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From a WWE WrestleMania 37 rematch to Bianca Belair's heartfelt speech, this week's edition of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.
As a post-WrestleMania episode, the Blue brand did not deliver a lot of newsworthy developments. Even though it was a decent show as a whole, WWE fans expect a lot from the post-WrestleMania episodes of RAW and SmackDown.
On a positive note, Pat McAfee's addition to the Blue brand's commentary team is exciting progress. McAfee did a great job on his first night, and his enthusiasm is an enjoyable contrast to Michael Cole's style of commentary.
Which show was better this week, RAW or SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE SmackDown (April 16, 2021).
#5 Cesaro stepped up to Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns accomplished a huge feat by pinning Edge and Daniel Bryan in the main event of WrestleMania 37: Night Two. This week's WWE SmackDown kicked off with Reigns gloating about his significant victory.
Edge and Bryan were conspicuously absent from the show, as Reigns boldly claimed that no one would dare face him after WrestleMania. To Reigns' surprise, Cesaro showed up at the scene and interrupted him.
Cesaro also picked up one of his career-best victories against Seth Rollins on The Show of Shows. Now he's aiming straight towards the top championship. But during SmackDown, Reigns disrespected Cesaro and left the ring without saying a word.
Over the course of the night, WWE built a premise around a potential match between Reigns and Cesaro. Paul Heyman informed everyone that Cesaro would get an opportunity, but not against The Head of the Table. Instead, Jey Uso was booked in the main event contest against Cesaro.
These developments created a narrative that Roman Reigns doesn't think Cesaro is on his level, which is exactly what fans expected from the Universal Champion.
#4 Bayley and Sasha Banks could be huge players in Bianca Belair's WWE SmackDown Championship reign
Bianca Belair delivered a post-WrestleMania victory speech during this week's WWE SmackDown. As The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) stood beside her, she highlighted the importance of self-confidence and how her WrestleMania dream came true because of it.
Belair cut a traditional babyface promo to encapsulate her recent achievements. She also acknowledged Sasha Banks for being in the spotlight with her, although The EST of WWE wouldn't hold back if Banks tried to jeopardize Belair's title reign in the future.
That's exactly what could happen soon, as Banks seemed visibly frustrated in a backstage interview following Belair's speech. WWE fans witnessed the mark left on Banks' ribs as a result of the SmackDown Women's Championship match at WrestleMania. She did not speak a word and walked away from the interview.
Later, Bayley mocked Banks' reaction to the whole situation. She also questioned Belair's credibility as a champion and expressed her wish to enter the title picture once again.
If Sasha Banks and Bayley challenge Bianca Belair at the same time, it's likely that a triple threat showdown could take place at WWE WrestleMania Backlash.
#3 The Street Profits failed to bring it all full-circle in a WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship match
Although Bianca Belair's achievements have made headlines in recent days, she encouraged Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins to win tag team gold during this week's WWE SmackDown.
The Street Profits and Belair set up what could have been a perfect moment, as Ford and Dawkins fought Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
The Street Profits were beaming with momentum after throwing a post-WrestleMania victory celebration for Belair. They only had to recapture the tag team titles to call it a successful night. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
Ford and Dawkins failed to win the match, only because Roode and Ziggler proved to be the smarter duo this time around. So what's next for The Street Profits in the WWE SmackDown tag team division?
The Alpha Academy is currently embroiled in a feud with Rey and Dominik Mysterio. Rey Mysterio defeated Otis this week, and he and Dominik could likely replace Street Profits as the babyface challengers for Roode and Ziggler's titles.
#2 Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's WWE feud may not be over yet
Kevin Owens defeated Sami Zayn in a newsworthy matchup at WWE WrestleMania 37. While it initially seemed their latest feud had culminated on The Show of Shows, this week's WWE SmackDown proceeded in a different direction.
Once again, Sami Zayn came up with an excuse for his loss at WrestleMania. Zayn's entertaining shenanigans continue to be an essential part of SmackDown, as he has created a smart loophole to become more and more relevant by losing matches.
He called out Owens to the ring, and The Prizefighter gladly obliged. The two longtime friends and foes fought in a WrestleMania rematch during WWE SmackDown. It became evident that Owens would win this encounter as well.
While that is exactly what happened, Zayn did not give Owens the satisfaction of finishing the job. Zayn crawled out of the ring and accepted the loss via count-out. Unfortunately for WWE's resident conspiracy theorist, Owens chased him after the match and threw him back into the ring to deliver a stunner.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have excellent chemistry, so their future matches are expected to be instant classics. But it should be interesting to see how WWE can add any new surprises or twists to this potentially ongoing rivalry.
#1 Seth Rollins proved to be a huge roadblock in Cesaro's WWE Universal Championship pursuits
Cesaro and Jey Uso's main event battle included some major stakes for the former's future on WWE SmackDown. Had Cesaro defeated Uso, he would have easily become an integral part of the Universal Championship scenario.
As the two André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winners fought in a back-and-forth battle, Seth Rollins interfered in the proceedings and ambushed Cesaro to rekindle their feud. This week's WWE SmackDown ended with Rollins loudly implying that their rivalry was far from over.
So what does this mean for the future of Roman Reigns' WWE Universal Championship reign? Cesaro's presence in the top title picture will likely be revisited either next week or several months down the line.
Rollins has proven to be a roadblock in Cesaro's current pursuits after WrestleMania. Is it possible that Reigns and Rollins will cross paths with Cesaro being the common link?
In recent memory, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins' characters have deviated to a point that no WWE fan could have ever imagined. If they cross paths again, their history as members of The Shield will be a minuscule aspect amidst the grander scheme of things.
Regardless of what's in store for the main event scene, Cesaro seems to be a major player on SmackDown from this point onward.
Do catch the latest edition of 'Smack Talk' in the video linked above, as the legendary Dutch Mantell joined Rick Ucchino and Sid Pullar III (SP3) to recap this week's WWE SmackDown.
