5 Things SmackDown got right on the episode after WrestleMania 36

The final show of the week following WrestleMania tried to keep the momentum going but failed on a few occasions. New Universal Champion Braun Strowman opened up the show with a rather weak promo but met his first challenger in the process.

The segment was followed by a good Women’s Tag Team Championship match, and the night picked up pace thereafter.

A new faction debuted on SmackDown and showed their dominance right away, while Sheamus returned to the ring once again to show that he was still in the business and looking for a fight.

The final segment of the show was one of the best of the week, and the former Universal Champion laid down a huge challenge for the new titleholder.

In this article, we will look at the 5 things SmackDown got right on the episode following WrestleMania 36.

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#5 The Triple Threat Tag Team Championship match announcement

The Miz and John Morrison held the latest edition of The Dirt Sheet in the ring. They spoke about Morrison’s victory at WrestleMania 36 to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

The heels performed a song before The Usos interrupted and seemed unimpressed with their musical talent. The brothers took shots at the heels before The New Day could join them too.

Since John Morrison, Jimmy Uso, and Kofi Kingston represented their teams at The Show of Shows, Big E pitched the idea of having a Triple Threat Match between the three men who did not get a chance to compete at the event.

Kingston then revealed that the match will take place next week, and the heels did not seem too impressed. However, this could be the perfect way to have The Miz give up the titles, and have Morrison turn on him leading to a long-term rivalry between the two men.

Yes, the duo has been good Champions, but it’s time the company works on new rivalries rather than simply putting the three teams up against each other while other teams wait on the sidelines.

With the Superstar Shake-Up on the horizon, a lot could change on the Blue brand sooner than later. A solo run for Morrison could help him rise up the cards and finally get a shot at a top title in the company.

#4 The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship rematch

At WrestleMania, the Women’s Tag Team Championships were defended by The Kabuki Warriors against Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss. Asuka and Kairi Sane tried their best but lost the titles to the babyfaces who defended the titiles against the former Champions on this week’s show.

The match was fun, especially thanks to Asuka’s antics. Cross and Bliss were both dished out some punishment by the heels and Asuka showcased some new moves to make things interesting.

The action spilled to the floor where Bliss delivered her finisher, Twisted Bliss, to take out both the women. After a few more shots, Sane was met by a twisting neck breaker from Cross that sealed the deal for the Champions, as they retained their titles.

The match was slightly better than their WrestleMania bout and gave them a chance to take out The Kabuki Warriors from the Tag Team Championship picture for some time so new teams can emerge and Bliss and Cross can move on to new competitors.

It put Bliss and Cross as resilient Champions, and hopefully, they will stay more prominent and defend their titles more frequently. Carmella and Dana Brooke seem to be their next challengers.

#3 Heated the SmackDown Women’s Championship scene

Bayley made an appearance after her successful SmackDown Women’s Championship defense against four other women in a 5-Way Elimination Match at WrestleMania.

She took credit for beating everyone, even though Sasha Banks had helped her take out Lacey Evans, and only gave Banks a little credit for her defense.

Tamina, who was the first to be eliminated at WrestleMania after all four women took her out, arrived and interrupted Bayley and Banks. She issued a challenge to the SmackDown Women’s Champion to fight her one on one. Bayley looked to be a role model and told Tamina that she could fight her, only if she could beat Banks first.

“Your friend...she just screwed you,” Tamina said before exiting while The Boss looked visibly unhappy with Bayley.

With this segment, WWE has planted the seeds for the rivalry we’ve been waiting for for so long. Bayley putting The Boss in her way shows that she thinks less of her, and the overall story will lead to a turn and a match between the two best friends down the line.

While we were waiting for the betrayal at WrestleMania, adding it to the storyline in this way could have a better effect.

#2 The Forgotten Sons’ arrival

The Forgotten Sons were once NXT’s most prominent tag team, even though they were always involved in mixed booking. Jaxson Ryker, their leader, is a phenomenal heel and athlete and deserved much more than he got on the Black and Gold brand.

At a time when I was hoping that the trio would return on NXT and get some decent bookings, WWE decided to one-up the offer and take them all the way to SmackDown. Jaxson Ryker, Steve Cutler, and Wesley Blake finally made their debut on the Blue brand, as Cutler and Black battled Lucha House Party's Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado in tag team action.

The new heels on the roster were put over by some great heel work as they isolated Dorado early in the match. Once Metalik got involved, he managed to roll over the new team but was shot down and taken out as The Forgotten Sons scored a victory on debut.

While The Usos and The New Day have been great babyface teams on SmackDown, the tag team division needed something fresh and the new heels can provide just the right dose of it, provided they are booked fairly on the main roster.

#1 Bray Wyatt tries to right the wrong

Braun Strowman kicked off the show with a celebration after his Universal Championship win at WrestleMania. He claimed that he took the opportunity with both hands and won the title he truly deserved.

He was interrupted by Shinsuke Nakamura who reminded Strowman that the last time the two Superstars met, Nakamura defeated him. After a sneaky attack from Cesaro, a match between the two was set for later in the night.

The main event of the show saw a rather disappointing match between The Artist and The Monster Among Men. While Nakamura had Strowman on the ropes with the help of Cesaro, the new Champion recovered to bowl over Nakamura and hit him with a powerslam to pick up the win.

After the match, the real business took place as Bray Wyatt screened another episode of The Firefly Fun House. He reminded Strowman the story of his introduction into WWE as part of The Wyatt Family and told him that he’s coming back for the Universal Championship.

Strowman did not seem afraid of Wyatt and told him that he could fight him at any time and at any place.

This was a good final segment on the first night of Strowman’s title defense. ‘The Fiend’ shouldn’t have really lost the title in the first place, and him coming back for it so soon shows that the company feels so too now.

Strowman is a great Superstar and deserves a longer title reign. However, during his first night as Champion, he’s shown that he needs to work on a few areas before he can move forward.