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Just like RAW and NXT, SmackDown was filled with some surprises this week as fans prepared to see who’d find a place to compete at WWE Backlash.
The Intercontinental Championship tournament faced some problems earlier in the night but gave us the two finalists that we’d been looking forward to seeing compete against one another.
Some underused talent from SmackDown got a chance to shine during the night, as Shorty G returned to action while Sonya Deville and Lacey Evans competed in one of the better matches of the night.
The surprises did not end there, as an interference at the end of SmackDown influenced the outcome of the final match of the night and gave us something big to look forward to.
Last, but not least, WWE legend Kurt Angle announced that The Original Bro was finally heading to SmackDown to become the next face of the brand.
In this article, we will look a the five things WWE got right on this week’s episode of SmackDown on FOX.
#5 Shorty G lights up WWE SmackDown with a big victory
Shorty G was on the receiving end of a major push on SmackDown last year, especially when he made it to the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament and into Team Hogan during Crown Jewel 2019.
However, he hasn’t had the best time this year as he has been overshadowed by several other storylines. It was also odd to see Elias compete in the Intercontinental Championship Tournament ahead of Shorty G who has much more backing from the WWE Universe.
This week, Shorty G was a part of the Battle Royal but was eliminated by Cesaro. He confronted Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura about ruining his moment during the match.
The Swiss Superman made fun of Shorty G which led to him punching Cesaro in the face and leading to a match between the two men.
They had a strong match even though it only lasted a few minutes, and Shorty G used his size to his advantage and he slipped through Cesaro’s grip and rolled him up for the victory.
A longer match between these two men would have turned out to be the show-stealer, but Shorty G’s victory allows him to gain prominence once again. He has outshined other performers with his work in the ring even though he has a terrible gimmick.
The babyface is too talented to get wasted and deserves a big moment like Apollo Crews is getting on RAW.
#4 Sonya Deville gets more chances on SmackDown
Sonya Deville decided to cut a promo on Lacey Evans on this week’s WWE SmackDown, something that did not work well for The Pride Fighter. The Sassy Southern Belle attacked her from behind and the match between the two was set to begin.
The two women beat each other down from the starting bell, something that made it look like they had unfinished business for weeks. After beating each other down inside the ring, the action spilled over to the floor where Evans threw Deville into the announce table.
As things continued to boil over, the referee had no choice but to count them out and end the match without a win for either Superstar. The Pride Fighter wasn’t done yet as she told Evans to fight her again on SmackDown, which could lead to a few great possibilities.
WWE SmackDown needs to build more female Superstars
It’s finally good to watch Deville get more matches on SmackDown, that too against Superstars other than Mandy Rose. She has proven to be one of the best mid-card performers over the past few months, and a good rivalry against a woman who has competed for both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s title can do her some good.
This could likely lead to a #1 Contender’s Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Backlash and result in a big opportunity for Deville to prove herself to the WWE Universe.
#3 WWE gets a Tag Team Champion Summit on SmackDown
SmackDown had an interesting Tag Team Champion Summit where WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross invited SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The New Day.
The two teams had some comic moments before Bayley and Sasha Banks decided to interrupt proceedings and declare themselves the true best tag team on SmackDown.
However, Bliss was as good as ever on the mic and reminded The Boss that she was the only WWE Superstar around without a Championship belt. This led to The Role Model booking Banks and Bliss in a match on the spot even though Banks wasn’t ready to compete.
Will the hunt for the WWE Women's Tag Team titles break the Boss 'n' Hug Connection?
While the two women had a decent match, the distractions from their teammates outside made a big difference as The Legit Boss of WWE picked up a big victory over one half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
It feels like a decade has passed and we’re still waiting for Sasha Banks and Bayley to finally break up! However, we might finally see tensions rise between the duo in their quest for the tag titles.
#2 SmackDown pulls in The King of Bros
While this wasn’t done in the grandest way possible, this is one of the biggest and most exciting moves we will see all year from WWE. AJ Styles also moved to SmackDown from RAW, but this news can likely turn the entire brand upside down if the creatives make the right bookings.
Kurt Angle put over the match between Randy Orton and Edge before making a huge announcement to the fans of SmackDown and NXT. He revealed that Matt Riddle would be arriving on SmackDown to unleash the Stallion within him on the Blue brand’s Superstars.
Is the Super King of Bros up for the challenge on WWE SmackDown?
Riddle battled Timothy Thatcher on NXT this week in a brutal Fight Pit match. While The Original Bro managed to knock two of Thatcher’s teeth out during the match, he went on to lose after Riddle passed out to a rear naked choke.
The arrival of Riddle opens up a world of opportunities for WWE and the Superstar as Riddle has one of the most well-developed characters along with a great fighting style.
Dream matches against Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, and The Fiend could light up the show before Riddle finally takes on Brock Lesnar!
#1 Jeff Hardy gets a different kind of push on SmackDown
This week’s WWE SmackDown began with a bizarre segment where Jeff Hardy was arrested for a driving accident involing Elias. The Drifter had to be stretchered out into an ambulance, while police officers arrested Hardy for a potential hit and run.
This led to the Intercontinental Championship Tournament getting shaken up as AJ Styles talked his way into the finals while a Battle Royal was set up to determine who’d face Daniel Bryan during the night with the winner taking on Styles in the final.
Sheamus ended up winning the Battle Royal but lost the match against Daniel Bryan as SmackDown’s Charismatic Enigma returned to cause a distraction and then unloaded on The Celtic Warrior.
Is Jeff Hardy on his way to becoming the next face of WWE SmackDown?
While this wasn’t the best way to bring Hardy’s real-life problems into the storyline, the overall story was done well and allowed Hardy to get out of the race for the Intercontinental Championship without losing a match.
Hardy could have been as good a choice as Styles or Bryan to win the secondary title on SmackDown, but it feels like he is ready to take on the Universal Champion down the line once he is done with Sheamus.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
