WWE SmackDown Results: Carmella Is Proud to Be a Diva and Biggest Takeaways

The final episode of SmackDown Live before SummerSlam brought with it some superb final build for the brand's most heated rivalries and a potential character evolution for a current champion.

Carmella found herself embracing an insult from Charlotte Flair, the WWE production team reminded everyone of the lengthy rivalry between Daniel Bryan and The Miz and Samoa Joe again manipulated AJ Styles into losing his cool and exposing a weakness ahead of their SummerSlam title bout.

Dive deeper into those three segments of Tuesday's episode with these takeaways from the August 14 USA Network broadcast.

Carmella Embraces "Diva" Label

Who knew Becky Lynch went to clown college?

That was hardly the most noteworthy tidbit to come out of Tuesday's show-opening promo featuring the three women who will compete for the SmackDown Women's Championship Sunday at SummerSlam, though.

In the midst of the promo, Charlotte Flair looked at Carmella and deemed her to be a Diva living in the women's era. It was the last thing anyone expected to hear over the course of the promo, especially since WWE had gone to great lengths to erase the idea of divas from their programming.

Unphased, Carmella embraced the term, telling her top two contenders that she was damn proud to be a diva and even more proud to be SmackDown women's champion.

What on the surface appears to be a throwaway line uttered by Flair as an insult may have longer-reaching effects on the Princess from Staten Island.

Carmella has never been, and likely never will be, the level of in-ring performer that Lynch or Flair is. What better way to keep her at the forefront of the division than by having her embrace the antiquated elements of the WWE Divas, be proud of her looks and body while simultaneously reigning over a division of wrestlers?

It would earn her tremendous heat and set up a scenario where fans are begging their favorite Superstars to dethrone her and end her reign of terror. It is, arguably, the most effective way to get the most out of Carmella's run without the benefit of a James Ellsworth hanging around ringside.

Most importantly, it keeps the spotlight on one of the most charismatic performers in the entire women's division.

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz is SmackDown's Money Match

Its place on the marquee may not reflect it, but Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz is SmackDown's hottest match and, perhaps, the best-built bout on the entire SummerSlam card.

Eight years in the making, the match has an emotion-filled backstory that will explode in a heated, intense and aggressive match Sunday night in Brooklyn between two Superstars who are no strangers to each other.

Bryan and Miz have worked each other before, most notably at the 2010 Night of Champions pay-per-view where Bryan defeated the Hollywood A-Lister to win the United States Championship. That match did not have the story behind it that their latest clash will.

Tuesday's episode of SmackDown featured a three-part video series that told the story of Bryan and Miz dating back to the first season of NXT. It was a stellar way to put the final touches on the program without overexposing Bryan and Miz in front of the live audience.

It was a much better, more effective way of wrapping up their pre-match hype without repeating a beatdown or booking another promo that would only diminish the work that had been done to that point.

The story, the emotion and the talents of the men involved help elevate the program beyond even the WWE title storyline. It is a real accomplishment for the Superstars involved and the officials who brought them together. 

Samoa Joe's Manipulation of AJ Styles Sets Stage for Emotional Title Match

Samoa Joe has been extraordinary in his role as a manipulative heel, using AJ Styles emotions against him in the build to their WWE Championship match at SummerSlam. He was back at it again Tuesday, producing a letter that was allegedly written by Styles' wife Wendy, in which she stated she hopes Joe wins the title at SummerSlam so she can have her husband back.

Joe acting like the tough guy and talking trash to Styles—who was restrained by The Usos, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson backstage before Joe claimed that they were protecting the champion from him—is some superb heel work that makes fans want to see him get his ass kicked in the Barclays Center even more Sunday night.

A dangerous, ruthless competitor, Joe could have spent weeks beating Styles down, but instead, WWE Creative found a new use for the dominant big man and the result has been a refreshing take on his established character.

It's just in time for his highest-profile match since his clash with Brock Lesnar last summer.