Top WWE heels forced to break character on TV, Roman Reigns makes a brutal plan for revenge, Desperate need for redemption - Biggest Flops and Hits from SmackDown
WWE delivered a decent show on SmackDown this week. The episode featured major returns and high-stakes matches.
Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah defeated Sonya Deville and Natalya to book a spot for themselves in the ongoing Women's Tag Team Championship tournament finals. Additionally, New Day returned to the blue brand and put the Viking Raiders on notice.
Here, we look at some of the biggest flops and hits from the latest edition of WWE SmackDown. So, without further ado, let's begin.
Honorable mention from WWE SmackDown: Sami Zayn
MORE ROMAN REIGNS AND SAMI ZAYN CONTENT #Smackdown https://t.co/IrTcQNRcwN
Sami Zayn is arguably the most underrated superstar in WWE history. He deserves a lot more credit for making every storyline as entertaining as possible.
Recently, Jey Uso has been questioning Zayn's credibility on SmackDown. It is clear that The Bloodline is using him, but one can't deny the funny side of their interactions.
This week, Zayn spoke with Roman Reigns in front of The Usos. The Tribal Chief wanted him to distract Drew McIntyre, which prompted the former Intercontinental Champion to list different methods he uses to get inside his opponent's head.
Zayn described dancing and picnics in a hilarious manner that forced Reigns and The Usos to break character on-screen.
Jey Uso gotta go to therapy because why he keep going 0 to 60 like that 😂ðŸ˜https://t.co/us5E5GA6th
All the Bloodline members struggled to contain their laughter, especially Jey Uso. It accounted for an excellent backstage segment, and Zayn followed it up with an impressive in-ring performance in the main event.
The former Intercontinental Champion has nailed his role as the Honorary Uce, and it will be interesting to see what's in store for his "bond" with The Bloodline moving forward.
#1 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre's return to the world title picture has been incredible. He has taken his run to a different level since his match against Kevin Owens on RAW. The Scottish Warrior is determined to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle.
McIntyre appears willing to pay any price for his goals as he inches closer to a massive title match in front of his home crowd.
This week, he faced Sami Zayn in a solid main event and delivered yet another impressive in-ring performance. He proved he is a legitimate threat to Roman Reigns' historic title reign.
Unfortunately for him, the victory was quickly followed by a brutal ambush. McIntyre took a lot of punishment this week at the hands of The Bloodline members, which allowed him to further gain sympathy from the crowd.
Fans are truly behind him ahead of Clash at the Castle, but can the former WWE Champion go the distance? In recent weeks, he has managed to get the better of The Bloodline, but this time, he fell victim to the number's disadvantage. It will be interesting to see how he hits back on SmackDown's final show before Clash at the Castle.
#2 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns fell short during his confrontation with Drew McIntyre last week on SmackDown. The Tribal Chief only had Sami Zayn in his corner, which made things quite easy for the Scottish Warrior.
Reigns was determined to make a statement and had The Bloodline members do half his job. Once McIntyre received multiple chair shots, Reigns picked his moment to share a short preview of what to expect from their title match at Clash at the Castle.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion brutalized his title challenger to a point where the latter was lying motionless on the mat. Reigns then put a chair over McIntyre and sat on it before reveling in his greatness. He insisted that he was at the top of the mountain and backed his claims with a dominant attack.
Reigns is currently the biggest heel in WWE, and his latest assault on a top babyface allowed him to draw all the more heat from the crowd.
#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Sheamus and Gunther
Sheamus won a huge Fatal 5-Way match to win a shot at the Intercontinental Championship. He will challenge Gunther for gold at Clash at the Castle.
The two superstars crossed paths on SmackDown this week and made the most of their promo segment. Seamus cleverly put Gunther over with the crowd, crediting him for being at par with the Celtic Warrior in terms of in-ring resilience.
They obviously have limited time to build on their title feud ahead of the next premium live event, and they elevated their rivalry with just one confrontation. Ludwig Kaiser and Butch brawled like madmen.
At the same time, Sheamus and Gunther stared into each other's souls without moving a muscle. The well-executed segment added much-needed excitement to this title feud ahead of Clash at the Castle.
#4 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Happy Corbin
The opening match of SmackDown saw Happy Corbin take on Ricochet in a singles match once again. The high-flying superstar picked up a fairly easy victory on the blue brand, leaving his opponent humiliated inside the squared circle.
Things haven't been great for Corbin since the beginning of the year, and he is now at risk of losing any credibility he has built in the company.
Perhaps this is the best time to bring back his "Lone Wolf" gimmick. Fans were interested in him at one point when it seemed like Corbin had lost everything and was looking for help. But the whole 'becoming filthy rich by winning at the casino' storyline has run its course.
He has been involved in good feuds but has no major wins to his name. Corbin is one of those heels who can genuinely get under someone's skin, and it would be better to bring back his old gimmick and turn him into a compelling on-screen character.