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The last SmackDown episode before this month's Crown Jewel Pay-Per-View popped in bits and parts throughout its 2-hour runtime.
Some segments like last night's Firefly Fun House episode, and the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar's brutal attack on Cain Velasquez and the Mysterio's backstage added a lot in terms of quality.
On the other hand, despite featuring its biggest stars, the writers still came up short to create a momentous episode of Friday Night SmackDown, one that would prompt the masses to watch it live in today's era of digital streaming.
It comes off as no surprise that viewership keeps decreasing in the world of Professional Wrestling periodically, but even then, last night's show had enough takeaways to keep us talking until next week.
Here are a few interesting observations from this week's WWE SmackDown:
#3 Why the 6-Man Tag Team Main Event match worked a lot better than it should have in the first place
6-Man Tag Team Matches have been a staple of both RAW & SmackDown for a long time.
But over the years, a 6-Man Tag Team contest has devolved into a generic premise that usually doesn't push storylines further at all.
However, the crowd was hot for last night's main event, where three members of Team Hogan (Shorty G, Roman Reigns, Ali) took on two members of Team Flair (King Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura) and Cesaro.
Hulk Hogan (w/ Jimmy Hart) and Ric Flair's ringside presence added a lot of momentum to the contest, and the stakes were higher this time around since several subplots collided with each other in the main event.
These subplots will eventually culminate at Crown Jewel, and it looked like the fans were excited just by looking at a preview for things to come.
Roman Reigns also allowed Ali to pick up the victory, and as odd as it may seem, "Shorty G" might be Chad Gable's ultimate ticket to getting over with the fans.
Are you excited for Team Hogan vs. Team Flair at Crown Jewel 2019?
#2 Bray Wyatt resurrecting Ramblin' Rabbit provided new insight into his uncanny persona
"...It was really hot, and there was a muscle man in a suit who kept firing me. I don't wanna go back" - Ramblin' Rabbit
Most Firefly Fun House episodes are filled with easter eggs and cheeky references throughout its entirety, and last night was no exception.
Ramblin' Rabbit's funeral was the primary theme of this week's Firefly Fun House. Bray Wyatt's duality was showcased when he used the "Heal" glove to revive Ramblin' Rabbit, who had previously died (again) after Seth Rollins burned down Wyatt's sacred place on last week's RAW.
Resurrection seems to be a common theme in Firefly Fun House, as not only did Wyatt 'resurrect' Ramblin' Rabbit, but he also seems to have rebuilt the Fun House set out of nowhere.
Of course, Ramblin' Rabbit's initial statements after being 'resurrected' mentioned Vince McMahon as the 'muscle man in a suit', who kept firing him. Since all Firefly Fun House puppets are an extension of Bray Wyatt's character, we can assume that a 'fear of being fired' stems from a certain period in Wyatt's past with the company.
But the biggest easter egg of them all deals with the character's delusion with magical associations throughout these episodes - We have seen a 'pentagram' symbol flash over the screen during the Firefly Fun House's past, and the same happened last night after Wyatt assured Ramblin' Rabbit that the Fun House is a 'safe' place.
The Pentagram symbol is known to have magical associations, and it is commonly accepted as a symbol of protection and exorcism, driving away unwanted energies.
In a nutshell, themes such as 'resurrection' and 'duality' can be attributed to the fact that Fun House Bray Wyatt sees the Firefly Fun House as his sacred place, which is based on a set of firm principles, all of which are an extension of the character's delusions.
#1 Brock Lesnar finally got a physical payback against Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez, a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion seems to have pushed Brock Lesnar into a corner since the former arrived in WWE.
The Beast Incarnate finally got a physical advantage over his nemesis last night, as he crashed the trainer's room to ambush Velasquez, Rey Mysterio and his son, Dominick.
As we have all witnessed in the past, an uncontrolled version of Brock Lesnar can lead to disastrous consequences for his opponents.
Lesnar F-5'ed Velasquez and Mysterio backstage, and that particular moment stood out the most from other segments on the same show.
There have been concerns about whether or not Velasquez is ready to wrestle on a big stage like Crown Jewel. While the two of them have had encounters in the past, that doesn't necessarily indicate that their Professional Wrestling compatibility will be the same.
But after last night's show, it looks like Velasquez vs. Lesnar will be an unorthodox matchup (in a good way) at Crown Jewel. This means we probably won't see a standard in-ring contest with all the usual bumps and flips included in it.
However, if the match is anything near chaotic like their brawl on this week's SmackDown, we could be in for a treat as both of these athletes step foot inside the squared circle.
Do you think Brock Lesnar will be able to retain his WWE Championship at Crown Jewel?
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