Best and Worst of WWE SmackDown: Roman Reigns called out; Braun Strowman destroys faction; tensions escalate between The Bloodline
WWE continued its winning streak with another memorable episode of SmackDown this week. The show featured several noteworthy storyline developments and great matches that left fans on the edge of their seats.
Despite the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns' taking time off from TV, SmackDown didn't lack star power, thanks to Logan Paul's appearance.
While it had its share of drawbacks, on the whole, SmackDown was a home run. So, without further ado, let's quickly dive into all the best and worst moments from the latest edition of the Friday Night Show.
3) Best: Cracks appeared between Sami Zayn and The Bloodline on WWE SmackDown
As expected, Zayn had a stellar match against Ricochet on the Friday night show. However, more than the match itself, the face-off between Sami Zayn and Jey Uso had the fans talking.
The two almost came to blows after the WWE Tag Team Champion distracted the referee at a time when Zayn was inches close to winning. Ricochet capitalized upon the situation by executing a Shooting Star Press on the honorary member of The Bloodline for the win.
Things are getting HEATED between @SamiZayn and Jey @WWEUsos 😬
#SmackDown https://t.co/tiSfcphan5
The loss left Sami Zayn fuming, and it's sure to create major differences between him and The Usos. Whatever direction the storyline takes from here, viewers are keenly invested in witnessing how things will pan out.
2) Worst: Braun Strowman's feud with Alpha Academy continues on SmackDown
It's gonna take a lot more to keep Braun Strowman down!
#Smackdown #WWE https://t.co/VI7KxxUGFy
It's strange to see Strowman with Alpha Academy, especially after how things went down on last week's RAW and SmackDown. On both occasions, The Monster Among Men single-handedly destroyed Otis and Chad Gable.
As such, it makes little sense for Braun Strowman to feud with a duo who have hardly been presented as a credible threat to him. On top of that, if this leads to a match, it's safe to say it would be utterly predictable in favor of Strowman.
WWE should have instead capitalized on the former Universal Champion's momentum and instantly booked him in a big-ticket feud. For now, it seems like we will have to see another round of Strowman destroying poor Otis and Gable.
2) Best: Logan Paul issues big challenge to Roman Reigns on SmackDown
.@LoganPaul kicks the night off here on #SmackDown! https://t.co/8kqTmW5tjX
Though he wasn't present in the arena, The Tribal Chief was still the central focus of SmackDown's opening segment this week. Days after inviting Roman Reigns on his podcast, Logan Paul made it clear that he intends to get inside the squared circle with the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
The social media sensation also urged Reigns to show up at a press conference he set up in Nevada on Saturday. This could soon lead to a showdown between Logan Paul and The Tribal Chief, possibly at Crown Jewel in November.
With Reigns scheduled to attend the aforementioned press conference and appear on the Friday Night Show next week, it'll be interesting to see if he accepts Logan's challenge or brushes it away.
Since Logan Paul was more than impressive during his outings at WrestleMania and SummerSlam, there's little doubt he would shine against Reigns.
1) Worst: Raquel Rodriguez loses on WWE SmackDown
Alliance against common foes!
Shotzi & @RaquelWWE - the duo we didn't know we needed!
#Smackdown #WWE https://t.co/KcLIJBegO2
A couple of weeks ago, reports about WWE and Triple H pushing Rodriguez emerged. However, her booking since then has done her no favors. After she and Aliyah dropped their WWE Tag Team Championships to Damage CTRL on RAW, Rodriguez also fell short in her match on SmackDown.
While Bayley is a bigger star and didn't deserve to lose herself, the loss has nothing but further stalled Raquel Rodriguez's momentum.
Post-match, Shotzi ran out to save Rodriguez from an onslaught by Bayley and IYO SKY. By the looks of it, things are far from finished between the two sides. Fans will hope to see the former NXT Women's Champion avenge the loss soon before setting her sights on bigger things.
1) Best: Four-Way Tag Team Match on SmackDown
The #BrawlingBrutes have done it!
They will take on The @WWEUsos next week on #SmackDown for the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship! https://t.co/HcqlChd7iK
It's always good to see the tag team championship receive the spotlight, just like singles titles on WWE's programming.
This week's SmackDown delivered just that as the main event featured a four-way clash between Imperium, The New Day, The Brawling Brutes, and Hit Row, with the winners getting a shot at the gold. The bout was a spectacular back-and-forth contest, with all four teams receiving ample time to shine.
In the end, Ridge Holland and Butch walked away with a massive win, thus setting up a match against The Usos. While it would be far-fetched to assume The Brawling Brutes would defeat Jimmy and Jey Uso, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the duo push the champions to their limits.
What was your favorite moment of this week's episode of the Friday Night Show? Sound off in the comments section below.