Alberto Del Rio

The Smackdown roster seems to be undergoing a post-WrestleMania facelift. While the brand split has been insignificant in recent years, the blue brand has still proven to be a training ground of sorts for younger - or newer - superstars to ply their trade before heading to Raw. Smackdown has seen a few debuts in recent weeks, in the form of Damien Sandow through pre-recorded promos and Ryback through squash matches. Tonight's episode saw three more superstars join the ranks.

The fact a commercial for Animal Planet's new series "Tanked" aired during tonight's live Smackdown seems oddly appropriate. With much of the WWE roster already en route to Europe for an upcoming tour, the company tried to make the best of the show by using a "Blast from the Past" theme and filling the void with Hall of Famers and legends. The fact of the matter is that it didn't work. Live editions of Smackdown are usually special occasions and frequently produce must-see TV. This week's episode felt pieced together and hard to believe.

The weeks following WrestleMania have traditionally been a time when WWE calls up talent from developmental, giving them a chance on the main roster. This year has proven to be no different, though not all of this week's debuts were superstars new to the main brands. Lord Tensai , a returning A-Train with a new gimmick, returned on Raw, while former Nexus member Skip Sheffield made his comeback on Smackdown, repackaged as Ryback . Damien Sandow , who has been talked about as a standout in WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, also made his debut, albeit in the form of a pre-recorded promo.