Huge return and a Ronda Rousey appearance seemingly bumps WWE SmackDown overnight ratings
The latest overnight ratings for WWE SmackDown are out, and the viewership for the blue brand has seemingly soared to over two million.
This week's episode of SmackDown emanated from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. The show featured a surprise appearance from Ronda Rousey, her first after SummerSlam and the return of popular faction Hit Row to the company. The blue brand also had a title defense on its cards as Gunther defended his Intercontinental Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura.
As per the latest reports by Spoiler TV, SmackDown brought in an average of 2.431 million viewers. Hour one of the show had 2.611 million viewers tuning in, while viewership in the second hour came down to 2.251 million viewers.
The show garnered a 0.45 average rating in the critical 18-49 demographic.
Who was the star of #SmackDown last night? #Top10 https://t.co/S8rDEcFx1M
However, it should be noted that these are preliminary numbers and the final figures for the show will come out on August 15.
Check out the results from the latest episode of SmackDown here.
What happened this week on WWE SmackDown?
Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez advanced to the next round of the Women's Tag Team Championship tournament after defeating Shotzi and Xia Lee.
Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre addressed last week's attack by Karrion Kross. However, a diversion from Scarlett Bordeaux allowed The Usos to ambush him. The show also witnessed the return of Hit Row. The stable comprising of B-Fab, Ashante Adonis, and Top Dolla defeated local talent Brendon Scott & Trevor Irvin.
🗣️: HIIIIIIIIT ROOOOOOOOW
Look who's back on #SmackDown! https://t.co/w8Jw1bZ5Wx
Ronda Rousey made a surprise appearance and invaded the contract signing between Liv Morgan and Shayna Baszler. The Rowdy One was later escorted to the back. Morgan and Baszler then made their match at Clash at the Castle official.
In the fallout from the attack earlier in the evening, McIntyre went up against The Usos. Madcap Moss joined in to even the odds, and the duo managed to defeat the Undisputed Tag Team Champions. After the match, Sami Zayn came out to save Jimmy and Jey but took a Claymore Kick instead.
In the main event, Gunther defended the Intercontinental Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. The Ring General prevailed as he planted his opponent with a dropkick followed by a powerbomb to retain his title.
Did you enjoy WWE SmackDown this week? Let us know in the comments section below.