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As the ThunderDome era enters its final stages, WWE SmackDown maintained its consistency this week. The blue brand's buildup to Hell in a Cell has officially begun, and the show presented a few interesting directions for some storylines.
Hours before the episode aired worldwide, WWE revealed that live events would return from July 2021 onward. Fans are unquestionably excited about the live crowd's presence on SmackDown, as the show has been quite engaging lately.
The latest episode showcased the Intercontinental Championship scenario in a big way. On that note, which show did you think 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 WWE SmackDown (May 21, 2021).
#5 Aleister Black targeted Big E during WWE SmackDown's main event mayhem
Aleister Black was featured in one of his cryptic promos during this week's WWE SmackDown. However, viewers had no idea that he would return to the ThunderDome in the same episode.
Apollo Crews defended his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Big E, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens in a fatal four-way contest during the main event.
All four men put on a fast-paced bout, which seemed like the perfect way to conclude the show. Then Aleister Black returned to influence the result. He targeted Big E with a Black Mass and Crews capitalized on the interference to retain his title.
Aleister Black's motive for attacking Big E remains unclear, but the two stars will likely feud with each other moving forward.
Meanwhile, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, or at least one of them, could keep pursuing the Intercontinental title on WWE SmackDown.
#4 The Seth Rollins-Cesaro-Roman Reigns saga took a brutal turn on WWE SmackDown
On the road to WWE Hell in a Cell, the Universal Championship picture has become quite intriguing. During this week's WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns allowed Paul Heyman to acknowledge his accomplishments in a perfectly narcissistic display.
Cesaro interrupted the proceedings and Reigns didn't seem too enthusiastic about giving him a Universal Title rematch. Before the intensity could escalate, Seth Rollins ambushed The Swiss Superman in a series of unrelenting attacks.
His latest ambush exceeded the intensity of the previous attack at WWE WrestleMania Backlash. It's safe to say that The Messiah went berserk, and the feud between him and Cesaro is far from over.
Meanwhile, Reigns has been busy with family conflicts featuring The Usos. Jimmy Uso apparently advocated for a return to tag team action alongside his brother, Jey, without asking for Reigns' permission.
Later in the episode, The Tribal Chief was informed of the situation. He reminded Jey Uso of the family-related stakes at play here and proceeded to whisper something in the latter's ear. This mafia-esque development makes one think that The Usos vs. The Street Profits may lead to huge consequences for the Anoa'i family on next week's WWE SmackDown.
Was Jey Uso possibly instructed to betray Jimmy Uso? Could Jimmy face either his brother or cousin, bringing their storyline full-circle at this year's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view?
Seth Rollins and Cesaro's feud is also indirectly tied to Roman Reigns, which is why there are several creative directions for The Tribal Chief at next month's Hell in a Cell event.
#3 Rey and Dominik Mysterio's WWE feud with The Dirty Dawgs isn't over
Rey and Dominik Mysterio made history at WWE WrestleMania Backlash by becoming the first-ever father-son tag team champions. Following their victory, many expected The Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode) to issue a rematch challenge.
The rematch did not take place during this week's WWE SmackDown. But Dominik Mysterio furthered his career with another significant achievement.
Robert Roode fought Dominik in singles action, and the former aimed to end the father-son duo's victory parade. However, the veteran met a similar fate to his tag team partner, as Dominik defeated Roode with a 619-frog splash combo.
Ziggler and Roode's momentum is quite low right now. As a result, their latest misfortune only removed conflict from Rey and Dominik's tag team championship reign.
So even though The Dirty Dawgs could receive another shot at the titles, it will have a predictable end, and that could tarnish the hype that Rey and Dominik Mysterio earned at WrestleMania Backlash.
#2 Three women's champions lost during WWE SmackDown
This week's WWE SmackDown kicked off with an entertaining Champions Parade segment that did not feature Roman Reigns. The SmackDown Women's Champion Bianca Belair was present alongside several other titleholders when Bayley interrupted the proceedings. She took offense that her credentials as a record-breaking pandemic era champion weren't even considered.
Amidst Bayley and Belair's tiff, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler from RAW entered the scene and attacked Belair. Natalya and Tamina's additional presence as the tag team champions led to a six-woman tag team match on SmackDown.
Since the babyfaces (Natalya, Tamina, and Bianca Belair) are all champions, the bout essentially pitted the titleholders against the challengers (Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and Bayley). And Baszler's Kirifuda Clutch on Natalya allowed the heels to win the multi-woman contest.
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler haven't had the best of luck on RAW thanks to Alexa Bliss's presence. The brand-to-brand invitational rule is apparently used as per WWE's convenience. But in Jax and Baszler's case, using this rule seems unnecessary when Natalya and Tamina could just feud with another duo on SmackDown.
The women's tag team titles will be on the line during next week's RAW. Tamina and Natalya must defeat Jax and Baszler so that they can move onto a different storyline.
#1 Shinsuke Nakamura and his new ally entertained WWE SmackDown viewers
Shinsuke Nakamura and King Corbin's feud initially seemed like something nobody had asked for. But their storyline featured some entertaining moments on this week's WWE SmackDown.
Corbin wanted retribution as Nakamura previously stole his beloved crown. However, he was interrupted by NXT talent Rick Boogs, who rocked with Nakamura by performing his theme song on a guitar.
Additionally, the visual of Nakamura wearing a crown went perfectly along with his engaging entrance. During Corbin vs. Nakamura, Boogs made his presence felt by distracting the Corbin, allowing the Japanese superstar to win with a small package.
Pat McAfee's enthusiastic commentary also added a lot of excitement to the match. Boogs and Nakamura have good chemistry on the screen, and fans have been buzzing about their pairing on social media.
WWE doesn't often book entertaining non-title mid-card storylines these days. However, King Corbin and Nakamura's feud should serve as a good contrast to the intensity of the top title scene.
Let's hope WWE can maintain the momentum of their crown warfare angle in the weeks to come.
Catch the latest edition of 'Smack Talk' in the video below as the legendary Dutch Mantell recaps this week's WWE SmackDown.
