Jeff Hardy got "arrested" at the beginning of WWE SmackDown

5 Biggest news stories from WWE SmackDown (May 29, 2020)

From Otis and Mandy Rose's poolside parody to Jeff Hardy's substance issues being turned into a storyline, this week's edition of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.

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With last night's episode, SmackDown continued to prove that it is WWE's ultimate entertainment brand. Make no mistake, despite potential booking blunders and whatnot, the Blue brand still put on a very weird and intriguing show.

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Bruce Prichard clearly understands how to draw eyes on the product, and even though SmackDown tends to go a little overboard at times, it is inevitably the most newsworthy WWE brand as a result.

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Which show did you like better this week, RAW or SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE SmackDown (May 29, 2020).

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#5: Kurt Angle announced that Matt Riddle will join Friday Night SmackDown

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The Super King of Bros will finally move up to WWE SmackDown after a successful run as one of NXT's top names.

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Kurt Angle appeared in a segment to announce that Matt Riddle will be making the move to the Blue brand.

Earlier this week, Timothy Thatcher and Riddle had a brutal cage match with Angle as the special referee. Thatcher picked up the victory, and that was apparently Riddle's last match on WWE NXT.

The former UFC welterweight and NXT Tag Team Champion will surely make some noise on WWE SmackDown. It makes sense why the higher-ups wanted him on this brand, and that is because he's not just another great Pro-Wrestler in the ring, but Riddle has been impressive when it comes to the entertainment side of things as well.

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For what it's worth, this callup also brings us one step closer to a meme-worthy matchup like Matt Riddle vs. Goldberg, which would still be a risky proposition, but you never know what WWE might do if the story is already there.

#4: WWE aired a video of Otis and Mandy Rose engaging in poolside drama

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Otis has been one of WWE's most important assets when it comes to entertainment. You could put this man in the most obnoxious segment and his unintentional charm would still make it a must-see program on TV.

This week, we got an "update" on how the MITB briefcase holder is spending his time with Mandy Rose. In any other scenario, one would be thinking of ways to cash-in on the Champion, but Otis engaged in poolside shenanigans with his romantic interest instead.

The whole segment was a well-produced spoof of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", and even though WWE's sense of humor may not be everyone's cup of tea, it was a well-intentioned program that showed us how MITB briefcase runs can be silly and weird at the same time.

Braun Strowman didn't have a notable angle as far as the WWE Universal Championship is concerned, but that should change next week as Otis continues to be an unusual factor in Strowman's title run.

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#3: Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss to earn a Women's Tag Team title shot for herself and Bayley

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WWE SmackDown's female Tag Team Champions united with the male Tag Team Champions in "A Moment of Bliss" this week.

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As far as this segment goes, "A Moment of Bliss" always comes across as painful when Superstars seem to force entertainment to reach a particular plot point for the night.

In this case, Bayley's interruption was that particular plot point. A few moments later, Sasha Banks was forced to wrestle Bliss, thanks to Bayley's complete confidence in her "best friend".

Nikki Cross was by far one of the most entertaining aspects of WWE TV this week. Her over-the-top shenanigans made Corey Graves and Michael Cole break on commentary.

Banks capitalized for a cheap victory after Cross and Bayley couldn't stay out of action for too long.

As a result, Cross & Bliss have to defend their WWE Women's Tag Team titles against Sasha & Bayley next week. The outcome of this eventual contest will be intriguing because Sasha desperately needs a title to overcome her reputation as Bayley's lackey, but the Women's Tag Team Champions have been doing a pretty good job in WWE by themselves.

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#2: Jeff Hardy got "arrested" on suspicion of public intoxication and a hit-and-run on Elias at the beginning of WWE SmackDown

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Clearly, many WWE fans have been upset over the fact that the company turned Jeff Hardy's substance issues into a storyline this week.

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Jeff Hardy's comeback videos were aired on WWE TV for a particular reason. They acknowledged his past struggles on SmackDown, and the chances of it being turned into a storyline were pretty much high from that point onwards.

That is what exactly happened at the beginning of this week's WWE SmackDown. Somehow, Elias was being stretchered into an ambulance, and Braun Strowman witnessed a hit-and-run with his own eyes.

From a production standpoint, this was an excellent segment. Hardy was found stumbling nearby a few moments later, and the initial situation pointed towards Jeff Hardy being the perpetrator.

WWE Digital later revealed that Hardy passed all the sobriety tests, therefore absolving him of all charges immediately.

As most of us suspected, Hardy may have been framed by someone. King Corbin and Sheamus may have orchestrated this whole accident all along.

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#1: Daniel Bryan defeated Sheamus to qualify for the final round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament

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After Jeff Hardy and Elias were removed from WWE's Intercontinental Title tournament, a Battle Royal was organized to find a semi-final opponent for Daniel Bryan.

AJ Styles, unlike Daniel Bryan, didn't want to fight anybody on WWE SmackDown this week. As a result, he was allowed to get a free ticket into the final round of this tournament.

Sheamus won the Battle Royal and got a main event spot against Daniel Bryan. If it's not obvious by now, then Corbin and Sheamus had the most to gain from Elias and Hardy's downfall at the beginning of WWE SmackDown this week. Sheamus securing another opportunity for the IC title almost confirmed everyone's suspicions.

In the main event, Sheamus and Bryan had a good contest against each other. Hardy's re-appearance helped Bryan pick up a victory against The Celtic Warrior.

AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan was the expected match for the final round of WWE's Intercontinental Title tournament. WWE inserted a massive plot point (Hardy-Elias subplot) to reach the same goal, and even though that plot point can be considered engaging from a technical standpoint, it certainly raised a lot of moral issues on social media.

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Meet the man who called CM Punk the softest man alive HERE

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Edited by
Zaid Khan
 
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