WWE SmackDown suffers ratings dip with no Roman Reigns on the show
The overnight ratings for WWE SmackDown took a small hit this week without its top stars, Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey.
This week's episode of the blue brand emanated from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. The star-studded show featured Bray Wyatt's first appearance since his stupendous return at Extreme Rules 2022.
Spoiler TV reported that the show averaged 2.129 million viewers. It garnered 2.175 million viewers in the first hour and 2.082 million viewers in hour two. This was lower than last week's average of 2.243 million.
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#WWE #SmackDown https://t.co/OaYDaR2IIF
In the key 18-49 demographic, SmackDown drew a 0.5 rating. It will be interesting to see if the blue brand can bounce back in the coming weeks.
What happened on WWE SmackDown this week?
This week's WWE SmackDown started with a backstage brawl where Drew McIntyre assaulted Karrion Kross as the latter entered the arena.
Chaotic start to #SmackDown.
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In the night's first match, Sami Zayn was in action against Kofi Kingston. Jey Uso was at ringside after Roman Reigns specifically told him to ensure a win for The Bloodline over a phone call. After a hard-fought contest, The Honorary Uce finally rolled up Kingston for the win, albeit with some assistance from Jey.
Brawn Strowman was in action next. The Monster of All Monsters mauled two local competitors before Omos and MVP appeared and insulted the former Universal Champion. In another singles encounter, LA Knight laid waste to Maximum Male Models member månsôör.
EZ dub for @RealLAKnight on his #SmackDown debut!
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Damage CTRL picked up a win against the team of Shotzi, Raquel Rodriguez, and Roxanne Perez. In another tag team match, Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde of Legado del Fantasma defeated Hit Row members Ashante Adonis and Top Dolla.
The main event featured a fatal four-way bout to determine the next number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Rey Mysterio also featured in the match as a surprise participant alongside Solo Sikoa, Ricochet, and Sheamus. The legendary luchador emerged as the winner after hitting a 619 and Top Rope Splash on The One and Only.
"This is my new home now!" - @reymysterio
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Finally, Bray Wyatt came out to address the WWE Universe. In an emotional promo, The Eater of Worlds thanked fans for saving his life and pushing him to find his way back to the company.
You can catch the full results of SmackDown here.