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From a main event title contest to one of the biggest Pro-Wrestling cliffhangers in 2020, this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.
I felt that last week's episode was quite unexpected in terms of content. But the second half of this week's SmackDown was quite great. The show started normally, but towards the end, WWE fans got to witness some surprising moments from the Blue brand.
Which show did you like 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 (July 31, 2020).
#5: Mandy Rose got brutalized by Sonya Deville upon returning to SmackDown
It's been a while since the WWE Universe was graced by Otis and Mandy Rose's presence. The onscreen couple returned to the Blue Brand this week, and one person wasn't exactly happy with that scenario.
Apart from her feud with Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville hasn't been moving up the ranks on WWE SmackDown, but Deville's intensity against her former Fire & Desire teammate has been quite excellent.
Otis and Mandy Rose were preparing for another date, but Sonya Deville had other plans in mind. Backstage, Deville attacked and humiliated Mandy by smearing makeup on her face and cutting some of her hair.
Although it may all sound somewhat soap-operatic on paper, it was well-directed and the participants involved did a good job in selling this attack.
The Miz & John Morrison's cheeky comments were also a nice touch, and apart from Sonya and Mandy's continuing feud, Heavy Machinery may go after The Dirt Sheet duo on next week's episode of WWE SmackDown.
Also, don't forget that Otis currently holds the Money in the Bank briefcase, and all of this just may be a distraction for an eventual cash-in.
#4: Big E picked up an impressive win against The Miz on the first night of his singles run
After Kofi was deemed out of action on last week's edition of WWE SmackDown, he encouraged Big E to think for himself and embark on a singles run.
The New Day has been a tight unit for so many years, and Big E is currently the only active member of the trio. WWE finally pulled the trigger on building up Big E as a singles competitor, and this week, he faced The Miz in a pretty impressive showcase.
John Morrison tried to get involved with some ringside shenanigans, but the referee quickly booted him to the backstage area.
Towards the end, Big E debuted a new submission finisher to defeat The Miz.
Aside from the result, Corey Graves and Big E's onscreen equation on WWE SmackDown is entertaining as well. Graves does his job well and puts down every member of The New Day, and it is Big E's personal mission to prove him wrong every week.
Also, with Daniel Bryan being a part of WWE's creative team, Big E's singles push may transition quite smoothly in the next few weeks.
#3: AJ Styles successfully defended his Intercontinental Title against Gran Metalik
This week's episode of WWE SmackDown opened with a clash between AJ Styles and Gran Metalik after the latter's surprising victory from the previous episode.
The match itself was decent, and I have to wonder if AJ Styles has been a little unmotivated after recent rumors about him being unhappy with some of WWE's backstage decisions.
There wasn't anything too wrong with the SmackDown opener this week, but as a whole, it reminded me of Cody's current weekly TNT title challenges on AEW Dynamite.
In both cases, the matches are good, but we all know who's going to win at the end of the day. Regardless, it was a good showcase for Metalik in WWE, and it won't be the last time we will see him on SmackDown.
The Lucha House Party approached Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura backstage, and it seems like both teams will feud over the SmackDown Tag Team Titles soon. I don't know if it sounds like the most exciting program on WWE's Blue brand, but Cesaro & Nakamura may be starting off a long-term reign by defeating low-tier tag teams from now onwards.
#2: Shorty G turned heel and joined forces with King Corbin
This week's WWE SmackDown featured a chain reaction of events that began with a Jeff Hardy promo.
Hardy thanked everyone and stated that he was feeling very good since he defeated Sheamus during the Bar Fight last week. Sheamus and Hardy's WWE feud has ended, as confirmed by The Celtic Warrior later in the night.
But King Corbin interrupted The Charismatic Enigma and continued the tradition of mocking Hardy's substance abuse issues. However, Drew Gulak attacked Corbin from behind which lead to their singles match.
If you remember, Corbin put a "King's Ransom" on Matt Riddle last week, and he tried to convince several WWE Superstars to take it up this week. One of those Superstars was Shorty G.
Meanwhile, Matt Riddle tried to distract Corbin in the ring, but the latter was able to put down Gulak with an End of Days. After the match, Riddle attacked Corbin, but Shorty G came out and took up the King's Ransom to unexpectedly join forces with his enemy.
To be honest, Shorty G has just been one of those standard WWE babyfaces, and this heel turn may be interesting because we know that Shorty G and Corbin weren't exactly the best of friends, until money came into the equation.
#1: "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt returned and attacked Alexa Bliss after the main event
This week's WWE SmackDown featured a main event contest between Bayley and Nikki Cross for the SmackDown Women's Title.
Despite the best of her efforts, Nikki came up short and Bayley defeated her in a clean manner.
After the match, WWE teased a split between Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss, as the former shoved her friend in the ring. But all of this was only a setup towards a huge cliffhanger, where The Fiend returned and claimed Bliss as his next victim.
Earlier in the night, "Fun House" Bray Wyatt had foreshadowed that The Fiend was now awake after the Swamp Fight, and to get what he wants, no one is safe this time around.
Alexa Bliss turned out to be that unfortunate person at the end of the night, and there are many ways WWE could go from here. The most obvious direction would be that The Fiend is using Bliss to lure Braun Strowman towards a final confrontation at SummerSlam.
As a whole, this week's SmackDown featured one of the most creepy and unsettling endings we have seen in a while.
