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Roman Reigns defended his WWE Universal Championship against Kevin Owens on WWE SmackDown this week. Plus, Big E challenged Sami Zayn for the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a Lumberjack Match on Friday Night.
Asuka and Charlotte Flair also defended their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. With three star-studded championship matches, the final SmackDown of 2020 was guaranteed to be a big one.
The show also featured an an intense battle between Daniel Bryan and Jey Uso. Generally, this episode allowed the blue brand's Superstars to end the year on a strong note.
Here's a list of five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.
#5 Asuka and Charlotte Flair worked like a great team on WWE SmackDown
New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka and Charlotte Flair came to the blue brand to defend their titles. The champions tried to address the WWE Universe, but they were interrupted by several women in the process.
Bayley, SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks, Bianca Belair, and Carmella all came to the ring to set up a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
Banks and Belair teamed together while Bayley and Carmella joined forces as a another duo. Banks and Carmella traded a lot of strikes during the first few minutes. The match also allowed Belair to show her strength in the ring once again.
"The EST" continued to impress throughout the bout, and soon "The Boss" delivered a frog splash to Bayley to eliminate her team from the contest.
Belair took control late in the match, and she almost managed to put Asuka away. But Flair’s Natural Selection kept Belair down for the three count. So Flair and Asuka successfully defended their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship on SmackDown.
This contest was a good match that made Belair look strong in defeat. On the other hand, the partnership between Carmella and Bayley was compelling. It could continue to develop in the weeks that follow. Regardless, Asuka and Flair are gelling as a team, and they look unstoppable.
#4 WWE SmackDown teased some new rivalries and partnerships
This episode of WWE SmackDown was impactful, and it didn't have many filler segments. Instead, from start to finish, solid matches filled the show.
One of the most interesting pairings on this week’s SmackDown saw former SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley team up with Carmella. The pairing seemed to work pretty well together, and SmackDown could continue to keep the two competitors together going forward. They could be a powerful duo in the women's division.
Plus, Sami Zayn seemed to get a few potential opponents on Friday Night. By looking at the recent exchanges between Zayn and Daniel Bryan, one can see that WWE is teasing a renewed rivalry between these two stars. Bryan has already stated that he is looking to become a part-time wrestler, and he could give Zayn a major push in the coming months.
SmackDown could also explore a rivalry between Zayn and Apollo Crews. There already seems to be some tension between these two Superstars. With several possibilities for the future, this week's episode of SmackDown successfully built toward next week and beyond.
#3 Daniel Bryan overcame Jey Uso on WWE SmackDown
Daniel Bryan faced Jey Uso once again on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. Uso attacked Bryan from behind before the match began, so Bryan was at a disadvantage from the start.
Uso took control early, and he controlled the match for a few minutes. Bryan tried to make a comeback, but he couldn’t stay on top for long. Uso kept squashing his momentum, and it looked like Bryan was on the road to a disappointing defeat.
But later in the match, Bryan countered a splash from Uso and followed up with the LeBell Lock. Uso broke free and applied the half-crab to Bryan, but the former WWE Champion persevered. In the end, Bryan countered a Superkick from Uso and delivered a running knee to pick up the victory on SmackDown.
In this match, Uso continued to shine as a singles star. His rise throughout the last few months of 2020 has been remarkable. Meanwhile, with the victory, Bryan is back on track. Bryan's win was the right call, as it will further complicate the relationship between Uso and Roman Reigns. It could also set up a showdown between Bryan and "The Tribal Chief."
#2 Roman Reigns outsmarted Kevin Owens once again on WWE SmackDown
The biggest match of this week’s WWE SmackDown opened up the show. Kevin Owens faced Roman Reigns inside a Steel Cage. After Jey Uso helped Reigns retain the WWE Universal Championship at WWE TLC, Owens was hoping that the Steel Cage would reduce any interference from Reigns’ cousin.
"KO" took control of the match early on with a DDT and a Cannonball in the corner. Reigns managed to counter a pop-up powerbomb attempt, and he punished Owens with some physical offense.
The rivals hit each other with some major moves. "KO" kept the fans on the edge of their seats, as he was painfully close to winning the match at several points. He kicked out of Spears and delivered some ring-shaking moves for a few near falls.
When Owens was on the brink of victory, Uso handcuffed him to the steel cage. As a result, Reigns easily walked out of the cage to retain the title.
This excellent match repeated the same recipe WWE used for this feud at WWE TLC. In both cases, Reigns and Owens delivered a great match. With Uso by his side, it seems like Reigns has a firm grip as the world champion on SmackDown.
#1 Big E won the WWE Intercontinental Champion on WWE SmackDown
In the main event of SmackDown, Big E sought to take the WWE Intercontinental Championship from Sami Zayn. WWE had successfully built toward this match, and many fans were hoping to see Big E become the Intercontinental Champion once again.
Part of the SmackDown roster surrounded the ring to participate in this Lumberjack Match. Zayn started the bout with some cheap shots to take the advantage. The heel lumberjacks supported "The Great Liberator" as he looked to take down the bigger man.
Big E rallied, and he had Zayn on the ropes. The champion saw no escape, so he tried to leave the match. But Apollo Crews took him down and brought him back into the contest. Big E finally delivered a belly-to-belly, followed by a splash, to pick up the victory and the Intercontinental Championship.
This development was a good way to end SmackDown on Friday night. It gave fans a feel-good moment on Christmas. Big E is one of the biggest babyfaces on the blue brand. Hopefully, this title run will launch him up the card.
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