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WWE has been giving fans some good shows in recent months, and the first episode of SmackDown following WWE Extreme Rules was no different.
The night was kicked off by Sasha Banks and Bayley, two women who cheated their way to victories at Extreme Rules. They decided to set up a match for one of their challengers to get another chance for next week.
Bray Wyatt hosted another episode of The Firefly Fun House, after which Matt Riddle got another decent booking to carry on his momentum on the Blue brand.
Later on, we learned that Kofi Kingston had picked up an injury at Extreme Rules, and he gave Big E his blessings to finally push ahead as a singles competitor and make it big on SmackDown.
A big Fatal 4-Way match followed to pick the next challenger for AJ Styles' Intercontinental Championship, and it was good to watch some lesser-used SmackDown Superstars get a chance on the main card.
The night ended with a Bar Fight between Sheamus and Jeff Hardy, and this may have finally put an end to their rivalry.
In this article, we will look at the 5 things SmackDown got right on this week’s episode.
#5 The Firefly Fun House returned on WWE SmackDown
At WWE Extreme Rules, Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman competed in a Swamp Fight to continue the tradition of cinematic matches during the current pandemic. The largest man of WWE SmackDown was taken down the swamp by The Eater of Worlds to end at the match, after which The Fiend appeared out of the swamp.
As fans were waiting to find out what had happened to Strowman, The Firefly Fun House was their only hope to get some news on the WWE Universal Champion.
Wyatt recalled the match at Extreme Rules a ‘Family Reunion’ and hinted that Strowman was trapped in the swamp forever.
He then spoke to his lantern as a window to his past self and said that its time was ‘done now’ and that it was the time for The Fiend to return.
This was a good way to address the match from Extreme Rules and also give the WWE Universe a glimpse at what’s to come. We will likely see The Monster Among Men battle The Fiend at SummerSlam with the Universal Championship on the line, and this could be the top match for this year’s event keeping in mind the build that it has already received.
#4 Matt Riddle may have picked his opponent for SummerSlam on WWE SmackDown
Matt Riddle was prepared for another match on this week’s WWE SmackDown as he came out to compete against former Cruiserweight Champion, Tony Nese.
The Original Bro used his power advantage to toss Nese around the ring and delivered a running senton to The Premier Athlete. While Nese tried to get into the match with some smart tactics and takedowns, Riddle introduced him to BroDerek to pick up an easy victory on the Blue brand.
After the match, Riddle took the microphone and called out King Corbin as he has a bone to pick with the SmackDown Superstar.
Corbin walked into the arena to a chorus of boos and told the newer SmackDown recruit that he was simply not ready and did not deserve to be on a show like SmackDown. He mocked Riddle and told him to go to 205 Live where he might do something bigger than he can on SmackDown.
Riddle responded by telling Corbin that he would be the next special guest on The Bro Show. Nese tried to sneak up on Riddle but was taken down by The Bro with a kick to end the segment.
Riddle seems to be getting a big build on SmackDown, and once he overcomes Corbin, he could become the next top babyface as he has already proven his worth on NXT.
#3 Sasha Banks and Bayley try to drive a wedge between Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross on WWE SmackDown
Sasha Banks and Bayley opened up SmackDown as the top Champions of the company. The Golden Role Models celebrated with the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships and the Women's Tag Team Championships as the commentary team reminded the fans what went down at WWE Extreme Rules.
Nikki Cross came out to demand another shot at the title after being cheated at Extreme Rules, and the heels agreed to give Cross a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship only if she could defeat Alexa Bliss for it.
While the two best friends didn’t want to fight, Cross pushed Bliss to give The Goddess a reason to take things to the ring. The two women had a decent match in which Cross once again performed well to show that she’s a deserving competitor.
Late in the match, Cross jumped off the top rope for a cross body but missed Bliss. The move did more damage to her already injured ribs, and Bliss showed concern for her friend. This allowed Cross a chance to roll Bloss up and pick up the victory to get another shot at Bayley’s title.
Cross has proven to be one of the best characters and wrestlers on SmackDown, and no one can complain about the chances she is getting in recent weeks. While we might not see her become the Champion anytime soon, and Bliss may end up being the one to cost her the opportunity next week, it’s good to see her rise in the women’s division.
#2 Gran Metalik gets an unlikely opportunity on WWE SmackDown
A Fatal 4-Way match was set for this week’s WWE SmackDown where Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik, Drew Gulak, and Shorty G competed for a chance to challenge for the Intercontinental Championship.
While Gulak has been at the forefront of SmackDown in recent months, Dorado and Metalik had been missing from the tag team scene for some time while Shorty G had been out of the picture for a while. Therefore, it looked like SmackDown was ready to give another mid-card Superstar a big chance against AJ Styles.
Shorty G started strong and looked like a very impressive competitor as he looked to take his opponents down. Dorado was the other SmackDown Superstar who looked strong and tried to gain momentum throughout the match.
While Shorty G delivered a massive German Suplex to Dorado, Metalik came out of nowhere to steal the victory by taking down Shorty G and pinning him.
After the match, Styles offered Metalik a handshake in the ring but ended up slapping him instead. Metalik fittingly responded by throwing him out of the ring. This was a good match and ending segment that gives Metalik a chance to shine out as an individual Superstar.
While it might not be his time to win a singles championship in WWE yet, a great performance against someone like Styles could give him a massive push.
#1 The Bar Fight possibly ends a rivalry on WWE SmackDown
WWE SmackDown has been hosting a rivalry between Jeff Hardy and Sheamus for quite some time now, and we’ve got a whole lot of segments involving the two men and a few matches.
This week, the two men were set to compete in a cinematic Bar Fight in an attempt to end SmackDown on a high. Sheamus arrived at the bar first, followed by Hardy. “My brother had to delete his WWE career. Tonight, I have to recover mine,” he said. The Celtic Warrior bad-mouthed the Charismatic Enigma once again and the two got down to business soon after.
Sheamus got the upper hand with his strength but Hardy soon recovered to get in the match again. A bizarre spot saw Sheamus humiliate Hardy by shoving his face into a urinal and flushing it.
Late in the match, The Irishman took down Hardy and placed a hat on his face before taking a drink. When he picked up the hat, Hardy’s face had been painted and his pupils were white. Hardy then took down Sheamus, climbed a ladder, and delivered the Swanton Bomb to pick up the victory.
This was a decent cinematic match that helped both men gain prominence on WWE SmackDown again. There was a whole lot of action involved, and Hardy managed to come out on top once again. This will likely end the rivalry between the two men and bring The Charismatic Enigma closer to the top title picture.
