Based Shelton is back

[Circled Square]

Ain't no stopping crisp workrate now

[Ali]

I am happy. Shelton was always a favorite of mine.

[War Daddy]

THE GOLD STANDARD IS BACK?!

[Hanley!]

Styles vs Benjamin for television match of the year!

[Str8Shooter]

I'm glad to see him coming back, I've always been a fan of his going back to his first run.

I'm not sure how his in ring skills at 40 will match up to the level of todays guys in the ring though. People may end up being disappointed. I think the calibre of todays stars ability is higher than it was when Shelton was a standout.

[KaiserGlider]

I'm glad to see him coming back, I've always been a fan of his going back to his first run.

I'm not sure how his in ring skills at 40 will match up to the level of todays guys in the ring though. People may end up being disappointed. I think the calibre of todays stars ability is higher than it was when Shelton was a standout.

I was gonna post the same thing. The bar has been raised a lot since Shelton's last run.

[Daz]

His ROH, NJPW and NOAH work has been largely sub par since leaving WWE. He's not as agile, not quite as crisp as he used to be, which isn't surprising really. Hopefully he's motivated by his return and can pull out some good performances. At the very least, he's another body for a very thin mid-card on Smackdown.

[Hanley!]

The Smackdown brand is incredibly thin though, so any addition to the roster is a benefit.

Besides, Raw got almost all of the great workers. If Shelton was filling out the midcard with Zayn, Owens, Cesaro and Balor, then maybe he wouldn't really serve much purpose. On Smackdown on the other hand, he's going to superior to most of the guys he's working with. 40 or not, he's always going to be leagues ahead the likes of Baron Corbin and Eric Rowen.

Smackdown has AJ Styles, who's probably the best worker in the company. And it has Randy Orton who's also very good when motivated. But those guys are both in the main event. How many other top tier workers are there on the brand? Maybe Dolph Ziggler? I definitely think there's going to be a spot for Shelton.

[DBSoT]

The Smackdown brand is incredibly thin though, so any addition to the roster is a benefit.

Besides, Raw got almost all of the great workers. If Shelton was filling out the midcard with Zayn, Owens, Cesaro and Balor, then maybe he wouldn't really serve much purpose. On Smackdown on the other hand, he's going to superior to most of the guys he's working with. 40 or not, he's always going to be leagues ahead the likes of Baron Corbin and Eric Rowen.

Smackdown has AJ Styles, who's probably the best worker in the company. And it has Randy Orton who's also very good when motivated. But those guys are both in the main event. How many other top tier workers are there on the brand? Maybe Dolph Ziggler? I definitely think there's going to be a spot for Shelton.

I do like Shelton coming back, if only to add a solid vet. It is funny that you mention Orton being motivated because it seems that he is as motivated as ever. He actually seems like he is enjoying wrestling, something that did not seem like the case for quite a while. He ditched the overly monotone promo style and is actually attempting to add levity. Maybe taking some time off and getting married balanced him out or maybe he found a new enjoyment for his craft. Either way, Orton seems to be the best he has in quite a while. You can even see him really enjoying the "Outta No Where" stuff.

[SlightlyJames]

Smackdown has AJ Styles, who's probably the best worker in the company. And it has Randy Orton who's also very good when motivated. But those guys are both in the main event. How many other top tier workers are there on the brand? Maybe Dolph Ziggler? I definitely think there's going to be a spot for Shelton.

There's Kalisto who's really bloody good, might be a nugget of promise in Crews going off his pre-WWE rep and Miz is always solid. Plus if we're talking really top tier guys I wouldn't be surprised if we see Joe on Smackdown before the year is out. The roster is undoubtedly thin but I'd say they have what they need to put on a good show.

[Str8Shooter]

Yeah I have no problem with Shelton bolstering the Smackdown midcard. I mean that Battle Royale made it glaringly obvious that SD has a major lack of roster depth below Cena, AJ, Ambrose, and Orton. Shelton should help that to a degree, especially if the nostalgia factor helps him be more over than he was before.

Rhyno I am not nearly as excited about. Nor am I about the rumoured returns of Curt Hawkins, Jinder Mahal and Tommy Dreamer. I mean really? Really?

[KaiserGlider]

It is funny that you mention Orton being motivated because it seems that he is as motivated as ever. He actually seems like he is enjoying wrestling, something that did not seem like the case for quite a while. He ditched the overly monotone promo style and is actually attempting to add levity. Maybe taking some time off and getting married balanced him out or maybe he found a new enjoyment for his craft. Either way, Orton seems to be the best he has in quite a while. You can even see him really enjoying the "Outta No Where" stuff.

Orton was on fire at Battleground. I really enjoyed his segment with Jericho.

I'm also glad that Rhyno joined the Smackdown roster - I've always been a Man Beast mark and like seeing him run dudes over. Not sure what they can do with him, but as far as spots for dominator characters go, you could do a hell of a lot worse than Rhyno.

Heath Slater also deserves some recognition for the promo he cut before getting gored. Maybe he's going to get a push, but I wouldn't mind seeing him return to his old gimmick of jobbing to returning stars every week.

[Circled Square]

He just said on Twitter he seriously injured his shoulder and isn't returning.