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Despite going another week without the presence of Roman Reigns, SmackDown didn't leave any stone unturned to deliver a memorable night of action.
The episode packed in a lot of things that fans could sink their teeth into, including top-tier in-ring action, memorable promos, and noteworthy storyline developments.
So, without further ado, let's quickly unpack everything that went down on the latest edition of SmackDown and try to figure out where things are headed next.
#5. Raquel Rodriguez faces another crushing loss
Rodriguez's loss to Bayley was one of the most head-scratching moments from this week's WWE SmackDown.
While The Role Model also didn't deserve to lose, considering she's next in line for a shot at the RAW Women's Championship, Rodriguez's loss indicates she might be being pushed down the pecking order.
Her WWE Women's Tag Team Championship reign with Aliyah also came to an abrupt end, with Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky defeating them on RAW.
This is puzzling since recent reports indicated Rodriguez could be presented as a top star going forward. That said, it's not a lost cause yet, as WWE could still build her up slowly and steadily by booking her to win on the weekly programming.
#4. Imperium could cost The Brawling Brutes Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles
A fatal four-way tag team match was held featuring Imperium, The Brawling Brutes, The New Day, and Hit Row to determine the next contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles.
The bout ended with Ridge Holland stealing a win from Ludwig Kaiser by throwing him outside the ring just when he was about to pin Kofi Kingston. It's safe to say that Imperium would be far from pleased with the way things unfolded.
With Holland and Butch set to challenge The Usos next week, fans can expect some outside interference from Imperium, who could cost them the match.
This could possibly set up a bout between Imperium and Brawling Brutes, with their leaders, Sheamus and Gunther, respectively, already being arch-rivals.
#3. Is Liv Morgan's fairytale run with the SmackDown Women's Title coming to an end?
Ronda Rousey's newfound mean streak has revived her career, which was going off the rails due to WWE's reluctance to turn her heel. Her no-nonsense character has struck a chord, and it's hard to imagine her losing any time soon.
This doesn't bode very well for SmackDown Women's Champion Liv Morgan, whose own title reign has left a lot to be desired. Though she walked away unscathed against Shayna Baszler at Clash at the Castle, it would be difficult for her to beat Rousey at the upcoming Extreme Rules.
On this week's SmackDown, The Baddest Woman on the Planet had a sit-down promo exchange with Morgan, where the latter challenged Rousey to an Extreme Rules match at the premium live event. As it stands, there's little coming in Rousey's way to stop her from winning the gold again.
#2. Logan Paul losing his first WWE match
So far, Logan Paul has proved to be a runaway success in WWE, thanks to pair of memorable matches at WrestleMania and SummerSlam this year.
However, going by the developments on SmackDown, it seems like Logan's winning ways could soon come to an end when he goes head-to-head against Roman Reigns.
In the show's opening segment, the YouTube star challenged The Tribal Chief and invited him to a press conference in Nevada on Saturday. Soon enough, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion was officially announced to appear at the conference as well as at the Friday Night Show next week.
The match is rumored to go down at Crown Jewel 2022 and should be a great one. That said, it's a foregone conclusion that The Tribal Chief would walk out as the champion, as Logan is still relatively new to the business.
#1. Sami Zayn could be kicked out of The Bloodline soon
The most shocking moment from this week's SmackDown was Jey Uso accidentally costing Sami Zayn his match against Ricochet.
Just when it looked like The Great Liberator would walk away with the win, Jey distracted the referee. This allowed Ricochet to capitalize and secure the victory.
The former NXT Champion was far from pleased with Jey Uso's interference, with the two almost coming to blows. Tensions have been escalating for quite a few weeks, and it could all blow up any time soon.
It looks like it's only a matter of time before Zayn is kicked out of The Bloodline, turns a babyface, and possibly joins forces with his former best buddy Kevin Owens to take down The Usos.
What was your favorite moment from this week's WWE SmackDown? Sound off in the comments section below.
