WWE SmackDown Fallout: Kofi Kingston Is Company's MVP and More from May 7

Kofi Kingston has been the MVP of WWE in the first half of 2019, and he proved why Tuesday night with a stellar performance in a WWE Championship defense against Sami Zayn and AJ Styles.

The New Day member's overall value to the company at a time of creative disarray is just one of the major takeaways from the May 7 episode of the USA Network presentation, though.

Daniel Bryan rebounded from his loss to Kingston on Monday's Raw, collecting the latest piece of hardware for his championship-laden resume, and the wild-card stipulation was exposed for what it is: creative gimmickry.

Dive deeper into those topics with this recap of Tuesday's broadcast.

KofiMania Is Still Running Wild After Stellar WWE Championship Main Event

Matches such as Tuesday's SmackDown Live main event are a shining example of why Kofi Kingston has been a leading light for WWE this year.

His victory over AJ Styles and Sami Zayn in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Championship capped off an episode that was vastly superior to the mess of a show that was Monday's Raw. Even then, the New Day member was the highlight of that show, successfully defending his title against Daniel Bryan in the main event.

That WWE has answered two record low television ratings by putting Kingston in the main event, letting him showcase his skills and carry the most important matches of the shows is proof of its commitment to him and, more importantly, its trust in him to deliver in high-pressure situations.

He has done just that.

And in the process of retaining his title, pinning Zayn following Trouble in Paradise, he showed the proper emotion in checking on his friend, Xavier Woods, who had been attacked from behind by Kingston's Money in the Bank opponent, Kevin Owens.

Kingston has grabbed hold of the opportunity presented to him, made the absolute most of it and altered the course of his career. In an immensely frustrating year for WWE, his story is one of the few bright spots creatively. 

Daniel Bryan Finds Life Beyond WWE Title in Tag Team Division

Daniel Bryan is about to prove to the WWE Universe there is life beyond the main event, thanks to a SmackDown Tag Team Championship victory Tuesday night.

Partnering with Rowan, Bryan added another title to his impressive resume, defeating The Usos in a red-hot tag bout. It was the perfect way to keep the former WWE champion relevant on SmackDown Live when there really is no room for him at the top of the card.

We have seen this story play out before in regards to the Aberdeen, Washington, native. 

In 2012, Bryan departed the world-title scene and partnered with Kane to create the wildly entertaining Team Hell No. That tandem would buck trends and become as significant a part of WWE programming as some of the main event talent, thanks in large part to the connection they forged with fans.

Bryan has the opportunity to do that again, from a similar spot on the card.

Fresh off some of the best promo work of his career, with a character that is still largely unexplored, do not be surprised to see him take what others may consider a demotion and remain one of the highest profile members of the SmackDown roster.

And if history is any indication, Rowan could see his star skyrocket from working so closely to Bryan.

WWE Creative Muddies Waters with Wild-Card Stipulation

The wild card introduced by Vince McMahon on Monday's Raw, allowing the red and blue brands to send wrestlers here and there on a weekly basis has muddied the waters of WWE television just weeks after a Superstar Shake-Up.

One night after McMahon announced the wild card would allow three (then four) Superstars from the opposing brand to appear on the show, SmackDown featured The Usos, The Miz, AJ Styles and Sami Zayn. While their presence elevated the overall quality of the show, there was one Superstar conspicuous in his absence: Roman Reigns.

The Big Dog was hailed as the biggest acquisition in SmackDown history, but just one night after returning to Raw to battle Drew McIntyre in a WrestleMania rematch, his presence was relegated to a video package.

Already, it feels as though the wild-card stipulation was the WWE chairman's cheat code out of the brand extension. It is a desperation move in response to a massive ratings decline.

In reality, the brand extension is not the problem. The company has, at its disposal, the greatest array of talent it has ever had under its umbrella. The problem is WWE Creative's inability to use them adequately and, more importantly, McMahon's inability to churn out stars as he once did.

The wild card may be a fun little buzzword for the company to use in the coming weeks and months, but until it realizes gimmicks are not the way to rehab the television ratings, those numbers will continue to dip regardless of who appears on what show and how many times the company books a WWE Championship main event.