4 Things SmackDown got right on the episode before TLC 2019 (December 13, 2019)

SmackDown tried to end the build-up to Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2019 on a high but went through a rocky episode to try and achieve what it needed to.

We got a glimpse of what to expect from The New Day and The Revival during their SmackDown Tag Team Championships match in the aftermath of the main event. Apart from that, Roman Reigns also showed what he plans to do with King Corbin at the event.

While we got no real new matches for the pay-per-view from this week’s SmackDown, there were several things that the creatives did right in order to further build their brand and future competition.

In this article, we will look at the 4 things that the company got right on this week’s SmackDown on FOX.

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#4 Built future Women’s Tag Team Championships contenders

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross have already had a good run with the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. However, it seems like the company is planning to keep these two women together for a while before giving them their singles run again.

This week, the two best friends took on Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in yet another tag team match. Fire & Desire attacked Cross and Bliss before the match to set up an advantage.

However, the heels couldn’t carry on the momentum, and Cross picked up the victory for the faces by pinning Rose. This was the second time Fire & Desire lost to the babyfaces, and it seems like the company isn’t looking to push Rose and Deville further for some time.

While the match wasn’t one to remember, it’s the rebuilding of Cross and Bliss as future Tag Team Championships challengers that is important.

We will have a huge Women’s Tag Team Championships match at TLC, and the winners could immediately find some tough competition from these two women.

#3 Dana Brooke’s top match

Dana Brooke was always seen on the mid-cards or lower-cards in the women’s division since her move from NXT to the main roster.

The Superstar has recently gained a lot of attention thanks to certain out of the ring news regarding her personal life.

With that, WWE has also decided to bring the underutilized Superstar to the spotlight for some very interesting reasons. This week, Brooke appeared in a backstage segment for the third consecutive week!

That’s not all, as she also managed to bag a match against the SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley after their confrontation backstage involving Elias.

The match allowed Brooke to show her improved in-ring skills, some athleticism, and a lot of strength before she ultimately went on to lose the match.

Even though Brooke went on to lose, the company did the right thing by using her at a time when she is making headlines outside the company and gave her more spotlight while earning some viewership themselves.

Bayley, on the other hand, still does not seem to have a challenger for TLC 2019 which is now only a couple of nights away. Will the SmackDown Women’s Championship be defended at the event, or will no top singles Championship make it to the card?

#2 Otis!

This week, Heavy Machinery got a big match on SmackDown against Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and his partner Cesaro.

From the reaction of the WWE Universe, it was obvious that everyone was behind Otis from Heavy Machinery during the match. His ‘Caterpillar’ move always draws a huge pop, but the distraction from Sami Zayn allowed Nakamura to pick up the victory for the heels.

Even though the babyfaces did not go on to win the match, the creatives did the right thing by putting them up in a match against two big Superstars. It provided them exposure and reminded fans of how strong the SmackDown Tag Team division is.

If handled right, Heavy Machinery could soon become the SmackDown Tag Team Champions and continue to deliver strong and entertaining performances to keep the brand up.

#1 Bray Wyatt’s segment

I was looking forward to this segment last week, and SmackDown delivered it perfectly!

Renee Young interviewed The Miz just a week after his encounter with Bray Wyatt. Miz spoke about how he will challenge Wyatt at TLC on Sunday in his hometown Austin.

The A-Lister spoke about how important family was to him, and that he wouldn’t let Wyatt take anything away from him. Soon after, Miz heard a scream from Maryse, and the two watched their daughter surrounded in her crib with puppets from Wyatt’s Firefly Fun House on their monitor.

The two rushed to check on Monroe Sky, as The Miz’s intensity and acting abilities were put to the test. A doll was shown inside Sky’s crib which has made many fans assume that Liv Morgan will be joining The Miz soon.

This was an incredible segment which was followed by another episode of the Firefly Fun House in which Wyatt offered to show The Most Must-See Superstar how to not feel love.

It’s great to watch the company build two storylines side-by-side involving three of their top Superstars from SmackDown. Will Daniel Bryan also emerge from the darkness at TLC? We’ll have to wait to find out!