5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: Ronda Rousey saves former champion; Roman Reigns makes bold statement

A loaded episode of WWE SmackDown was booked this week to prepare for Elimination Chamber. Goldberg was advertised to appear on the show before his Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns.

The Usos attacked The Viking Raiders backstage to build towards their SmackDown Tag Team Championship match next week. Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre interrupted Madcap Moss’ eye exam to inform him that their match for Elimination Chamber would now be a Falls Count Anywhere contest.

Sami Zayn hosted an episode of In-Zayn to take his rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura to the next level. Happy Corbin continued to push ahead with a victory over Cesaro.

Naomi and Charlotte Flair were booked to compete in the main event of the show for the women’s title. Ronda Rousey was also expected to make an appearance after she challenged Flair for the title at WrestleMania.

The creative team did well to build some rivalries on SmackDown before heading to the Jeddah Superdome next Saturday.

Take a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.

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#5. Los Lotharios got the better of New Day on WWE SmackDown

The New Day and Los Lotharios had a good match on WWE SmackDown last week. The creative team decided to rebook the match for this week’s show to keep the tag team division rolling.

Big E and Kofi Kingston started well again and punished Humberto and Angel for some time. The heels fought back and took control of the contest, isolating Big E in the process.

Big E struggled for some time before finally making the hot tag to Kingston to spark a babyface comeback. An incredible double-team maneuver nearly put Humberto away before Angel made the save.

Angel stayed alert and rolled up Kingston to pick up the victory for Los Lotharios. It was another good match between the teams that kept the tag team division alive.

The Lethal Lovers worked well together, and it was good to see them pick up a win over the top team of SmackDown. A victory over the two former WWE Champions will help them gain prominence.

Fans will have to wait for some time to see the two heels get in contention for the tag team titles. However, their performance once again showed that they are ready for the big leagues and could move into the top position sooner rather than later.

#4. Natalya's victory paved the way for Xia Li's return on WWE SmackDown

The match between Aliyah and Natalya on WWE SmackDown was slated to be a "Dungeon Style" contest. However, it turned out to be nothing more than a traditional one-on-one match between the two superstars.

The Queen of Harts attacked Aliyah early again and punished her. Aliyah fought back with some good moves that kept her in the competition.

Aliyah's resistance did not last long as Natalya locked her in the Sharpshooter. Even though Aliyah made it to the ropes, the match's stipulations stated the match could only be won via pinfall or submission. She had no option but to tap out and award the win to The Queen of Harts.

Natalya beat down the babyface following the contest. Xia Li made the save, fending off the heel and standing tall.

WWE failed to push Li to the top after she made an impressive debut. She's made her way to SmackDown to fight off bullies, and a long rivalry against Natalya could help her get to the top quickly.

#3. Roman Reigns made a bold statement on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns was interviewed by Michael Cole backstage on WWE SmackDown. Cole was looking to get some answers about The Tribal Chief's Universal Championship defense against Goldberg at Elimination Chamber.

Reigns was unfazed about the Hall of Famer's accomplishments in pro-wrestling. The Tribal Chief mocked the legend by saying that if he was in WCW, it would still be in business.

He laughed off any threats to his title reign from Brock Lesnar and told Cole that he would "Goldberg" Goldberg at Elimination Chamber.

Later on, Goldberg also appeared in an interview where he laughed off Reigns' words and said he was back to take the Universal Championship.

Reigns was phenomenal on the mic once again and did a good job in the interview. His final statement shows that he is ready to put down the 55-year-old and stay on top in the company.

He has the upper hand in the rivalry and will likely bulldoze through The Icon at Elimination Chamber. His words elevated the rivalry and gave fans something big to look forward to next week.

#2. Sami Zayn continued his In-Zayn antics on WWE SmackDown

Sami Zayn introduced another edition of his In-Zayn podcast on WWE SmackDown this week. A video of Johnny Knoxville visiting the WWE pop-up shop in Los Angeles and defaming Zayn merchandise was shown before his guests came out.

Zayn’s guests for the show were Rick Boogs and Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. The Conspiracy Theorist shot some words at the Intercontinental Champion before their title match next week.

Boogs looked to join in, but the microphone sent an electric shock up his arm, distracting Nakamura in the process. With Nakamura checking on his friend, Zayn rocked him with a Helluva Kick and left his foe lying.

The segment did not do too much for the Intercontinental Championship scene on Friday night. However, it looks like WWE is building towards a match between Zayn and Knoxville for WrestleMania.

Knoxville took a few bumps at Royal Rumble, and he may be ready for a singles match in the company. Zayn’s antics could lead to an Intercontinental Championship match between the two men at The Show of Shows. That will certainly help bolster The Conspiracy Theorist’s ratings on the show.

#1. Naomi and Charlotte Flair put on a stellar match on WWE SmackDown

Sonya Deville was warned against interrupting the main event of WWE SmackDown by Adam Pearce early in the show. Naomi and Charlotte Flair competed in the main event for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Both women started well and looked to get the better of each other. Naomi hit a blockbuster for a close count before Flair sent her knee-first into the ring steps.

The Glow kept fighting back even though she was no match for Flair’s strength. She bulldogged Flair into the turnbuckle before eating a powerbomb from The Queen.

Naomi came close to a victory several times before Flair finished her off with the Natural Selection for the win. After the match, Naomi and Deville got into a brawl. Flair joined in on the assault, leading to a run-in save by Ronda Rousey.

The match between Naomi and Charlotte Flair was top-notch and deserved the main event spot on the show. It was good to see The Glow get such a good contest after a long time.

WWE will team up Naomi and Rousey for a match against the heels at Elimination Chamber. It will be a great way to get Rousey back in the ring for a few matches before WrestleMania.