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This week’s WWE SmackDown had a few interesting segments and matches scheduled for the fans. Logan Paul was advertised to appear on the show ahead of his match against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel 2022.
Drew McIntyre also appeared backstage and challenged Karrion Kross to a Steel Cage match in Saudi Arabia. It will likely help the company build one of the biggest grudge matches for the show. Omos and Braun Strowman also came face-to-face before making their match for Crown Jewel match official.
Meanwhile, Sheamus suffered a setback on SmackDown. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for The Brawling Brutes if The Celtic Warrior is ruled out for a few weeks.
Bray Wyatt cut a cryptic promo backstage to keep fans guessing. The Eater of Worlds will likely find his first target on SmackDown in the coming weeks.
Take a look at the five things that WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.
#5. The Bloodline halted Sheamus’ greatest run to date
The Brawling Brutes came out on WWE SmackDown followed by The Bloodline. It paved the way for a match between Sheamus and Solo Sikoa to kick off the show. Sheamus punished Solo on the mat early before the latter fought back with some kicks. The two hit each other with some kicks and punches to get the match going.
Sheamus got the White Noise for a near fall before Sikoa hit back with an avalanche Samoan Drop for a two-count of his own. The Street Champion of the Island was treated to the Beats of the Bodhran before he countered a Brogue Kick.
Several distractions from The Bloodline allowed the newcomer to stay in control for some time. Sami Zayn interfered in the contest, allowing Sikoa to hit the Spinning Solo for the win.
After the match, The Bloodline took out Butch and Ridge Holland. They turned their attention to The Celtic Warrior and wrapped his arm in a steel chair on the steel steps before hitting it repeatedly with another chair. Zayn had to stop Jey Uso from doing any more damage to The Irishman as the segment came to an end.
The match was another banger from Sheamus. He seems to be on the greatest run of his career and has helped elevate Butch and Holland on SmackDown. The Celtic Warrior suffered an injury due to a post-match beatdown. It will give Butch and Holland all the more reason to take down The Bloodline.
#4. Liv Morgan continued to give into the dark side on WWE SmackDown
Liv Morgan started showing signs of a heel turn after her loss to Ronda Rousey at Extreme Rules 2022. She took on Sonya Deville in a singles match on this week’s SmackDown.
Deville took Liv down early and beat her in a corner before the latter returned with a Superkick. Deville sent her outside the ring where they traded some moves before Sonya got a couple of near falls in the middle of the ring.
Liv lost her cool and unloaded on Deville with some thunderous strikes. She sent Sonya outside into the barricades and the two brawled until the referee counted them out.
After the match, The former SmackDown Women’s Champion brought a bunch of chairs into the ring and piled them on before hitting Deville with a superplex from the ropes on them. It was a great way to end the segment.
WWE has quickly turned Liv Morgan as heel and is giving her a new character to work with. Interestingly, she has completely fallen out of the SmackDown Women’s Title picture. However, the new character could help her stay relevant on the brand without a title around her waist.
#3. Damage CTRL stole another win to retain their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi challenged Damage CTRL (IYO SKY and Dakota Kai) to a match for the Women’s Tag Team Championships. The two teams kicked off their contest on WWE SmackDown, and the challengers took control of the contest early.
Shotzi climbed Raquel’s shoulders and dove on top of the champions outside the ring in one of the coolest spots of the night.
Sky made a comeback for her team in the contest and hit Raquel with some good moves. The two teams traded a barrage of double-team moves to keep the match entertaining. Kai broke the pin in an attempt to save her partner and the heels sent Rodriguez outside the ring.
SKY finished off Shotzi with a moonsault from the top rope for the win. The match was entertaining and it was good to see Damage CTRL retain their titles. Meanwhile, Rodriguez and Shotzi looked strong in defeat. They will need to rebuild before challenging for the titles again. Fans can only hope to see Alexa Bliss and Asuka return to challenge Damage CTRL for the tag team titles at Crown Jewel.
#2. Rey Mysterio scored a win over Ludwig Kaiser
Rey Mysterio moved to WWE SmackDown and immediately won a match to become the next challenger for GUNTHER’s Intercontinental Championship. The Master of the 619 took on Ludwig Kaiser in a singles match this week.
Mysterio looked to hit the 619 early, but Giovanni Vinci and GUNTHER ran a distraction to save him. Rey still hit a baseball slide before getting overpowered by Kaiser.
Mysterio pretended to be hit by a steel chair to get Imperium ejected from the ringside. Surprisingly, the referee did not call for a disqualification win for the veteran. Rey Mysterio stayed on top and hit a hurricanrana and the 619 before picking up the win.
The veteran’s fortunes have changed since moving to SmackDown. It could help the legend end his career on a high. He proved that he can still work with the younger stars in the company and put on a good contest.
The victory will give him the momentum he needs heading into the Intercontinental Championship match. Fans will likely get a great match between Mysterio and GUNTHER soon.
#1. The Bloodline got involved in Logan Paul and Roman Reigns’ rivalry
The Bloodline celebrated Solo Sikoa’s victory over Sheamus backstage. They talked about Logan Paul’s appearance on WWE SmackDown, and Sami Zayn made it clear that Roman Reigns did not want them to interfere in their rivalry.
Jey Uso wasn’t ready to give in to The Tribal Chief’s demands and told Sami that he was a hothead and would need to see what happens before the night comes to an end.
Logan Paul came out in the final segment of SmackDown and targeted The Bloodline right away. The YouTube Sensation agreed that he was the underdog but did not know what would happen if he pulled off a win over Reigns.
Jey couldn’t hold back as Paul kept targeting The Bloodline. He attacked him from behind and took him out. Zayn tried to stop the attack but Jey was out of control. He missed a shot at Paul and got laid out by The YouTube Sensation.
Sami Zayn will likely have to pay for not being able to control The Usos. After all, Reigns left him in charge of the brothers. It will likely lead to another great storyline within the group. Meanwhile, Paul got a few cheers from the crowd for his actions.
