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A few big segments were scheduled for WWE SmackDown this week. Logan Paul showed up on the show to call out the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.
Sami Zayn was ready to take on Ricochet in a singles match on the show. The NXT North American Championship was also on the line on the Friday Night show. Meanwhile, things got a bit sour between The Bloodline during the show.
Braun Strowman appeared to bulldoze Maximum Male Models. He powerbombed Mansoor to make a big statement before coming face-to-face with Otis on SmackDown.
Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey also had an entertaining backstage segment to build towards their match for Extreme Rules. Overall, it was a solid episode of SmackDown.
Let's take a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right this week.
#5. Sami Zayn takes a big right hand from Logan Paul
Logan Paul kicked off this week’s WWE SmackDown and was looking for a face-to-face meeting with Roman Reigns. The Bloodline came out with Paul Heyman to get in Logan’s face.
Heyman looked to change the YouTube sensation’s mind about facing The Tribal Chief. The two men got into a war of words before Heyman called for Solo Sikoa to handle Logan in the ring. The YouTube sensation threatened to take out Reigns’ special counsel before Sami Zayn got in the way.
The Master Strategist said that Reigns should have let him handle Logan Paul before taking a punch to the face from the newcomer. The Bloodline tried to attack him, but he got away to end the segment.
It was a good way to kick off SmackDown and get to the point right away. Fans expected something like this on the show, and the creative team did well to keep things simple.
However, it will be difficult to get the fans to cheer for Paul against Roman Reigns. While the latter is playing a heel character on screen, the former doesn’t have the best reputation in the real world.
#4. Ricochet scored a much-needed win on WWE SmackDown
Right after the first segment, Sami Zayn had a match against Ricochet on SmackDown. The Master Strategist recovered from Logan Paul’s attack and took control of the match early.
Ricochet fired back with a big dropkick, but distractions from The Usos kept him from capitalizing on some big moves. Sami hit the Blue Thunder Bomb, but Paul got on the apron to distract the referee, and Ricochet kicked out in time.
The One and Only hit a Recoil and punched Jey Uso off the apron. He tried to run a distraction again, but Ricochet kicked him off the apron. Zayn got into an argument with Jey when he caused another distraction. It turned out to play in Ricochet’s favor.
The former United States Champion dove over The Usos and Sami outside the ring. He took him into the ring and hit his finisher to pick up a much-needed win.
The heels looked to attack Logan Paul and Ricochet after the match. However, Madcap Moss came out with a steel chair and did not allow The Usos and Solo Sikoa to do any damage to the two men.
The match was fast-paced and fun. Fans already know that Ricochet and Zayn are among the top stars on SmackDown who can do much more if given the chance. Meanwhile, disagreements within The Bloodline will continue to rise as it expands. Sami Zayn could leave the faction soon and target The Tribal Chief.
#3. Bayley defeated Raquel Rodriguez even before Shotzi’s face turn
Damage CTRL talked themselves up backstage on SmackDown. Bayley declared the faction the best in the women’s division before Raquel Rodriguez showed up to challenge her to a match.
The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion was in control early before IYO and Dakota tried to interfere in the match. Raquel launched them into each other before focusing on her opponent again.
The Role Model took a few big moves from Raquel, but her team helped her avoid getting pinned. Kai was in the ring when Raquel slammed her on top of Bayley before hitting an elbow drop for another near fall.
The match continued as SKY and Kai tried to distract Raquel once again. Their tactics worked as Bayley connected with the Rose Plant to pick up a win.
After the match, Damage CTRL continued to attack Raquel in the ring. Shotzi dashed out to Raquel's aid and drove the heels away.
SmackDown needed a good women’s match to make the show more complete. Bayley and Raquel put on a solid contest that was true to their characters.
Shotzi’s turn will also help her after a disappointing run on the main roster. The creative team could finally look to launch her as a top competitor on the brand.
#2. The Master Strategist helped Solo Sikoa retain his NXT North American Championship
Solo Sikoa chose Sami Zayn over his brothers to accompany him out for his title match on WWE SmackDown. Jey Uso was furious as Sikoa walked out to the ring to face Madcap Moss for the NXT North American Championship.
Solo showcased his ruthlessness early on and took down Moss before working on his back. Moss recovered to knock Sikoa out of the ring, but Sami Zayn helped the North American Champion make a comeback with a clothesline.
Madcap tried to weaken his opponent by hitting him with a few shoulders in the ring corner. Sikoa hit a few clean headbutts and a slam for a near fall.
Moss took back control of the contest and hit the Fallaway slam, but Sami dragged Solo out of the ring to save him from the pin. The distraction was enough to allow the champion to hit a Superkick and an Uranage before pinning his opponent for the win.
Solo Sikoa won the North American Title on Tuesday and WWE immediately gave him a top match on Friday night. It shows that the creative team has a lot of fate in the superstar and also wants to elevate the title and the NXT brand.
It was also surprising to see Solo Sikoa pick Zayn to accompany him to the ring instead of The Usos. It could lead to an entertaining storyline down the road.
#1. The Brawling Brutes got something to laugh about to end WWE SmackDown
A Fatal Four-Way match was held to determine the next challengers for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships on WWE SmackDown. Hit Row, The Brawling Brutes, The New Day, and Imperium competed in the match.
The action was chaotic early as all four teams hit some big moves and dives to get the upper hand in the contest. Ridge Holland took some punishment before nearly falling to a move from Top Dolla.
Quick tags were made as superstars from all four teams got involved in the action for some time. Butch came in to punish Imperium and worked on Ludwig Kaiser’s joints for some time. Top Dolla leveled him with a Big Boot before the big man lifted Kofi, Xavier Woods, and Butch simultaneously for a big slam.
The New Day took out Hit Row, but Butch broke the pin. Giovanni Vinci traded rollups with Kofi before he hit the Imperium Bomb with Kaiser’s help. Ridge Holland came in to take out Imperium before pinning Kofi for the win.
The Brawling Brutes deserved a win after working mid-card for some time. Holland and Butch are both great performers and can work well against The Usos. The booking also protected Imperium and Hit Row for a future rivalry against the Undisputed Tag Team Champions.
