/">https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/</a>.com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. <a href="https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/">Soccer Jerseys</a>. -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. <a href="https://www.cheapjerseysjustwholesale.com/">Adidas Jerseys</a>. LOUIS -- St. CLEVELAND -- Losing the opener might not be Torontos only setback early in the AL Championship Series.Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis aggravated an injury in his right knee during a 2-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Friday night and afterward sounded pessimistic about his chances of returning in the series.It hurts pretty bad, Travis said. I felt good going into the game. I covered first on that bunt and jarred my knee a little bit. I felt a super sharp pain in my knee and it felt like it was going to give out a little bit.Travis is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday before Game 2 and the Blue Jays are hoping for good results. Toronto manager John Gibbons didnt want to guess whether Travis would be available for the remainder of the series.Theyre still checking him out, Gibbons said. He felt good going into the game. He planted and felt a sharp pain in his knee, and he wasnt able to continue. Thats where were at rigght now.dddddddddddd What happens (next), I couldnt tell you.The 25-year-old Travis missed two games in the Division Series against Texas after sustaining a bone bruise in his right knee. He batted .300 with 11 homers and 50 RBI in 101 games during the regular season.If hes ruled out, the Blue Jays cant replace him on the 25-man roster for the rest of the ALCS because its a pre-existing injury.In the fifth, Coco Crisp dropped a bunt down the first base line that was fielded by Edwin Encarnacion. He threw to Travis, who caught the ball and then began walking in obvious pain. He was replaced by Ryan Goins, who was lifted for pinch-hitter Darwin Barney in the seventh.Goins played in 77 games this year, batting .186 with 12 RBI. He was added to the ALCS roster because of Torontos concerns about Travis knee. <a href="http://www.chinawholesalejerseysnfl.com/">Wholesale Jerseys</a> ' ' '