5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: Riddle defeats another champion; Drew McIntyre & Sami Zayn set for a bigger match
A few big matches were set for this week’s WWE SmackDown. Riddle competed against Jey Uso after defeating Jimmy last week with a beautiful RKO. A contract signing segment between Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey also took place ahead of their “I Quit” Match at WrestleMania Backlash.
Madcap Moss competed in another good match after picking up a win over Humberto last week. Meanwhile, Butch got a second chance as he looked to pick up his first win on SmackDown.
Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn were also scheduled for a Lumberjack Match on this week’s SmackDown. Fans waited to see how the latter would escape from this type of match after slipping away in the previous two contests.
It was a decent episode of the show that built towards some big matches for the future. Look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.
#5. Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair signed their contract for an “I Quit” match
WWE SmackDown kicked off with a contract signing between Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. Adam Pearce was present in the ring for the segment before Drew Gulak joined them with the contract in hand.
The two superstars had a standard war of words which was no different than anything said in the past. They shot insults at each other as Flair kept reminding Ronda that she made her tap out at WrestleMania 38.
The Queen flipped the table and attacked Rousey with a Kendo Stick. The Baddest Woman on the Planet turned the tides and took the kendo stick before Flair ran backstage. Gulak tried to get Rousey to sign the contract, but she vented her frustration at him and locked in an armbar before signing the contract on top of him as he screamed out, "I Quit."
The segment wasn’t too special, but it did help push the rivalry between the two women. It was one of the better segments they’ve had since their match at WrestleMania. Drew Gulak stole the show again and breathed life into the entire situation.
#4. Xavier Woods defeated Butch to frustrate the newcomer further
The rivalry between Fight Night and New Day continued this week as Butch squared off against Xavier Woods. The latter got some big moves in to gain the early advantage before The Rabid Wildebeast came in with some offense.
He tried for the Fujiwara armbar before Woods broke free but was sent into the turnbuckles. The two men continued to exchange some standard moves before Butch tried to hit Woods with a DDT. The King of the Ring countered and rolled him up for a quick win on WWE SmackDown.
The match was decent and helped both men stay relevant. Butch is slowly developing his character, and he is good enough in the ring to pull off some big wins.
After the match, he ran into the crowd and beat up a security guard to vent his frustration. The writers seem invested in his character, and one can hope that he will start picking up some big wins in the coming weeks.
#3. Madcap Moss picked up another win on WWE SmackDown
After defeating Humberto on WWE SmackDown last week, Madcap Moss squared off against Angel on this week’s show. Early on, he had the advantage as he used his strength to overpower the cruiserweight superstar.
Moss tossed Angel out of the ring and onto Humberto to show his dominance. The latter distracted Moss for a while, and Angel took advantage and took down the larger superstar.
Moss recovered to hit a Fallaway Slam and a Spear in the corner before finishing the match with the Punchline. Happy Corbin arrived after the match to attack Moss. He took him out with the End of Days before stealing his Andre the Giant trophy to end the segment.
WWE has done well to build towards the storyline between Corbin and Moss. They were good as a team and could do even better as rivals.
Corbin seems to be the perfect heel to give the newer superstar a good push. He has worked on some top rivalries in the past and has always made his opponents look good. The two men are likely to meet in a match at WrestleMania Backlash.
#2. Riddle defeated another Uso to come across as a threat on WWE SmackDown
Riddle squared off against Jey Uso on WWE SmackDown this week. The Original Bro was looking to make it 2-0 against The Usos with this match.
Jey beat down Riddle before the latter returned with a suplex to get back in the contest. He sent Jey outside and hit a dive to drop him around the ring.
Jey Uso was looking to fire back, but Riddle kept making comebacks to put the SmackDown Tag Team Champion on the backfoot. He hit the Floating Bro for a near fall before Jimmy Uso tried to interfere. Randy Orton dropped him on the announce desk to take him out of the equation.
Riddle went for the RKO in the ring, but Jey countered. The Uso climbed to the top for a big splash, but Riddle got his knees up and pinned him.
It was another excellent contest between Riddle and The Usos. The Original Bro has become one of the company's top workhorses and continues to deliver every week. Meanwhile, Jey Uso was good throughout the contest and gave his opponent a good fight.
WWE seems to be working towards a win for The Usos when it matters the most. It will be entertaining to see The Bloodline hold four top titles in the company.
#1. Adam Pearce booked another match between Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn for next week
Sami Zayn approached Roman Reigns backstage before his match against Drew McIntyre on WWE SmackDown. The Master Strategist hesitated at first but walked into Reigns’ locker room with a believable story to get The Bloodline on his side.
Soon after, Zayn walked out for his Lumberjack Match against McIntyre. The Usos showed up at ringside as The Conspiracy Theorist tried to run away from the contest a couple of times.
Zayn had several heels on his side who took turns beating up McIntyre every time he exited the ring. Ridge Holland and Sheamus worked over The Scottish Warrior for some time outside the ring before sending him back in.
Soon after, a brawl broke out as Zayn tried to run away from the match. The former WWE Champion dragged him back into the ring, but Jinder Mahal and Shanky attacked him. He hit a dive to take out most of the lumberjacks before Adam Pearce arrived to make another announcement. He set up a Steel Cage match for next week between Zayn and McIntyre to up the stakes.
It was a fun segment that built towards a bigger match for next week. With WrestleMania Backlash on the horizon, fans can expect next week's contest to end in chaos again before an even bigger match is set for the Premium Live Event.