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After a successful debut of SmackDown on Fox, the expectations were sky-high from the blue brand this week. The second episode of Friday Night SmackDown was certainly enjoyable with a couple of big matches, including a title rematch. The WWE Draft also commenced on SmackDown this week and several Superstars moved to a different brand.
The show kicked off with a blockbuster match between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. While the former Shield members delivered an outstanding match, it was cut short owing to interference by 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt.
Chad Gable, who is now called 'Shorty Gable', lost to Baron Corbin, and The New Day earned a victory over The OC in a six-man tag team match.
In the main event of the night, the SmackDown Women's Title changed hands, as Bayley pinned Charlotte Flair to win the belt for the second time in her career.
Here, we will discuss three major talking points from SmackDown this week.
#3 Kofi Kingston's push is not over
The former WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston. had a disastrous night last week when he lost the WWE Title to Brock Lesnar within a few seconds. Kingston held the title for 180 days, and he certainly had a disappointing ending to his title reign.
Since Kingston lost in less than ten seconds, a lpt of people speculated that Kingston's push could be over. However, the former WWE Champion had a brilliant night on SmackDown this week which made it clear that WWE still has big plans for Kingston.
The New Day faced The OC in a tag team match on SmackDown. It was definitely a good match, and the New Day were victorious after Kofi Kingston picked up the win for his team by pinning the United States Champion, AJ Styles.
Kingston made a big statement on the blue brand, as he pinned 'The Phenomenal One'. If the New Day get drafted to RAW next week, they could have a fantastic rivalry with The OC, and Kingston could turn out to be the next challenger for AJ Styles.
#2 WWE will give Charlotte Flair short title reigns to match Ric Flair's record
The SmackDown Women's Championship was defended in the main event of the night that featured a rematch between Charlotte Flair and Bayley. The two women previously faced each other at Hell in a Cell, where Charlotte became the Women's Champion for the tenth time.
This week, Bayley showed up with a new look, which complements her heel persona. While their match at Hell in a Cell was extraordinary, they produced another great match on SmackDown this week.
Charlotte managed to kick out, despite receiving a Belly-to-Belly from Bayley. The Queen subsequently gave a Natural Selection, but it didn't keep Bayley down, and the latter beat Charlotte.
Charlotte lost the SmackDown Women's Title to Bayley in less than a week. The ten-time Women's Champion won the blue belt thrice this year, but none of those title reigns lasted longer than two weeks.
The Queen already has the most title reigns in women's history, and WWE are likely to give her such short title reigns to match her father's record. Given Ric Flair is a sixteen-time WWE Champion, it will not be surprising if Charlotte surpasses the record in the next few years.
#1 Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar will have a lengthy feud
It is no secret that colossal battles take place in Saudi Arabia, and it will not be different at Crown Jewel. Two huge matches have been announced for the show, as Braun Strowman is set to take on Tyson Fury, and Brock Lesnar will defend the WWE Championship against his old foe, Cain Velasquez.
This old rivalry remerged on the Fox debut of SmackDown, where Lesnar won the WWE Championship. The Beast Incarnate's celebration was cut short with a shocking appearance of the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cain Velasquez.
The two men confronted each other again on SmackDown this week, and they certainly hyped their mega clash at Crown Jewel. While Lesnar looked eager to seek revenge for his previous loss in the Octagon, Velasquez promised to give another scar on Lesnar's face.
Since WWE have brought this rivalry in the squared circle, it is expected to be a long feud between the two former UFC fighters. The Beast will face a legit challenger at Crown Jewel, who dethroned him in their last meeting. It will be interesting to see if history repeats at Crown Jewel, and Velasquez wins the most coveted prize of WWE in his first WWE match.
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