WWE SmackDown: Burning Questions to Address After Sept. 20 Show

Uncertainty awaited Dolph Ziggler and Apollo Crews after WWE SmackDown came to a close on Sept. 20.

Ziggler found himself in the same hole he has struggled to get out of. WWE continues to present him as the man who nearly claimed the holy grail. Crews, meanwhile, is poised to step aside as Baron Corbin and Jack Swagger nab an opportunity he so desperately needs.

It's a sign of SmackDown's success, though, that the audience cares about all of that.

The blue brand has been filled with quality stories and smart booking. Aside from a few head-scratching moves (e.g. Curt Hawkins spitting out "facts"), SmackDown has triumphed over Raw following the brand split. 

Amid all the questions about where Ziggler, Hawkins and Crews are heading, one also has to ask whether SmackDown can maintain its momentum.

What's Next for The Showoff?

Ziggler followed a familiar blueprint on Tuesday night. He played up the importance of his next match, poured his heart out onto the mat and fell just short.

SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan awarded Ziggler another crack at The Miz's Intercontinental Championship, but Ziggler lost once more. 

That's been the story of Ziggler for a long stretch now. He thrives in selling his hype before WWE pins another defeat on him.

The pattern had the folks at The New Age Insiders podcast joking about the up-and-down nature of rooting for The Showoff:

WWE is in danger of running this narrative into the ground. Something has to give at some point. All these losses need to lead somewhere.

But will WWE find a creative angle to take advantage of Ziggler's tailspin or just have him repeat the same lines right before he drops another bout?

The dramatic power of Ziggler coming inches away from championship gold has been waning for a while now.

Where Does the Swagger-Corbin Feud Leave Crews?

Crews served as a stepping stone as he slugged it out with Corbin.

The Lone Wolf bashed Crews against the guardrail, clobbered the babyface and then eyed his next presumed opponent in Swagger. Corbin's win looked to be a means to a feud with Swagger.

That would give those men something promising to do, but Crews would be left empty-handed.

Crews hasn't had a sustained rivalry since joining the main roster. He has had minimal direction since SmackDown drafted him. And now he's struggling to pick up wins.

Tuesday's loss marked his fifth in a row, per CageMatch.net. 

Rather than tell Crews' story with video packages, WWE has decided to have the powerhouse stumble. Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com pointed out how odd that strategy has been:

Crews needs a rival and an angle in a hurry. With all the strong storytelling the blue brand has delivered, one would expect WWE could find something for the promising newcomer.

What Is Going On with Curt Hawkins?

Zack Ryder's former tag team partner was supposed to debut last week, but Hawkins only appeared in taped-promo form. He appeared in another vignette on Tuesday, this one just as weird.

Hawkins recited a number of hyperbolic lines in various cartoon voices. He came off as an absurdist comedian doling out his new shtick.

The chances of that character working once Hawkins makes it to the ring are slim. Jake Barnett of ProWrestling.net wrote of the act, "I can already tell it's not for me."

The New York state native is a young, athletic, promising wrestler. Just what WWE is doing with him is hard to understand.

How does this "face the facts" angle even translate to an in-ring persona? Hawkins may find a way to make this all work, but for now, it's looking as doomed as The Shining Stars' Puerto Rican timeshare gimmick.

Can SmackDown Keep Outdoing Raw?

On Tuesday, SmackDown delivered better matches and more compelling stories than Raw. Again.

The blue brand may not have surpassed WWE's marquee show in ratings, but it has in quality.

The show kicked off with an intriguing showdown between Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch. The contract signing showcased both champion and challenger and inserted animosity into the program right away.

Raw, meanwhile, meandered early on, putting too much focus on its authority figures.

Team Red featured a number of squash matches and off-the-mark segments. SmackDown gave us a strong Intercontinental Championship match and a clash between Dean Ambrose and John Cena that felt like it belonged on a PPV instead.

SmackDown has been tauter, clearer and more powerful, the kid brother outclassing his older sibling.

Will Raw study SmackDown and figure out how to be similarly successful? Will Raw's three hours doom it to bloated, uneven shows? Let's hope so—or Monday nights are going to drag.

Early on, SmackDown is winning the brand war. And it's not even close.