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Last week was one of the most historic ones for WWE as we witnessed the debut episode of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX. Being one of the most anticipated episodes of weekly WWE TV, numerous legends were advertised to appear in what was also the 20th-anniversary episode of the blue brand.
In a show filled with excitement throughout the two hours, we saw the crowing of a new WWE Champion in Brock Lesnar and a massive debut in the form of former UFC Champion Cain Velasquez. In addition to that, we also witnessed the return of the Brahma Bull, The Rock, to SmackDown.
Well, Friday Night SmackDown's premiere is in the history books now, and WWE.com has released some very interesting "Behind the scenes" pictures from the show. In this article, let's take a look at ten of those and find out how the atmosphere was backstage!
#10 The calm before the Storm
As mentioned earlier, last week on SmackDown, we saw one of the most shocking appearances in the blue brand's history as the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez made his way to the ring to take down the newly crowned WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
Lesnar had viciously attacked Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik on the previous RAW, but no one was expecting Mysterio to bring such a massive back-up. Lesnar has a deep history with Velasquez, who was the one to defeat the Beast Incarnate in a first-round TKO and take the UFC Heavyweight Title from him.
#9 Some Viking Love
One half of the Viking Raiders, Erik looks to be one of the most dangerous men in WWE when he comes out along with Ivar to wrath havoc on their opponents inside the ring. But this warrior has a soft side as well, as visible in the picture above.
Eric married fellow WWE Superstar Sarah Logan last year. Sarah was a part of the Riot Squad, but is currently lost in the mix. Let's hope WWE keeps these two love-birds on the same brand.
#8 Michael Cole has a new home now!
Last week, WWE made some major changes to both of its flagship shows, Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown. The fans got to witness two amazing new sets, alongside the return of the pyro and lasers.
Another change made was to the commentary team as Michael Cole and Corey Graves were moved to the blue brand, while Jerry "The King" Lawler, Vic Joseph, and Dio Maddin were in charge of the commentary duties on RAW. In the picture above, we can see Cole having an animated discussion with Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett.
#7 Daniel Bryan and The Stinger
Among the many legends advertised for the show, one of them who did grace our screens for real was Sting. While fans were expecting him to be involved in a big segment with the likes of The Undertaker or even The Fiend, WWE didn't use him in any major role.
In the picture above, the Hall of Famer is being greeted by Daniel Bryan and his wife, Brie Bella. After a year-long heel run, Bryan has recently turned face and it looks like we might soon witness the return of the Yes Movement!
#6 Just take my money, BOOK IT!
While everyone was busy talking about the new WWE Champion as Lesnar squashed Kofi in under 10 seconds to win the title, there was another interesting title change that happened on the show. The famous American DJ Marshmello tripped and fell on Carmella backstage during the show and became the new 24/7 Champion.
In the picture above, WWE Hall of Famer, Goldberg can be seen having some fun with Marshmello as he shakes his hand while showing him his fist. Is this a tease to a future wrestler vs celebrity match? (I hope not!)
#5 Just a little Stretching
We are so used to watching WWE Superstars rip each other apart in the ring and say terrible stuff in their promos that we sometimes forget that they all are friends backstage. It's no secret that professional wrestling is scripted and whom we see on our TV screens are characters played by these wrestlers.
In the picture above, we can see Cesaro having a fun moment with The Queen Charlotte backstage as he stretches his leg. Charlotte was a part of the first-ever match on Friday Night SmackDown on FOX as she teamed up with the RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch to take on Sasha Banks and Bayley.
#4 The McMahon siblings share a moment!
One of the matches on the night saw Shane McMahon take on his long-term rival Kevin Owens in a ladder match with an added stipulation that the loser will be fired. In a high-action match that saw both the Superstars take some insane bumps, it was Owens who came out victorious, resulting in the termination of Shane from SmackDown.
The picture above shows the McMahon siblings, Shane and Stephanie McMahon, share a moment before the show with a smile on their faces. These two were a major part of the original brand draft in 2016 as the two Commissioners of SmackDown and RAW, respectively.
#3 You gotta iron it yourself!
Being a WWE Superstar is no easy job! While we might think that they get all the privileges, the picture above shows Titus O'Neil ironing his suit backstage. Wow, did you ever expect to see that?
Earlier this year, when the 24/7 Championship was introduced by WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley on the May 20th episode of Monday Night RAW, it was Titus who became the inaugural champion by grabbing the title first in a scramble involving several others. While his reign hardly lasted a minute, Titus got his name written in the history books with that victory.
#2 Becky Lynch getting ready to open the show!
Opening such a historic show is a huge task and WWE took the right step by showing trust in The Man, Becky Lynch to open the show. The RAW Women's Champion made her entrance combined with pyro that gave it a very grand feel.
Becky has been on a roll ever since embracing this new gimmick of The Man last year after SummerSlam. Earlier this year, she won the first-ever Women's WrestleMania main event by defeating Ronda Rousey and Charlotte in a triple-threat match.
But The Man was not alone to open the show, as she had some great company in the form of this guy...
#1 Some rehearsal before electrifying the crowd!
Yes, The Rock made his long-awaited return to Friday Night SmackDown last week, much to the delight of his fans present in the arena. After Becky made her way to the ring, it was the 2019 King of the Ring Baron Corbin who interrupted her.
Well, Becky had great backup, as The Rock joined her in the middle of the ring and cut an electrifying promo, embracing the fans and making fun of Corbin. The Brahma Bull then went on to hit his signature People's Elbow and the Rock Bottom on Corbin to end the segment standing tall with the RAW Women's Champion.
What were your thoughts on the debut episode of Friday Night SmackDown? Let us know in the comments section below.
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