5 Big Takeaways from WWE SmackDown (September 16, 2022)

WWE SmackDown aired live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, this week. The show maintained the hot streak that it has been on the past few weeks.

It's starting to get redundant at this point to say that WWE is making a rapid comeback from the shadows. It's been generally accepted by the wrestling public that the promotion has a much better creative vision under Triple H. It's not a total re-birth, but it sure feels like it sometimes.

Along with all the action, the stars will be aligning for the upcoming Crown Jewel event on November 5. This week's episode started to fill in some of the blanks on what we might expect to see in Saudi Arabia.

Having said that? Let's look at five things that stuck out about this edition of WWE SmackDown.

#5 - Sami Zayn steals the show (again)

.@WWESoloSikoa tells Jey @WWEUsos that he is "off his game" and instead asks @SamiZayn to accompany him to the ring 😳
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/OFwK9d3uGy

The opening segment saw Logan Paul in the ring, only to be met by The Bloodline. Later, The Maverick told Paul Heyman that he might just challenge Roman Reigns. He also noted that he could be the next WWE Undisputed Universal Champion with one lucky shot.

Then came the man of the hour. Sami Zayn hit the ring to an incredible ovation to challenge Paul. Once again, the crowd cheered their approval for the Quebec native.

In a segment that was supposed to highlight the YouTuber-turned-fighter, it didn't matter. All the people wanted was Zayn. He later returned to the show when Solo Sikoa picked him over his brothers to accompany him to ringside.

The Master Strategist continues to show that he is a commanding presence on any broadcast and one of the most over-the-top characters in WWE. His eventual face turn is going to make the arena rock when it finally happens.

#4 - Karrion Kross continues his rise in WWE

⏳ @realKILLERkross has a message for @DMcIntyreWWE.

#SmackDown https://t.co/evyIilizp7

Now that Karrion Kross has Drew McIntyre in his crosshairs, we should see an all-out war between the two. When this one is over, there will be a lot of scrap iron lying around the battlefield.

Kross' rapid development has been a pleasant surprise. As a ready-made star, it didn't take much icing on the cake for him to be a finished product. His story continued this week in a 'killer' (pun intended) vignette.

Kross will undoubtedly be in the mix for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship very soon. All that's left now is to put the finishing touches on his launch, and he will be ready to fly. It seems like things are progressing nicely as of now.

#3 - DAMAGE CTRL already feels like it might end up being a flop

.@RaquelWWE is just tossing @itsBayleyWWE and #DamageCTRL around with ease! #SmackDown https://t.co/fvxL8KJiJe

It's still early, but this faction just seems to be lacking something. Granted, it takes a while to establish an identity. However, there's a fundamental flaw with this stable.

Bayley has come a long way when it comes to cutting promos, but not enough to be the spokesperson for a faction. She seems more like she would be a side member of a group rather than its leader. Right now, she's doing her best with this angle, but it just seems flat.

As with everything in WWE, it could turn around and be a huge success given some time. The group has grabbed the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, so they are obviously going to be given a push. We'll see where they take it from there.

#2 - The Ronda Rousey-Liv Morgan segment was awkward, to say the least

#SmackDown Women's Champion @YaOnlyLivvOnce has laid down the challenge to @RondaRousey for an Extreme Rules Match at #ExtremeRules! https://t.co/zAEmskdml8

So, what do you do with two ladies who often struggle communicating to a live audience? Put them in a pre-taped backstage segment, of course. That way, you can re-shoot and edit to make everything sound more effective.

At least... that was the plan.

The sitdown between Rousey and Morgan as they discussed their feud over the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship was incredibly awkward. It says a lot when these two were given a script, time to prepare, and as many-restarts as they wanted, and they still couldn't nail it.

It's almost baffling, considering Morgan has been in the sports entertainment industry for years, and The Rowdy One is a global figure. Yet, both seemed wooden in this vignette, showing little or no emotion.

#1 - Solo Sikoa is really good

The Honorary Uce @SamiZayn helping @WWESoloSikoa keep the gold for #TheBloodline ☝️

#SmackDown https://t.co/5MUZidLXiD

Next in line for the Samoan Dynasty, Solo Sikoa looked impressive again this week. Accompanied to the ring by Sami Zayn, the NXT North American Champion dispatched Madcap Moss rather easily.

There's not much more to say about Sikoa except that he has all the attributes to be a huge star in WWE. Not because of his famous name but because he will carve out a name for himself. At least based on what we've seen so far.

While it's simple just to say, "He's really good," that's just about as succinct as you can put it. His combination of strength, explosiveness, and youth makes him a threat for years to come. You can already see the train coming from a mile away. It's being driven by The Street Champion of the Island.