5 things SmackDown got right on Night 1 of the WWE Draft
Night 1 of the WWE Draft was as exciting as expected as the company delivered a few surprises on this week’s SmackDown. In the first picks of the night, RAW retained the WWE Champion while SmackDown immediately picked their Universal Champion.
The red brand drafted the RAW Women’s Champion, Asuka, early on, while Seth Rollins moved to SmackDown. The Hurt Business will also remain on RAW, but Rey and Dominik Mysterio followed Rollins to SmackDown later.
Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair were among the other big picks for SmackDown. Meanwhile, AJ Styles, The Miz, and John Morrison moved to the red brand.
In one of the biggest surprises of the night, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods made their return and won a big title match before RAW drafted them. Bayley and Banks had their first match to kick off their new rivalry, and Lars Sullivan made his way back to SmackDown.
Let's look at the five things WWE got right on the first night of the draft on SmackDown.
#5. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion ended in a disqualification
Sasha Banks came out on WWE SmackDown to take on her former best friend, Bayley, for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. The Legit Boss looked as confident as ever as she rushed The Role Model in the corner right from the start.
She got the better for The Role Model early, and the champion decided to roll out of the ring and try to leave the arena. Banks brought her back to the ring to prevent the count-out and lock in The Bank Statement before Bayley countered.
The two women then went back and forth as both looked to get the better of their competitor in this deeply personal match. After a few big moments, Bayley grabbed a steel chair and used it to get herself disqualified.
The Boss then got hold of the chair and used it to teach her former best friend a lesson. The Role Model narrowly escaped as Banks attempted to crush her neck with the chair. The Boss obviously didn't look pleased with the way the match ended.
This was a decent first match in this highly-anticipated rivalry that will allow WWE to build a few more pay-per-view matches. In fact, the finish will give WWE a chance to produce a more definitive outcome at WWE Hell in a Cell.