5 Big takeaways from WWE SmackDown (September 23, 2022)

This week's episode of WWE SmackDown aired from Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The promotion had a big night as they headed towards Extreme Rules, which will take place on October 8.

To say that WWE has been on a bit of a roll lately would be a vast understatement. Within weeks under Triple H, the product has gone from being a reason to snore to something you can't ignore. Regarding interest levels, it's been almost like night and day. Fans suddenly have faith again.

You might not call this a 'comeback' because WWE has been here for years. But it's most definitely a wrestling renaissance that's occurring up at Stamford right now.

That type of action continued on Friday night. Here are five things that stood out about this week's WWE SmackDown.

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#5 - If you're going to kick off a show, you might as well do it right

SmackDown's opening segment featured The Bloodline and Roman Reigns. Fans in the stands were more than happy to acknowledge him. As Paul Heyman delivered another of his classic monologs, The Tribal Chief stood by patiently.

After what appeared to be threats against Sami Zayn and to demand that he take off his Bloodline shirt, it seemed that Roman was about to turn on his biggest fan.

After getting the shirt ripped off his back, Sami was pleasantly surprised that Reigns did this to give him a NEW shirt that said, "Honorary Uce."

WWE has earned a bad reputation for having long, boring promos to open shows. This was a long segment in and of itself, but it came through big time for a few reasons.

We no longer see Roman - pro wrestling's number one star - every week. It made sense in terms of the storyline, involving multiple layers and characters. The grand opening led to even more entertaining moments throughout the show.

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#4 - So... Liv is hardcore now?

Liv Morgan is in preparation for the fight of her life. She will put it all on the line when she faces the dangerous Ronda Rousey at Extreme Rules.

Following her match with Lacey Evans this week, Morgan went as wild as a banshee. She dropped Evans like a bad habit and started screaming maniacally at the camera.

It's a side of her that we usually don't see. This was a shot in the arm that the current WWE SmackDown Women's Champion truly needs. With her perennial underdog role already starting to wear thin with fans, it was nice to see something different out of her here.

Will it be enough to revitalize her character in the eyes of the WWE Universe? Only time (and the booking going forward) will tell that story.

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#3 - The battle between Braun Strowman and Otis left plenty of scrap iron laying around the ring

Ar a combined 700 pounds, these two behemoths didn't get fancy on us. There were no moonsaults or suicide dives. They were too busy throwing sledgehammer punches and delivering bone-crushing slams. This was a classic match-up between two big men who could be dominant in any era.

Strowman has looked fantastic since his return to WWE, physically and mentally. You can never tell what's going on in another man's head, but he seems more focused now. Perhaps the time away helped him re-group and be more prepared this time.

Expect Strowman to get a steady push up the card. He still has to rehabilitate his image and try to erase some misconceptions about him. But at some point in early 2023, he will be back in the Universal Title mix.

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#2 - Karrion Kross vs. Drew McIntyre is becoming a fantastic feud that could run for a long time

Karrion Kross is finally being booked as the 'Killer' his character was always meant to be. He has that edgy, evil look in his eyes that makes him a perfect heel. Add in the fact that he has Scarlett by his side, and they make the ideal poisonous pairing.

McIntyre has always been consistent and well-received by the fans. While he may not ever reach the 'franchise player' level once believed of him in WWE, he's always going to be reliable in the main or semi-main event.

This type of conflict can run for a while, as both big men have the skills to put on a convincing fight under any circumstances. They already have a match at WWE Extreme Rules but could do a blowoff in the cage at some point.

There's no need to rush this program because the two guys involved have a lot to gain from working with one another.

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#1 - Is it time to anoint The Usos as the best tag team in WWE history?

It's hard to argue against success and statistics. When you look at both, you can easily say that Rikishi's sons are the greatest duo in the promotion's chronicles.

They are a combination of speed and cohesion of The Rockers, mixed with the daredevil stylings of The Hardy Boyz. Their game has almost no holes, and they are highly entertaining on the microphone. Quite frankly, they are the blueprint of what most modern-day teams are evolving into. So just like WWE legends influenced them? Now they are the influencers.

Their hard-fought victory over the Brawling Brutes was just another night in their fantastic run, yet it was the main event and the best match of this week's SmackDown. The Usos have gotten so good that we almost expect excellence every time out. They rarely disappoint.