5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: The Demon takes down Roman Reigns; Sonya Deville teases in-ring return
The final episode of WWE SmackDown before Extreme Rules was expected to be a big one. Fans were looking forward to a final interaction between "The Demon" Finn Balor and Roman Reigns before their Universal Championship match on Sunday.
SmackDown kicked off with a segment between Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch. Soon after, the two got into a brawl, and Belair dropped the champion with the Kiss of Death. The two superstars will meet at Extreme Rules for a SmackDown Women's Championship match.
Seth Rollins also appeared on the episode and threatened to find Edge in his home. It was later announced that Edge would make his return on next week's show.
Liv Morgan failed to defeat Zelina Vega on SmackDown just a couple of nights before her big pay-per-view match. It was odd to see Liv pick up a loss just days before her bout against Carmella.
Nikki A.S.H. defeated Natalya before Tegan Nox and Shotzi appeared. The two fired a missile at the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions to make their intentions clear.
The Blue Brand had good segments that helped build towards future matches. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on SmackDown this week.
#5. King Nakamura retained his Intercontinental Championship on WWE SmackDown
Turned him INSIDE OUT!
#SmackDown #ICTitle @WWEApollo @ShinsukeN https://t.co/I7cB1vDqj9
Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez attacked Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs on WWE SmackDown last week. This led to an Intercontinental Championship match between Crews and Nakamura this week'.
The Nigerian superstar targeted Nakamura early and kept him on the back foot. He dumped his opponent outside the ring.
Rick Boogs played Nakamura's theme and pumped him up. The King went on a roll and took down his challenger with some good moves. He went for the Kinshasa soon after, but Crews ducked outside.
Boogs showcased his strength outside the ring with a belly-to-belly suplex on the massive Commander Azeez. Inside the ring, 'The Artist' rolled Crews up with an arm-trap pin the win.
The match was a good title match and gave 'The King of Strong Style' another successful defense. However, WWE needs to find something new for Apollo as it looks like the creative team has run out of ideas for him.
.@rickboogswwe got @CommanderAzeez up! 🤯
#SmackDown #ICTitle https://t.co/Y0PGSbvh0x
Rick Boogs is benefitting the most from his alliance with the Intercontinental Champion. He will become a breakout star for the company in the months to come. It won't be surprising if he ends up defeating Nakamura for the title soon.