5 things WWE SmackDown got right before WrestleMania Backlash: Roman Reigns retreats; Missing superstar returns
An explosive episode of WWE SmackDown before WrestleMania Backlash saw The Bloodline retreat before a huge six-man tag team match. RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre are all set to take the fight to Roman Reigns, Jimmy, and Jey Uso on Sunday night.
Sami Zayn also tried to get into The Tribal Chief’s good books on Friday night. He took on Shinsuke Nakamura in a one-on-one match to take care of Reigns’ business on SmackDown.
Meanwhile, Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair had another heated exchange before their SmackDown Women’s Championship match on Sunday. The two women will compete in the only title match at WrestleMania Backlash.
Plus, Lacey Evans appeared in a video package before appearing in front of the live crowd. It was another entertaining episode of the show that featured some excellent matches and segments. Take a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.
#5. Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey got in another brawl before WrestleMania Backlash
Charlotte Flair came out for a match against Aliyah on WWE SmackDown before WrestleMania Backlash. The Queen was looking to get back at her opponent, who refused to tap out to the Figure Eight and denied her a win in the Beat the Clock challenge last week.
Before the match could begin, Flair took out Aliyah with a big clothesline. She hit the young superstar with a big boot and continued to beat her down.
Ronda Rousey came out to confront The Queen, and the two superstars started brawling all around the ring. WWE officials rushed to separate the two women before they could injure each other.
The SmackDown Women’s Champion nailed Shawn Daivari with a big boot before the two women could be kept away for the show to move on. Charlotte Flair and Rousey have done an excellent job at building their rivalry through brawls than promos.
Drew Gulak played a major role in the feud’s development, but this week, he was kept out of the scene. Instead, Daivari ate a kick after Rousey moved out of Flair’s range. It was a good segment that could lead to an even better match between the two top superstars at WrestleMania Backlash.
#4. Gunther spoiled Drew Gulak’s return to the ring
Instead of featuring in the segment between Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey, Drew Gulak got a match on WWE SmackDown. Unfortunately, he was put up against the unstoppable Gunther.
The ruthless newcomer delivered chop after chop to torment Gulak early. Gulak endured a few more chops and a submission maneuver to stay in the game.
The Austrian Anomaly locked in the sleeper hold before hitting a powerbomb that nearly folded Gulak before getting an easy win. WWE is doing well to build Gunther on SmackDown. However, he needs to face some top names to come across as a big threat on the brand.
Gulak returned to compete in his first match on television since participating in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal before WrestleMania 38. The writers need to make him a regular feature on the show as he is great on the mic and in the ring.
#3. Butch returned after Fight Night defeated New Day in a Tables Match on WWE SmackDown
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods were confident ahead of their Tables Match against Sheamus & Ridge Holland this Friday Night. The two teams hit some good moves early before New Day hit Sheamus with a table.
New Day nearly put Holland through a table too, but Sheamus moved it just in time to prevent a loss for his side. The babyfaces sent Holland into the steel steps outside the ring as The Celtic Warrior crashed through the barricades.
Sheamus continued to march on and looked strong in his offense. He braved many big moves from Woods and Kingston before hitting them with some of his own.
Suddenly, Butch came out from under the ring to attack New Day before Sheamus hit Woods with a Brogue Kick. The trio put the host of UpUpDownDown through the table to win the match.
For those unaware, a couple of weeks ago, Butch stormed off the arena after losing to Woods. WWE launched a search for him all over social media and kept asking fans if they knew where he was on last week's show. However, the lost star has now returned.
WWE has stretched this rivalry for quite some time. However, this was the best contest between the two top teams on SmackDown. Butch’s return sets up a few options for Fight Night post-WrestleMania Backlash.
The writers could let them have a go at The Bloodline before moving Sheamus into a rivalry with Roman Reigns for his titles.
#2. Sami Zayn continued to entertain; Shinsuke Nakamura made his intentions clear before WrestleMania Backlash
Shinsuke Nakamura appeared in a backstage interview on WWE SmackDown. The Artist declared that he had not forgotten about The Bloodline’s attack on him a few weeks ago and would get back at Roman Reigns in his own time.
Paul Heyman shook off Nakamura’s threats before Sami Zayn approached him. He wanted to get noticed by The Tribal Chief and told Heyman that he would take care of Nakamura for Roman Reigns.
A match was booked between Zayn and Nakamura for the show. The Conspiracy Theorist started well and punished The Artist with some locks and holds. Nakamura went for a Kinshasa early, but Zayn countered it with a Michinoku Driver.
Nakamura took control for some time before hitting his signature moves to stay on top of the competition. The two men continued to trade some good moves and entertain the fans.
The fight spilled outside as the referee began the ten-count. Zayn hit Nakamura with the Helluva Kick outside and ran back to the ring for a count-out victory.
The creative team is doing a terrific job with Zayn and his character. His past segments with Reigns and Heyman could help him build his current storyline.
This week's victory protected The Artist while giving The Conspiracy Theorist something to brag about. Sami Zayn will likely keep the babyface busy until he can get into a rivalry with Roman Reigns.
#1. The Bloodline tasted RKMcBro’s finishers to end WWE SmackDown
Drew McIntyre and RK-Bro came out to the ring before their match against The Bloodline at WrestleMania Backlash. All three men put each other over by talking about their accomplishments.
After Riddle and McIntyre made some hilarious comments, Roman Reigns walked out with The Usos by his side. The six men had a face-off before a brawl broke out.
The babyfaces were taken out by The Bloodline before Reigns unloaded on McIntyre. RK-Bro re-entered the ring and took down Jimmy & Jey Usos with RKOs before Drew McIntyre nailed Roman Reigns with the Claymore Kick.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and his cousins retreated as SmackDown ended. The creative team has done a fantastic job at building another top rivalry for The Bloodline. The feud started slowly, but it reached its fever pitch in a matter of weeks.
The babyfaces have stood tall far too often in this rivalry. Judging by WWE's booking tendencies, it's never a good sign as far as big matches are concerned. However, fans have to wait till Sunday to find out which emerges as the winners of the massive tag team bout.