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As WWE is about to wrap up with the final stages of its ThunderDome schedule, the excitement behind the return of live crowds continues to grow each week.
On a scale from bad to excellent, SmackDown's latest episode didn't tip towards either of the two extremes. The Roman Reigns saga delivered as per expectations, which is the main reason why the episode ended up being a fruitful watch, regardless of other storyline developments.
How did SmackDown stack up against AEW Dynamite this week in terms of quality? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from WWE SmackDown (June 4, 2021).
#5 Bayley took over the ThunderDome during WWE SmackDown
On the road to Hell in a Cell, Bianca Belair and Bayley's feud progressed significantly this week. The SmackDown Women's Champion entered the ring and cut a promo, eventually challenging Bayley to a match at Hell in a Cell.
The segment took a bizarre turn when The Role Model appeared on the TitanTron (via satellite). She was surrounded by pictures of herself in some room, referring to it as her "oasis." Bayley accepted Belair's challenge and broke into a fit of laughter. But this time around, her laughs echoed throughout the ThunderDome, and her face took over the LED boards in the arena.
Many fans thought this was similar to when Alexa Bliss took over the ThunderDome's screens earlier this year. But the comparison seems a bit unfair, as Bayley's segment doesn't exactly fall into the supernatural spectrum of WWE storylines.
Instead, she comes across as more of an over-the-top anime villain brought to life. Being surrounded by pictures of herself, as well as the exaggerated laughs, added an unusual tone to Bayley's latest promo.
Whether you liked it or not, Bayley and Bianca Belair's segment definitely stood out from this week's SmackDown.
#4 Family warfare stole the spotlight on WWE SmackDown
Ahead of the much-awaited WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship clash between The Usos and The Mysterios, Roman Reigns urged his cousins to win the titles and bring honor to the Anoa'i family.
This match kicked off the show for a good reason, as it led to some consequences for the rest of the episode. The Usos couldn't defeat the father-son duo of Rey and Dominik Mysterio. However, they only lost because of the referee's mistake, who failed to notice Jimmy Uso's shoulder lift off the mat.
The Universal Champion was furious over the outcome, demanding Jimmy and Jey Uso restore their family's honor by the end of the night. Due to a controversial finish in the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship bout, Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce booked a rematch for the main event.
The second time around, The Mysterios seemed to be on the edge of victory against the Uso twins. However, Roman Reigns intervened to avoid any further embarrassment, ambushing Rey and Dominik in the process.
Reigns' interruption created another conflict between him and The Usos. While Jimmy took issue with his cousin beating down The Mysterios, Jey's status as The Tribal Chief's right-hand man seemed to be in jeopardy at the end of the episode.
With just two episodes of SmackDown left to air before WWE Hell in a Cell, it's becoming increasingly hard to predict the Universal title's fate at the upcoming pay-per-view.
#3 A non-title tag team feud kicked off during WWE SmackDown
The WWE SmackDown tag team division isn't exactly stacked these days, meaning that most duos are bound to cross paths from time to time. However, WWE doesn't always invest in a decent story when it comes to non-title tag team matches.
This week, WWE set up a feud between Alpha Academy (Otis and Chad Gabe) and The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins). Ford and Dawkins have gradually slipped down the card, ever since they lost the tag team titles to Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.
Chad Gable approached The Street Profits over this subject and offered to take them under his wing. But Ford and Dawkins didn't accept the offer, unwilling to unleash their "inner-alpha." Otis later confronted them for disrespecting Gable. He singlehandedly launched a backstage assault on The Street Profits.
The Street Profits will get an opportunity to gain revenge in a tag team contest against Alpha Academy next week.
While the story behind their upcoming matchup may not be groundbreaking, it's still a better option than booking random tag team bouts without any context.
#2 WWE might have interesting creative plans for Carmella
Carmella hasn't been involved in a proper feud lately, despite her recent presence on WWE SmackDown. Last week, she lost to SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair in a singles match.
This week, Carmella took the fight to Liv Morgan. The latter's tag team partner, Ruby Riott, was recently released by WWE. Riott lost to Carmella in her last singles match for the company, so it's only fitting that Morgan stepped up to the occasion in her former tag team partner's absence.
Fans had hoped that a singles victory would help Liv Morgan add some steam to her solo career. However, Carmella ended up tapping out her opponent during this week's SmackDown. After the bout, she even demanded to be called “The Most Beautiful Woman in all of WWE.”
It does seem like this wasn't just a random development. Demanding to be referenced as “The Most Beautiful Woman in all of WWE” may serve as the basis for her non-title feud against Liv Morgan.
As such, Morgan will have something of note to do over the next few episodes.
#1 Commander Azeez indirectly influenced the WWE Intercontinental Championship match
Commander Azeez was banned from ringside during Kevin Owens and Apollo Crews' WWE Intercontinental Championship match on SmackDown. However, Azeez still helped Crews gain an advantage before the bout could take place.
Owens was ambushed by Azeez in a backstage segment. As a result, the challenger didn't seem to be in prime condition heading into the bout. Despite his efforts, Owens wasn't able to overcome the champion inside the squared circle.
As Apollo Crews looked strong in victory, Sami Zayn ran down to the ring after the match and delivered a Helluva Kick to Kevin Owens.
So what's next in store for the Intercontinental Champion? Apart from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, Big E was also part of the Intercontinental title picture not too long ago. A feud with Aleister Black was supposed to keep him engaged for a while.
Now that Black has been released by WWE, could Big E resume his pursuits for Apollo Crews' title? Meanwhile, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's feud is far from over, and it should be interesting to see whether or not WWE can add something new to their storied rivalry.
In the video posted above, feel free to check out the latest edition of Smack Talk, where SP3 and the legendary Dutch Mantell recap this week's WWE SmackDown.
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