5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: Brock Lesnar snaps; Johnny Knoxville in line for championship match

Brock Lesnar was set to appear on WWE SmackDown this week. The Beast Incarnate earlier had a face-off with Paul Heyman on RAW where he made his intentions of heading to the blue brand very clear.

That was just one of the highlights of the night, as Ronda Rousey was also scheduled to make an appearance. SmackDown also hosted Xia Li’s first singles match after she debuted almost four months ago.

The New Day faced “The Lethal Lovers” Los Lotharios in another tag team match. Meanwhile, The Viking Raiders ambushed The Usos backstage to get back at the heels.

After WWE changed the original match, Drew McIntyre defeated Madcap Moss following a Claymore. It will be interesting to see how far the rivalry between McIntyre and the team of Moss & Happy Corbin lasts.

The show wasn’t as great as expected this week. However, it had the firepower to make headlines. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on SmackDown this week.

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#5 of things WWE got right on SmackDown this week - Ronda Rousey fought off Charlotte Flair and Sonya Deville

Ronda Rousey arrived on WWE SmackDown for an interview with Michael Cole. She spoke about her injuries at WrestleMania 35, childbirth, and return. She expressed her intentions to be a role model for her daughter.

Cole spoke about her tag team match at Elimination Chamber with Naomi. This brought out Charlotte Flair. The Queen taunted The Baddest Woman on the Planet to agitate her.

The distraction allowed Sonya Deville to sneak up from behind and attack Rousey. Flair joined the party, and both heels beat down Rousey. The former RAW Women’s Champion fought out of their grip as they looked to injure her. She sent both heels running to end the segment.

Later backstage, Adam Pearce questioned Deville’s actions. He announced that Deville would fight Rousey in a singles match next week.

It makes little sense why Deville is looking to mess with Rousey. However, it would be good to see the latter in action on WWE SmackDown for the first time. She will get some good matches before her title match at WrestleMania 38.

#4. The New Day and Los Lotharios put on another solid tag team match on WWE SmackDown

The New Day was booked to take on Los Lotharios again on WWE SmackDown. Big E and Kofi Kingston drove out on an ATV he had brought for his friend.

Angel and Humberto made quick tags to take control of the contest and isolate Kofi. The veteran tried to break out multiple times, but the heels kept control.

Kingston made a hot tag, and Big E rushed into the contest. He nearly picked up the win before Humberto broke the pin. Big E used the ATV to his advantage and threatened to run over Humberto outside the ring.

The distraction allowed New Day to take advantage and hit Angel with the Midnight Hour for the win. The two teams put on another solid contest among the best of the night. New Day will likely move forward in the tag team division once again.

After the match, Sheamus and Ridge Holland challenged Big E and Kofi to a match. Their rivalry will keep the brand’s tag team division exciting for some time.

#3. Xia Li had an impressive first match on WWE SmackDown

After weeks of inactivity, Xia Li finally made her in-ring debut on WWE SmackDown. She was nervous before the contest but wanted to make Natalya pay for bullying Aliyah weeks ago.

The Queen of Harts wasn’t ready to let the newbie take control of the contest. She dominated early and wore her down with some stretches and holds.

The Protector fought back with good moves and hit an explosive suplex to stun the former SmackDown Women’s Champion. She worked her over for a while before Natalya gained back control.

The heel tried to lock in the Sharpshooter, but Li fought out. She hit a great Crescent Kick to down Natalya and pinned her to pick up a big win.

It took months for WWE to book Li in a match on SmackDown. Her first contest wasn’t too bad, and she had an excellent finisher to end the match on a high.

Natalya has helped the company build many top stars. She will likely give Li the push she needs to become a big threat on the blue brand.

#2. Johnny Knoxville challenged Sami Zayn to a title match on WWE SmackDown

Sami Zayn danced out to celebrate his Intercontinental Championship win on WWE SmackDown. He was delighted to overcome the conspiracies to win the title back after defeating Shinsuke Nakamura.

Zayn promised that Nakamura would get his rematch after his knee was healed. Then Johnny Knoxville interrupted the celebrations. He was prepared to accept Zayn's open challenge for the Intercontinental Championship.

The Jackass star taunted The Great Liberator and got taken down with a couple of Helluva Kicks.

Backstage, Adam Pearce questioned Zayn about his actions. Ricochet arrived to accept the champ's open challenge for the Intercontinental title.

WWE could have done much more with Zayn's celebration. The Great Liberator is one of the most over superstars in the company, and fans can expect the title to become prominent once again.

Knoxville is 50-years-old, but that did not stop him from taking a few bumps in the Royal Rumble match. He may not be the best opponent for Zayn at WrestleMania but could help the company move some tickets and get more publicity.

#1. Brock Lesnar ran over Roman Reigns' security on WWE SmackDown

The Bloodline made its way out for Roman Reigns' contract signing ceremony with Brock Lesnar on WWE SmackDown. The two champions sat across from each other in the closing segment to sign their contracts for WrestleMania.

Paul Heyman ensured that fans knew that it would be "The Biggest WrestleMania Match of All Time." However, he mentioned Lesnar needed to defend his WWE Championship against a to-be-determined opponent at the Madison Square Garden show on March 5.

The Beast Incarnate laughed off every threat Reigns and Heyman threw at him. He was ready to get paid for beating up the two heels at WrestleMania and walking out with both world championships in hand.

Both superstars signed on the dotted line before The Bloodline departed the ring. The Tribal Chief announced that everyone in the arena belonged to him, including the security team. The security personnel tried to attack Lesnar but got beaten up.

It was a decent segment to further build towards the biggest match at WrestleMania 38. However, talking about the MSG title defense while hyping the big match at The Show of Shows did not make much sense. WWE has done well to build this rivalry, and there are very few things that can ruin it.