Best and Worst of SmackDown: WWE pushing another star to possibly replace Roman Reigns, underwhelming feud teased for returning 7-Time Champion (April 14, 2023)
Welcome to this week's edition of Best and Worst of SmackDown. We're now fully post-WrestleMania season, and the build-up to Backlash in Puerto Rico has intensified.
This week, we had two excellent shows in RAW and SmackDown, especially the latter, given how things flew by without necessarily having all top stars present.
The flow was good, it was consistent, and WWE did a good enough job of building up some hype for Backlash despite no match being made official on this show. Let's look at the best and worst of the blue brand this week!
#3. Best: A very strong main event on SmackDown
On #SmackDown, Solo Sikoa defeated Matt Riddle in the main event. Solo continued his assault on Riddle after the match & buried him under the announce table!
#WWE https://t.co/cgoABYkaz5
The episode opened this week with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens getting ambushed by The Bloodline before being saved by Matt Riddle. It set up the main event of SmackDown as we were reminded that Solo Sikoa was the one to put Riddle out of action for four months.
The main event was good, and Solo Sikoa winning was the right decision. The fact that he has only ever been pinned by Cody Rhodes on the main roster is indicative that he might be the Bloodline member who next gets a big singles push after Roman Reigns.
His post-match attack has established that dominance and power, and we look forward to seeing how he may slowly replace Reigns.
#2. Worst: An underwhelming return feud for Shinsuke Nakamura?
Looks like we're getting a Kross - Shinsuke feud! Thoughts? 🤔
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/qw5kyuyNcz
Shinsuke Nakamura faced Madcap Moss in his return match and successfully defeated him. After the match, the screen cut to Scarlett, revealing that Karrion Kross was targeting the Japanese star.
Nakamura is a seven-time champion in WWE if you include his two NXT Title wins, and this is admittedly an underwhelming feud for his return. Kross needs to do something to get the crowd interested as soon as possible because what he's doing is not working.
#2. Best: The Damian Priest vs. Santos Escobar match and post-match incident
This match kinda fire tho. 🔥
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/uL1KfVEHHr
Damian Priest defeated Santos Escobar in an excellent match on SmackDown. Post-match, Rey Mysterio came out, and the LWO cleared the ring to stand tall. We felt that everything about the match and post-match segment was handled well.
For one, it kept Damian Priest strong and relevant with a big victory, and LWO also looked good in the end because of the post-match attack. The chaos at ringside was entertaining, and WWE did everything right over here to build up whatever match is happening at Backlash 2023.
#1. Worst: LA Knight losing again
Right decision or wrong decision? 🤔
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/ChKdwPLpRi
What we didn't like was the fact that LA Knight lost on SmackDown yet again. While he snapped his losing streak by beating Rey Mysterio a few weeks back, he still missed WrestleMania in the end, and we felt that he should have gotten the win over Xavier Woods.
This is even more so when you consider the recent rumor that LA Knight is the "leading candidate" to win the Men's Money in the Bank match this year.
#1. Best: An incoming banger
Gunther vs Xavier Woods for the #ICTitle? 👀
#SmackDown #WWE https://t.co/5Tw4r2TPBx
What we liked, however, was that Xavier Woods flat out went to Gunther and challenged him for the Intercontinental Championship - a title he acknowledged that he had never had a shot at before.
There is a considerable size discrepancy, and Gunther will win, but we guarantee it will be a banger of a match and another star in the incredible year the Austrian has had.
This segment added to the logic behind Xavier Woods' win over LA Knight, so as much as we don't like the result, this is a logical way for Woods to take that next step.