5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: Roman Reigns taken down; Superstar arrested
Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns came face-to-face on the latest episode of WWE SmackDown. It was the highlight of the show as the two heavyweights were ready to take each other down before the Clash at the Castle.
Liv Morgan also returned to the ring and took on Shotzi in a singles contest. Toxic Attraction entered the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship picture and competed in their first match on SmackDown. Meanwhile, The Viking Raiders appeared in a random segment that saw the potential return of Sarah Logan.
Five top superstars of SmackDown competed in a match to crown Gunther’s next challenger for Clash at the Castle. It turned out to be one of the best matches of the night.
Take a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.
#5. Ronda Rousey build herself as the ultimate heel on WWE SmackDown
Ronda Rousey kicked off the 1200th episode of WWE SmackDown. The Baddest Woman on the Planet came out without music and took the mic to address the WWE Universe.
Rousey said she paid her fine and wanted her suspension lifted right away. The company’s officials weren’t ready to let her take the show hostage.
Adam Pearce came out with security and the former SmackDown Women’s Champion threatened him before beating down the guards with ease. More guards rushed in, but all were taken down one by one. Rousey also locked in an armbar on one of them.
The cops finally arrived and handcuffed Rousey before removing her from the arena. They took her away as Roman Reigns showed up on the show.
Ronda Rousey fits perfectly with the role she is currently playing. The segment proved that The Baddest Woman on the Planet works better as a heel, and the creative team should let her grow with a few more such segments. It looks like she is filling the gap left by Charlotte Flair, who was playing a good heel character.
Her actions will likely keep her out of the ring and away from Liv Morgan for some time. However, it’s only a matter of time before she strikes back and wins the top title again.
#4. Toxic Attraction made a statement in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament
Toxic Attraction replaced Zoey Stark and Nikkita Lyons in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship tournament. Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne came out on WWE SmackDown to face the experienced Natalya and Soya Deville.
Gigi tried to take control of the contest early, but Natalya and Sonya put her on the back foot. Jayne came in and took control of the match for her team. She isolated Deville and tagged Gigi to keep the pressure on.
Natalya tried to take control of the match, but a distraction from Dolin broke her momentum. After some chaos in the ring, Natalya applied a Sharpshooter on Dolin, however, she wasn’t the legal superstar. Jayne came in and rolled up Natalya for a surprising victory on SmackDown.
It was a good contest that helped the former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions pick up a huge win. Mandy Rose’s presence would have made things even better, especially with Sonya Deville in the contest.
Toxic Attraction is now one of the favorites to win the contest. It will be exciting to see how they perform in the next match.
#3. Sheamus became Gunther’s challenger for Clash at the Castle
WWE booked a massive Five-Way match to crown the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Champion on SmackDown. Happy Corbin, Madcap Moss, Sheamus, Ricochet, and Sami Zayn were part of the contest.
Zayn came out to a huge ovation from the crowd and hit some big moves early. He was motivated to impress Roman Reigns and win the Intercontinental title for The Bloodline.
Corbin took control of the contest for some time and got a couple of near falls. Ricochet took him out and hit some impressive moves to get the crowd pumped up.
Moss took the White Noise from Sheamus before mocking Gunther. The two men traded some strikes, and Moss impressed with some clean hits that made him come across as a top contender.
Sami hit a powerbomb for a near fall on Ricochet before being taken down by Sheamus. The Master Strategist acted as if his arm was hurt and fled the ring. The match continued as Sami hit an exploder and the Helluva Kick to Ricochet.
Corbin broke the pin before taking a Brogue Kick from Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior emerged as the #1 contender to Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship. The two men will have a hard-hitting contest at Clash at the Castle. Sheamus needs to feature in the UK event, and it would be great to see him go up against The Ring General.
#2. Shayna Baszler sent a warning to Liv Morgan ahead of their title match
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan returned to the ring after spending a few weeks on the shelf due to an arm injury. She unloaded on Shotzi early and hit her with a dropkick.
Shotzi came back with a dropkick of her own. She hit a senton and got a near fall as the match went on. She kept the pressure on and hit a DDT followed by a Superkick for another near fall.
Liv found it difficult to keep Shotzi down for long. She still managed to connect with Oblivion and pick up the win. After the match, Shayna Baszler attacked her and kicked her down.
She threatened to break the champion’s arm but let her go with a warning before Clash at the Castle. WWE has built Liv Morgan as an underdog babyface for a long time. Even now, she seems much weaker than her potential opponents.
However, the segment did well to build Baszler’s character. She is finally coming across as the same Shayna fans knew back in NXT. It will be unfortunate if she fails to win the SmackDown Women's Championship at Clash at the Castle.
#1. Drew McIntyre got the better of Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns came out for the final segment on WWE SmackDown. Fans were ecstatic to see the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. The Tribal Chief said Drew McIntyre was lying when he said he was carrying the company because it was Roman who was leading it.
The Scottish Warrior wasted little time and walked out to target Reigns. He said that The Tribal Chief had everything handed to him. The two men exchanged some heated words before a brawl broke out. McIntyre took Roman down before Sami Zayn came in and fell for a Claymore.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion was preparing to hit the Spear, but McIntyre took him down with a Claymore as well. The show ended with The Scottish Warrior standing tall over the fallen Head of the Table.
Apart from Brock Lesnar, McIntyre comes across as the only superstar who can realistically take Roman Reigns down. However, it looks like Karrion Kross will play a major role in their match at Clash at the Castle.
Meanwhile, Sami Zayn is doing a phenomenal job with The Bloodline. He has provided fans with some great entertainment over the weeks and has earned Reigns’ trust.