5 things WWE SmackDown got right before Royal Rumble: Roman Reigns targets Seth Rollins; Sasha Banks returns
The final episode of WWE SmackDown before Royal Rumble had a few promising segments. Charlotte Flair came out to kick off the show, hyping the Women's Royal Rumble match.
Meanwhile, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins closed the show with an electric promo segment that took their rivalry to another level. Ridge Holland returned to the ring and teamed up with Sheamus.
Sonya Deville and Naomi finally took their rivalry to the ring and delivered a good match. The Usos had a verbal altercation with The Viking Raiders to elevate the SmackDown Tag Team Championship picture.
Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs were victorious once again as they defeated the team of Jinder Mahal and Shanky. It looks like Nakamura and Sami Zayn will be kept away for some time before going head-to-head for the Intercontinental Championship.
Royal Rumble will likely be one of the biggest Premium Live Events of the year. Let's take a look at the five things WWE got right on SmackDown this week.
#5. Sasha Banks returned to put the WWE SmackDown women's division on notice
Charlotte Flair kicked off WWE SmackDown and taunted fans right away. She bragged about her women's championship before turning her attention to the upcoming Royal Rumble match.
Shayna Baszler interrupted her and came face-to-face with The Queen. She threatened to snap the latter like a twig at the Premium Live Event.
Aliyah came out next to make her case, followed by Shotzi. All four women in the ring spoke about their chances in the match before Sasha Banks made her return to the show.
The Boss said she was ready to Rumble and take on all the women in the match to win it. She slapped the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion across the face before a brawl broke out between the women in the ring. Eliminations ensued, culminating with The Boss sending Flair to the floor.
WWE could have kept Banks' return a secret until the Rumble match. However, with Flair entering the contest as the champion, it's good to see someone who can realistically defeat her for the title back in the mix.
The Boss has a good chance of winning the 30-woman match on Saturday. She's now amongst the favorites to challenge Flair for the SmackDown Women's title next.