WWE SmackDown reflections: Dean Ambrose could thrive with an Eva Marie-style wardrobe malfunction

So what if WWE's Raw bagged Finn Balor in the draft and was host to him making his long, long-awaited bow on the main roster after nearly two years with NXT?

SmackDown will soon have Eva Marie making her debut – not a re-debut... what with her being an active, if infrequent, performer for WWE for three years now, that gag shouldn't need explaining –and that could rival the #GLORIOUSBOMB social silliness of Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and Bobby Roode for most splendid current daftness in WWE.

Here are the WWE Smackdown headlines, with spoilers:

Alberto Del Rio is right – Randy Orton highlighting how "it only takes one RKO to get to Viperville" does sound corny. As did Orton offering him "a VIP experience that's a bumpy ride with a nasty landing".

Del Rio was out and out asking for it by winding up Orton anyway, but his threat to break Randy's arm was far more effective and worthy of cheers than any of the words that tumbled out of Randy's mouth.

The promo lesson to learn here: echoing an opponent's established catchphrase ('Suplex City') and peppering it with disparate references from your own branding can have the result of making your future clash sound as if it should be taking place in a school playground, even if that exchange of smack does target an MMA mastodon like Brock Lesnar.

What's Daniel Bryan's beef with Dolph Ziggler? Bray Wyatt's biggest bone to pick with Zigs at the moment seems to be a philosophical one over his warning: "Dolph, you can never, ever kill a God." Wyatt – not a Nietzsche reader, it seems.

Likewise, Dean Ambrose's dispute is fairly clear – he's top dog on a brand where Ziggler reckons he can just challenge for the title after being a figure fans have invested in for years and years only to see his character choke at crucial stages since forever. He got his comeuppance from his partner Dean at the end of the show, too.

Erick Rowan? Well, maybe he's still narked over teaming up at Survivor Series 2014 and being split up from the Wyatt Family in the first place. But why did D-Bry, the coolest dude (even more than Dude Love) in WWE, lose his rag over SummerSlam rivals Zigs and Ambrose being mildly annoyed over having to tag with one another? "If you don't like it... Screw you!" is an unlikely outburst still light years away from the most heralded TV moments of the Attitude Era.

Armchair critics complain a lot about crowd noise 'sweetening' or canned cheers being inserted into WWE programming, particularly if a pushed act isn't receiving the largest of ovations during their entrance.

On pretty much every occasion I've been to a taping and watched the show back on TV, however, it has come off almost as if the live levels have been softened instead, with that same crowd an unpredictable production element that requires management rather than prominent positioning.

For Renee Young's new-ish studio set segments, it could be a benefit to have the mics on the audience boosted right up as they watch what she's up to backstage. At the moment, it sounds like no one cares – even when Miz is seemingly moments away from submitting to wife Maryse, his "modern day Aphrodite", stretched out across the pundit desk, for some reason.

SmackDown commentators are certainly still all aboard the Eva Marie hype train ("YAAAS", "QUEEN!" "SLAAAAY!"... is all of this right?), with John Layfield nailing his OTT colours to her pole by comparing last night's entrance to being "like Gorgeous George walking the Colosseum in Los Angeles or Muhammad Ali in Louisville Gardens".

David Otunga, meanwhile, hailed Eva Marie's "pomp and circumstance" (read: Larry Zbyszko-level stalling efforts) before Layfield guffawed, but still managed to express the sentiment about the 'All Red Everything' star enduring "a little speed bump on the road to the Hall of Fame".

With respect to all WWE Hall of Famers, and, indeed, Muhammad Ali, they didn't ever have to deal with malfunctioning lacy red ring gear that looks more like lingerie than athletic sports garb, did they?

Eva Marie's sad but temporary absence did mean Alexa Bliss was able to make her own in-ring debut for SmackDown, displaying tremendous presence with tantrums so wild they threaten to burst through the fourth wall.

Alexa also rained down some impressive fists on opponent Becky Lynch who, as always, was a foundation for only good things and a resting place for a fierce palm from Bliss during the decisive pin. Just wait till she starts busting out more and more facial reactions during close-ups – Alexa will thrive.

Later in the show, Carmella also had her first match on the brand and left with a strong win over Natalya – miscast as an antagonist – for an immediate impact. At one point, John Layfield accidentally referred to her as 'Kamala' – but the Staten Island Princess is better off sticking with her moonwalk shtick rather than painting a crescent and stars on her belly.

Next time your SummerSlam opponent gets in your way while you're trying to avoid breaking your neck, Dean, miss out taking the extra step and just stomp on him. That'll learn him to shift it.