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WWE SmackDown advertised a face-off between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns in this week's show. The two men were ready to enter the same ring for the first time since Reigns brutalized Lesnar at Madison Square Garden.
Drew McIntyre teamed up with The Viking Raiders to defeat Happy Corbin, Jinder Mahal & Shanky. McIntyre fed well off the crowd and did a great job at making this match interesting.
Natalya & Shayna Baszler entered the Women's Tag Team Championship picture after attacking Sasha Banks, Naomi, Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan during their match. WWE has now changed the title match for WrestleMania into a Fatal 4-Way.
Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair had another confrontation that ended in a brawl. Meanwhile, Kofi Kingston continued his rivalry with Sheamus, Ridge Holland & Butch.
Take a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right this Friday night:
#5. The Bloodline gloated before The Beast showed up
Universal Champion Roman Reigns, flanked by The Usos & Paul Heyman, opened up the show. Reigns & Heyman boasted about how they put down Lesnar at Madison Square Garden to show what The Tribal Chief was capable of.
Heyman said Lesnar was too afraid to come face-to-face with Reigns and had excused himself from appearing on SmackDown. He said it was a smart move by The Beast to stay home rather than get smashed by Reigns before WrestleMania.
Reigns was ready to soak in the admiration of the WWE Universe before Heyman received a text message. He revealed Lesnar was in town, heading to the arena for SmackDown. The Tribal Chief prepared to exit before The Beast Incarnate showed up.
It was a well-planned segment that helped recap the events of MSG with The Bloodline in the ring. Seeing the fear on Roman & Heyman's faces was priceless as it showed that The Tribal Chief was still not ready to face Lesnar.
#4. Brock Lesnar sent a chilling warning to Roman Reigns before WrestleMania 38
After Roman Reigns claimed he was going to smash Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, The Bloodline was set to leave the arena. Que Lesnar, who arrived and crashed into the side of their SUV with a forklift.
Reigns and company rushed away and entered a nearby truck in hopes of making a getaway. Lesnar ripped the door off the truck as The Bloodline rushed away again.
The Beast Incarnate made his way to the ring with the truck door in hand. He threw the door into the ring and said he was coming for blood at WrestleMania.
There was no better way to build up this rivalry without getting the two men physical again. It was well thought out, and all the men involved delivered. Lesnar has been at the top of his game throughout the rivalry.
While Reigns has been the star performer on SmackDown for nearly two years, Lesnar continued to steal the spotlight with his improved mic skills and interaction with the WWE Universe.
The writers have done an excellent job at building this rivalry. Fans can hope to see an incredible match between two of the biggest superstars in WWE in the main event of WrestleMania 38 on Sunday.
#3. Rick Boogs and Shinsuke Nakamura continued to work their way up the SmackDown tag team division
Rick Boogs & Shinsuke Nakamura teamed up to take on Los Lotharios. Boogs & Nakamura will face SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos at WrestleMania 38.
Boogs showcased his strength throughout the contest as he worked over his cruiserweight opponents. He pulled off some impressive moves to get the crowd to cheer for him.
Meanwhile, Nakamura felt much more comfortable in the contest. He showed a lot more skill and charisma than his Intercontinental Championship reign.
The Artist helped Boogs set up Angel for the Boogs Cruise to pick up the win and came across as a legitimate threat to the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Pat McAfee also put a lot of headwork in building Boogs & Nakamura over the past several months.
Angel & Humberto have given many tag teams some good matches. The two men deserve a lot more credit for the work they're putting in. Fans hope to see them enter the SmackDown Tag Team Championships picture following WrestleMania.
#2. Ridge Holland kept a dying story alive by defeating Kofi Kingston
Big E suffered a real-life career-threatening neck injury on SmackDown last week. Instead of letting the rivalry die down, the writers booked Kofi Kingston in a singles match against Ridge Holland.
The former WWE Champion unloaded on his opponent in hopes of exacting revenge for what he did to his friend. Holland used his power to stay on top and countered Kofi's best moves.
The referee ejected Sheamus & Butch for interference. However, Butch tried to get into the ring to attack Kofi. As the referee tried to keep both men away, Holland used the distraction to hit the Northern Grit for the pinfall win.
Butch had to be kept away from Kingston after the match as WWE tried to further build his character. Xavier Woods might return to team up with Kofi at WrestleMania, or Kofi will fight one of the heels on his own.
It's good to see Butch being built like a true brawler ready to unleash at any opportunity. It'll be interesting to see how he works in the renewed character.
#1. Ronda Rousey refused to tap out after being assaulted by Charlotte Flair on SmackDown
Charlotte Flair arrived on SmackDown to revel in her attack on Ronda Rousey last week. She seemed proud of her actions but accepted she couldn't make Rousey tap before being pulled off the hood of the car by WWE officials.
Rousey came out to the ring looking to get revenge this time. A fight ensued, with Flair reaching for a Kendo Stick to get the better of The Baddest Woman on the Planet.
She choked Rousey unconscious before putting her through the announcer's table with a powerbomb. It was one of the most brutal segments the two women have had in the rivalry.
The intensity helped build the storyline on the road to WrestleMania. Rousey's refusal to tap out could add a special stipulation to their match at The Show of Shows. It could lead to a top match for the main event of WrestleMania on Saturday.
The Queen still needs to work on selling some moves for Ronda. Her refusal to do so is taking a toll on the storyline.
