Best and Worst of SmackDown after the Royal Rumble - WWE makes mistake with main event, Returning star earns title shot?
Welcome to this week's edition of Best and Worst of SmackDown. Since Riju Dasgupta, who usually brings the series to you isn't present, I'll be taking over for this episode's edition. It was an interesting episode of SmackDown, to say the least.
While we can agree that it was an upgrade from the week before, there was still something missing. If you read our articles, you'll know that there's a more positive feeling about Monday Night RAW and the overall programming and creative direction, which is a bit surprising considering that it's much harder to keep a 3-hour show more consistent and entertaining than a 2-hour one.
This is perhaps one of the reasons why people preferred SmackDown Live for a good part of the WWE brand split between 2016-2018. Either way, you're probably wondering what the big hits and misses were from this episode. Let's get right into it.
By the way, you can also check out what Kurt Angle has to say regarding NXT's competition with RAW and SmackDown!
#3. Best: A new feud for Bayley
Naomi has gained some serious momentum since her return at the Royal Rumble. Given how long she was out for, fans were ecstatic to see her return to the fray at the Royal Rumble match - where she received a huge ovation and got over big.
Even afterward, Naomi was recognized by non-fans and casual fans on Twitter and seemingly got a bigger fan-following. While we thought that Carmella would be the next in line to challenge Bayley for the Championship, it's perhaps best to keep that aside for another day.
Since the two have a history together, it doesn't make sense for them to have a rivalry for one month. Since Sasha Banks is the expected direction for Bayley at WrestleMania 36, she needed a "filler feud" and Naomi is perfect for that.
She may not win the title but she's a great babyface challenger who can take the loss.