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The final episode of weekly shows before WrestleMania 36 was better than most of us would have expected it to be as the company gave the rivalries that will unfold at WrestleMania more fuel to burn.
The women of SmackDown got a chance to show their skills in the ring before the big fatal five-way match at The Show of Shows, while Daniel Bryan and Shinsuke Nakamura put on the match of the night for the fans at home.
Dolph Ziggler’s world was turned upside down during the night, and he will face an even more angry Otis at WrestleMania, making his task just that much more difficult.
The main event saw The Greatest Sports Entertainer, and R-Truth’s hero, John Cena, take it to the ring to talk about his match against The Fiend in the Firefly Fun House.
In this article, we will look at the 5 things WWE got right on the Blue brand before the only show that is too big for just one night, WrestleMania 36.
#5 Roman Reigns’ replacement
This week on SmackDown, the creative team were met with a huge task of revealing that Roman Reigns would be unable to compete at WrestleMania 36 and that a replacement will be required for the Universal Championship match with Goldberg.
While a lot of expectations were attached to the switch, the company did not work too much and simply announced that Strowman would be taking Reigns' place in the match at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
This was a bit odd as there were several ways WWE could have written off Reigns or could have used his real-life condition to inform the fans why the switch was taking place.
However, the good thing in this was giving a deserving Superstar a shot that he so rightfully deserves. Strowman has had many starts and stops in his career and has competed in several Universal Championship matches.
The man who was once seen as the potential face of the company became a mid-carder in no time, and even his Intercontinental Championship reign was cut short by the company.
A Universal Championship match against Goldberg could help him get back on his feet, and a victory could catapult him to the top where he could repair the damage caused to his character and come out as a bigger, better Superstar.
#4 Tamina’s victory
Five women will compete in the ring at WrestleMania 36 to get their hands on Bayley's SmackDown Women’s Championship, and there are a few favorites who could walk out as victors.
This week’s SmackDown saw a Triple Threat Match between three of the five women who will lock horns at The Show of Shows, as Sasha Banks and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley, decided to hang back and watch from the commentary table.
Naomi, Lacey Evans, and Tamina competed in the ring and all three women got a chance to showcase some top-quality action. Naomi was impressive with her athleticism, while Evans also never lost control of the match.
However, Evans was attacked by Banks at ringside while Naomi was taken out by Bayley, allowing Tamina to hit a Superkick on Naomi to pick up the win.
After the match, Bayley entered the ring to congratulate the Samoan but was met with a Superkick. Banks thought it’d be a good idea to make friends with Tamina before the big match, but she too faced the wrath of Tamina as she was met with a Samoan drop.
This was a good way for WWE to add some depth to the storyline between these five women before WrestleMania. Tamina has been made to look strong over the past few weeks, while Banks has shown her interest in her friend’s title which could lead to an interesting betrayal.
#3 The big reveal
Otis will finally get his hands on the man who stole his girl, at The Grandest Stage of Them All. But before Dolph Ziggler could come face to face with Otis in the ring, he had to take on Tucker this week on SmackDown.
Tucker did not hold back as he decided to punish The Showoff on behalf of his best friend. He took the fight all over ringside and smashed Ziggler into the steel steps to keep things moving.
However, Ziggler managed to get the better of Tucker and got control big poking Tucker’s eyes. He then delivered a Zig Zag to the big man on the steel steps, calling for a disqualification.
As Ziggler looked to do more damage to Tucker using the steel steps, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville arrived to stop him. Right then, Otis arrived to help his partner but a hacker took over the feed to reveal who was behind ruining Rose’s date with Otis.
Some extra footage played on the screen which confirmed that it was Deville who sent the texts to Otis and then worked with The Showoff to set up a date between her best friend and Ziggler.
While the big reveal could have waited until WrestleMania, there must be something that pushed WWE to bring the story out just a day or two before the match between Otis and Ziggler. While we don’t know the identity of the hacker who revealed the truth to the world, it was good watching the company use some innovative ways to push the storyline forward.
#2 The Intercontinental Championship race
Daniel Bryan will take on Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania after Drew Gulak successfully defeated Shinsuke Nakamura on SmackDown last week.
This week, Bryan was put up against Nakamura in a bid to warm up and prove himself yet again before the big clash for the title.
Bryan and Nakamura are two of the best in-ring performers in the company, and they proved why they are so good by showing off some great technical skills during the match. They traded kicks that could have knocked anyone out, and continued to trade the action.
During the final moments of the match, Bryan looked like he was set to pick up the victory as he locked Nakamura in the Yes Lock. While it seemed like The Artist would tap out, Cesaro entered the ring and attacked Bryan to cause a disqualification.
Zayn also left his commentary position and got involved in a three on two beatdown that had Gulak on Bryan's side.
The match was good and the beatdown reminded fans how the playing field will be when Sami Zayn defends his first title on SmackDown for the very first time. Bryan will have to work extra hard to get the win over Zayn at WrestleMania, and the presence of The Artist and Cesaro at ringside will only make his task more difficult.
#1 John Cena found himself in The Firefly Fun House
If there is one Superstar in WWE who is always confident when he takes to the ring, it is John Cena. This week, the man who never backs down from a challenge came out on SmackDown to accept ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt’s offer to fight him in a Firefly Fun House match.
While none of us know what horrors the Firefly Fun House may hold, Cena did not seem too bothered by what the rules and stipulations may be. He claimed that The Fiend has tried to pick up as much advantage as possible but that did not bother him.
Right then, the puppets of the Firefly Fun House appeared in the crowd and cheered from ringside, saying that Cena will stay in the Firefly Fun House forever.
The lights dimmed and The Fiend appeared on the podium, and then Wyatt appeared behind Cena asking him to “Let Me In” before the lights went out and everyone disappeared.
This was a good final statement to build the clash between two of WWE’s biggest stars. No physicality was required to make this one of the most anticipated clashes, and the unknown stipulations and environment will make this match just that much better.
Wyatt is back at the top of his game even after his Universal Championship loss, while Cena knows how to get back into the game thanks to his several previous returns.
