5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: Big match set up; Sami Zayn outsmarts The Bloodline
Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes came face-to-face on this week's WWE SmackDown. It was one of the biggest segments set for the night as the two superstars, who will likely main-event WrestleMania 39, shot a few harsh words at each other.
Meanwhile, Bobby Lashley wasn’t ready to sit back and play games with Bray Wyatt. He called out The Eater of Worlds on SmackDown, but Uncle Howdy attacked him instead. The All Mighty got the better of the masked figure to make a statement on the show.
Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio also headed over to SmackDown to get themselves in a couple of matches. Many top superstars also looked to make their case for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship match against GUNTHER at WrestleMania.
Check out the five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.
#5. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns came face to face to kick off WWE SmackDown
The Bloodline came out to the ring on WWE SmackDown without Jey Uso by their side. Roman Reigns got fans to acknowledge him before Cody Rhodes joined him in the middle.
The American Nightmare wanted to talk to Reigns and asked him to send Paul Heyman and the rest of The Bloodline away. The Tribal Chief obliged before targeting Rhodes’ relationship with his father. Reigns dug deep and said that his father never even mentioned Cody’s name during his time at FCW. He tried to get under Rhodes’ skin, but the Royal Rumble winner kept his cool.
Cody said that he can only get what he’s always wanted by defeating Reigns at WrestleMania. The American Nightmare promised to end the story at The Show of Shows before Reigns left the ring.
The segment was phenomenal as it put both superstars over. The Tribal Chief showed a bit of concern while walking out of the ring, and that showed that he is not as confident as he usually is while facing his opponents.
WWE has put a lot of effort into this storyline, and the creative team will need to build it a little before WrestleMania. Many fans are still dreaming of seeing Sami Zayn defeat Reigns for the titles.
#4. Rhea Ripley made Liv Morgan tap out to a new move
Rhea Ripley arrived on WWE SmackDown and took on Liv Morgan. Liv tried to take control of the match early, but she ran into a big boot from the former RAW Women’s Champion.
Liv hit a big dive and tried to stay on top of the match. She hit a backstabber but failed to put The Nightmare away with it. The former SmackDown Women’s Champion stayed on the attack and got a couple of Codebreakers but failed to connect with Oblivion.
Ripley missed the Riptide but hit a powerbomb soon after. She locked Morgan in the Cloverleaf submission hold and made her tap out for the win. Ripley has used Riptide to end nearly all of her matches. It was surprising to see the dominant superstar pull out a submission hold to pick up the win.
The new finisher will add to her arsenal ahead of her big match against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39. Fans could see her reverse the Figure Eight leg lock into the Cloverfield hold to win the match at the show.
#3. Dominik Mysterio defeated Santos Escobar before degrading his father
Santos Escobar wanted to face Dominik Mysterio on WWE SmackDown and teach him a lesson. Escobar started well, but Dominik fired back with a few good moves of his own to make a comeback into the match.
Dominik sent Escobar into the corner before sending him outside the ring for a dive. He went for the 619 back in the ring but hit Escobar with a knee instead. The former NXT Cruiserweight Champion came back with a few moves before Rhea Ripley got involved and pulled him out of the ring. She hit Escobar with a Riptide on the floor before Dom finished him off with a frog splash in the ring for the win.
Dominik Mysterio tore his father’s mask after the win, and Rey Mysterio came out to confront him. Dom continued to degrade his father and tried to get him to hit him before the segment came to a close.
The match was decent and built a story that will likely lead to a match between Dominik and Rey at WrestleMania 39. The Master of the 619 could potentially pick up a win over his son at the Show of Shows before bowing out later on.
#2. Drew McIntyre calls out GUNTHER; sets up a potential match to crown his challenger
Drew McIntyre came out to challenge GUNTHER at WrestleMania 39 for the Intercontinental Championship. He got into an argument with Sheamus as to who should challenge The Ring General before LA Knight showed up.
Knight said that he wanted the match against GUNTHER too. He was interrupted by Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston of the New Day. Karrion Kross also made an appearance and said that he should get the match for the title.
A brawl broke out between the men in the ring, and Knight sent Woods into Sheamus and McIntyre before throwing him out of the ring. The Celtic Warrior took care of the former Million Dollar Champion before McIntyre nearly hit his best friend.
Kross got the final shot on Sheamus and was the last man standing in the ring as the segment came to a close. It looks like WWE has planned for a big match between the superstars for a chance to challenge GUNTHER at WrestleMania.
Surprisingly, The Ring General does not have a solid rivalry heading into The Show of Shows. However, a ladder match to determine who will face GUNTHER at WrestleMania will be entertaining for the fans.
#1. Solo Sikoa defeated Sami Zayn with some help from Jimmy Uso on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns set a deadline for Jey Uso to return to The Bloodline on WWE SmackDown. He told Jimmy to ensure that his brother was back within a week, or he would be held responsible for Jey not showing up.
Solo Sikoa took on Sami Zayn in the main event of SmackDown, and Jimmy kept interfering in the contest. The distraction allowed Solo to take down a fired-up Sami and send him into the ring post and the barricades.
The Master Strategist did not back down and hit a DDT before connecting with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. He missed the Helluva Kick thanks to a distraction from Jimmy, and Sikoa took advantage to connect with the Samoan Spike for the win on SmackDown.
The heels beat down Sami after the match and put a chair around his neck. The Master Strategist got out and hit Sikoa with the chair before connecting with the Helluva Kick to Jimmy. He made his way into the crowd and ran away as the show came to a close.
WWE has done increasingly well with Sami Zayn over the past several months. The loss will not hurt his value, as Jimmy Uso distracted him during the contest. He will remain in a rivalry with The Bloodline heading into WrestleMania 39.