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WWE SmackDown held a Fatal 5-Way match to determine GUNTHER’s opponent for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 39. Kofi Kingston was announced to be a part of the match, but an injury forced him to sit out and allow his teammate to take his place.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair wanted to compete in a match on this week’s show. She took on Shotzi in a singles match and made quick work of her opponent to make a statement.
Rey Mysterio was also announced as the first inductee for the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame. He appeared on SmackDown this week, but his night did not go as well as he would have hoped.
Meanwhile, Jimmy and Jey Uso appeared together again on SmackDown after the latter betrayed Sami Zayn on RAW. Fans wanted to hear what Jey had to say for himself after turning against one of the biggest babyfaces in the company.
Take a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s episode.
#5. Drew McIntyre and Sheamus picked up the win simultaneously to cause confusion on WWE SmackDown
Xavier Woods took the injured Kofi Kingston’s spot in the Fatal 5-Way Match to determine GUNTHER’s challenger for WrestleMania 39 on WWE SmackDown. LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, and Karrion Kross were the other competitors in the match.
Woods went after Knight after the opening bell, while Sheamus and McIntyre went head-to-head. Kross teamed up with Knight and worked together against the others for a little while.
Woods nearly got the win with an elbow drop on Knight, but the others broke the pin. Imperium appeared on the entrance ramp to watch the match up close as the action picked up in the ring. The Celtic Warrior hit some chops on Woods before targeting Kross with the same.
The Scottish Warrior got on the same page as Sheamus for a little while before the epic finish. McIntyre hit Knight with a Claymore, while Sheamus struck Woods with a Brogue Kick. Both men got the pin at the same time to emerge victorious together.
The double-pin finish will allow WWE to book another big match for SmackDown next week, where Drew or Sheamus will come out as GUNTHER’s next challengers.
Meanwhile, the creative team could also get Imperium involved in the match, leading to a Triple Threat Match between the Intercontinental Champion, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 39.
#4. Judgment Day got the better of Legado Del Fantasma after Rey Mysterio’s moment
Rey Mysterio came out on WWE SmackDown after being announced as the first 2023 Hall of Fame inductee. Before he could say anything, Judgment Day interrupted him.
Dominik mocked his father and took some verbal shots at him to set the mood of the segment. Legado Del Fantasma came out to defend Rey and called for a tag team match between the two teams.
Judgment Day isolated Del Toro early on before Dominik hit the Three Amigos on Escobar. Legado mounted a comeback and took down Finn Balor before working on him for some time.
Rhea Ripley and Zelina Vega got into a brawl outside the ring, and Mami hit Zelina with a big powerbomb. Dominik kept control of the contest in the ring and rolled up Del Toro for a win on SmackDown.
After the match, Dom wanted to speak to his father alone in the ring. He called the veteran a disgrace and ended the segment by saying that he should have been Eddie Guerrero’s son before shoving him down onto the mat.
It looks like WWE is setting toward a disastrous Hall of Fame ceremony for Rey Mysterio. The company should celebrate the career of the legend instead of allowing his son and The Eradicator to beat him down during the ceremony.
However, they will draw more heat towards the heels and allow WWE to ultimately book the big match between the father-son duo.
#3. The Viking Raiders defeated Ricochet and Braun Strowman after the latter put on a good fight
The Viking Raiders faced off against the team of Ricochet and Braun Strowman on WWE SmackDown. Erik and Ricochet started the match, and The One and Only was isolated by the heels early on.
Strowman tagged in and rolled over the Raiders before Ricochet hit them with an assisted dive. The heels found a way to neutralize The Monster of All Monsters as they sent him into the barricades outside the ring.
Ricochet nearly picked up Erik for a slam but failed to go through with it. Braun came back in once again and steamrolled the Vikings at ringside before smashing into the announce desk.
Back in the ring, Valhalla distracted Ricochet, making him miss his dive off the top rope and falling into Ivar’s radar who got the splash for the win.
The match was fast-paced and fun and helped put The Viking Raiders back on the map.
The star of the match was Ricochet, who once again proved just how good he is in the ring. It looks like SmackDown is still not using him to his full potential, and a potential title run could make him a top star once again.
#2. Jey Uso teased a potential future betrayal to keep WWE SmackDown guessing
Paul Heyman was happy to see Jey and Jimmy Uso back together on WWE SmackDown as part of The Bloodline. Jey looked a little off, but he was there to support his brother no matter what.
The brothers came out in the final segment of the night, and Jey got straight to the point. He spoke about why he betrayed Sami Zayn on RAW. He said that he did it because Jimmy is family and his brother.
He blamed Zayn for the mess that was created in The Bloodline and called him selfish. Jey did not hold back in his insults towards The Master Strategist before The Usos turned their attention to Cody Rhodes.
Jey Uso looked a little jumpy throughout his promo. He did say he was back because of Jimmy but did not have much to say about his Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns.
If Jimmy also grows tired of Reigns and his antics, then the brothers could end up betraying their cousin sooner rather than later. That would make a very interesting storyline, especially if Solo Sikoa also joins them and leaves Reigns high and dry.
#1. Cody Rhodes joined Sami Zayn in his fight against The Usos
The Usos started targeting Cody Rhodes during their promo on WWE SmackDown. The American Nightmare wasn’t just going to sit back and listen and made his way out to the arena.
Rhodes said that he answered only to the fans before Jimmy and Jey Uso threatened him. Sami Zayn snuck up from behind and attacked The Usos.
A brawl broke out, and Cody also joined Sami to beat down the brothers. They fought all around before sending The Usos backstage to end the segment on SmackDown.
It’s good to see Rhodes more directly involved in his fight against The Bloodline. He had to sit back and wait until Sami Zayn was done with his matches against Roman Reigns. The two seem to be on the same back, and fans saw Cody on RAW trying to talk some sense into Kevin Owens.
The three could finally join forces before WrestleMania 39 and take down Roman Reigns and The Bloodline at The Show of Shows.
