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Two big matches were scheduled for the final episode of WWE SmackDown before WrestleMania 37.
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode would defend their SmackDown Tag Team Championships in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was also hosted on SmackDown. Superstars from RAW and SmackDown competed in the Battle Royal for a chance to win the Andre the Giant Memorial Trophy.
The rest of the episode was filled with promos and backstage segments. Edge, Roman Reigns, and Daniel Bryan, all came out to talk about their Universal Championship match at WrestleMania.
Big E showed up around his hometown of Tampa ahead of his Intercontinental Championship defense. He made it clear that Apollo Crews’ dreams of becoming the Intercontinental Champion would end in Tampa.
Bianca Belair spoke about her match against Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Championship, while Carmella revealed that Billie Kay would be her partner for WrestleMania.
Let’s take a look at the five things WWE got right on SmackDown before WrestleMania.
#5 Daniel Bryan made his case on WWE SmackDown
Daniel Bryan opened up on the final night of WWE SmackDown before WrestleMania. He said that he could wait to wrestle in front of a live crowd and hear the roar of the wrestling-hungry fans.
Bryan said he was tired of hearing the word “no” during his career, and that made him respond by defying the odds and saying "yes." The Yes Man proved what he’s made of by returning from a career-ending injury, making Roman Reigns tap out, and getting Adam Pearce to insert him in the match at WrestleMania 37.
The former WWE Champion claimed that fans would see the most dangerous Daniel Bryan they’ve ever seen, and he's confident about defeating Reigns and Edge to win the Universal Championship.
This was a good way to kick off a show that did not have too many scheduled matches.
Not many fans would expect Bryan to find his way into the Universal Championship picture after Edge challenged The Tribal Chief for WrestleMania. However, things have shaped up really well since WWE Fastlane.
Will the Yes Man defy all odds once again to come out as the new Universal Champion at WrestleMania? Nothing is impossible when he's involved.
#4 Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode retained the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode defended their WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships just a night before WrestleMania. The duo attacked The Street Profits backstage, and the other teams soon got involved.
Rey and Dominik Mysterio gained the upper hand early in the contest. The Street Profits came in and gained some momentum before The Alpha Academy halted their rally.
The Mysterios delivered a double 619 to Roode, followed by a frog splash from Dominik. They came close to victory before Otis broke the pinfall.
Late in the match, Ford hit a beautiful frog splash on Gable from the top rope. Ziggler came into the ring to superkick Ford, and a blind tag allowed Roode to pick up the pinfall win for his team.
The match had some big spots and could have done well to open up either night of WrestleMania. However, it was the right call to allow Ziggler and Roode to retain as no team was going to get a WrestleMania moment out of it.
While fans wanted to watch Rey and Dominik pick up their first titles together, it looks like the SmackDown creatives are saving that moment for later.
#3 Edge wants to silence all critics on WWE SmackDown
Edge came out next on WWE SmackDown with a steel chair in hand. He took a seat in the ring and recalled dreaming about being in the main event at WrestleMania when he attended his first show as a child.
The Rated-R Superstar did not walk away from wrestling, but it was taken away from him due to a career-ending injury. Much like Daniel Bryan, Edge worked hard and never gave up, and made a miraculous return to the squared circle.
Edge claimed that he wasn’t back for just another run, but to main event WrestleMania.
He went on to say that Bryan ruined a perfectly good match that signified the clash between the two eras. The Rated-R Superstar turned his attention to Roman Reigns and called him the “Samoan Edge” due to the similarities in both men's careers.
He claimed that he had returned to WWE to swing for the fences and claimed that Reigns was the ultimate target. The Ultimate Opportunist ended the segment by claiming that he was going to WrestleMania to take back what was taken away from him.
While some fans have started supporting Bryan in this rivalry, it is Edge who has the bigger story to tell. He did well to remind fans of what he is capable of and why he needs to win at WrestleMania. The segment hit all the right spots.
#2 Jey Uso won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on WWE SmackDown
WWE SmackDown Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Participants: Mace, T-Bar, Slapjack, Shinsuke Nakamura, Akira Tozawa, Humberto Carillo, Jaxson Ryker, Elias, Cedric Alexander, Shelton Benjamin, Ricochet, Angel Garza, King Corbin, Erik, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado, Kalisto, Tucker, Drew Gulak, Jey Uso, Mustafa Ali, and Murphy.
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal allowed several WWE Superstars from both RAW and SmackDown a chance to compete in the Battle Royal for the gigantic trophy.
Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander teamed up and went after the other competitors early on. The match was messy, and superstars kept getting eliminated. Alexander and Benjamin were thrown out and Ali managed to eliminate his former faction-mates Mace and T-Bar.
The Lucha House Party reunited for a little while before Metalik and Dorado threw Kalisto out of the ring. Dorado followed up by eliminating Metalik. Soon after, King Corbin, Uso, and Nakamura were the final three participants left in the SmackDown ring.
Nakamura eliminated Corbin after delivering a knee while The King was standing on the ring apron. Nakamura caught Uso with a Kinshasa to come close to a victory. Just when he was about to throw Uso off the top rope, Uso reversed it to get the final elimination.
The match allowed 'Main Event' Uso to pick up a victory in a big match. He has been working with Reigns for a while now and has proven his worth as a singles competitor. Uso's victory could help him get a push since he's already attached to a main-eventer.
#1 Roman Reigns issued a final warning ahead of WrestleMania on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns interrupted Jey Uso’s celebration on WWE SmackDown. He placed himself on a pedestal as usual and claimed that WWE was winning every time he showed up.
Reigns targeted Edge and claimed that he needed to stop whining about things being taken away from him. The Tribal Chief added that he was the one who took things away from him and the rest of the WWE roster.
Reigns vowed to defeat both Bryan and Edge. He looked into the camera and issued a warning to the rest of the SmackDown roster: “You think what I did this year was special? Wait until you see what I do next.”
SmackDown has done incredibly well with this Universal Championship rivalry. All three SmackDown Superstars were excellent during their promos and built themselves up well for the match at WrestleMania.
Everything about Reigns has been phenomenal. This was proof that he has fit into his heel character better than anyone else. Will he manage to retain the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 37?
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
