WWE SmackDown - Best and Worst - Major star set to confront Triple H; Roman Reigns attacked by his cousin; 2 huge debuts
SmackDown tonight was a pretty fun show, with a lot happening. There was a lot of progress in Roman Reigns' story with The Bloodline, but was it too much?
A lot more happened beyond Samoan family members airing out their dirty laundry, though. From WWE stars making their debuts to one big name potentially quitting, so much more took place.
So, with that in mind, let's get to it. Here are the biggest positives and negatives from this week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
#3. Best: Success on night one
SmackDown was a night of debuts, as Lash Legend wrestled her first singles match on the WWE main roster. However, the big one came later on. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley finally arrived on the blue brand, as the Motor City Machine Guns won a triple threat tag team match.
The veteran duo defeated Los Garza and A-Town Down Under, using their dynamic offense and impeccable chemistry. Sabin and Shelley had a successful outing right off the bat.
They will face DIY next week on SmackDown, with a shot at the WWE Tag Team Titles on the line. That is huge. What a start for the Motor City Machine Guns in WWE!
#2. Worst: Cody ignores KO on SmackDown
The Kevin Owens situation is among SmackDown's most exciting storylines right now. And after Cody Rhodes seemed to be ready to fight him last week, he did not even mention KO in his promo tonight. The American Nightmare's sole focus was the WWE Crown Jewel Championship.
It is hard to believe that Owens and his actions would be of lesser priority to Cody Rhodes than a championship that will never be defended. His match against Gunther at Crown Jewel will be great, but at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what happens.
That is, unless Kevin Owens involves himself, potentially by costing Rhodes the match. That seems unlikely. So, while the Undisputed WWE Champion is off doing side quests, let's get to the meat of the KO situation.
#2. Best: Randy's story is cooking, though
It seems like Kevin Owens is more bothered about Randy Orton "betraying" him than anything else from the past two weeks. Whether or not he returns to WWE anytime soon, that's what sticks out.
This led to The Viper demanding that Nick Aldis book him and KO in a match at Crown Jewel. The SmackDown general manager said he can't due to the higher-ups, which could lead to an interesting conversation.
Orton may have to talk directly to Triple H to get his match with Owens. But will the former Universal Champion even come back for it? Things could get really interesting going forward after what played out on SmackDown tonight.
#1. Best/Worst: Going too fast?
After the way he ignored Jimmy Uso on RAW, did it not seem like Jey Uso smiled a bit too much at his twin brother on SmackDown? It felt like there was a whole middle part of the story we missed. But regardless of where The Usos stand, The YEET Master's confrontation with Roman Reigns made sense.
The OTC tried to mend fences with Jey (for 30 seconds) but it wasn't enough. There's still work to be done, especially after how Reigns got destroyed at the end of SmackDown. Solo Sikoa and his Bloodline dominated this episode, too.
Their opening segment with Jey Uso set the stage for the ending. Jimmy was beaten up backstage, while Solo, Jacob Fatu, and the Tongans got the better of Roman Reigns in the ring. Another strong night for them, ahead of a potential stopover at RAW next week.
Solo Sikoa's Bloodline will likely play a part in Main Event Jey's Intercontinental Title match against Bron Breakker. It just remains to be seen if Reigns and Jimmy Uso will appear as well, bridging the gap towards their emotional reunion.