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Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown after Crown Jewel. It was officially the first episode where the WWE Draft took effect, meaning that the cross-brand appearances won't happen as much.
The build to Survivor Series begins, which means that at some point there will be crossovers. However, it was a mixed episode that started well and ended slightly flat.
Let's look at what WWE subtly told us in the new era of SmackDown featuring several new superstars:
#5. The Brock Lesnar saga on SmackDown and the aftermath
Brock Lesnar has been indefinitely suspended from WWE. You read that right. Lesnar vowed to beat Roman Reigns down if he saw him on SmackDown. Assuming that The Beast Incarnate wouldn't come, Roman Reigns called him out, only for his challenge to be answered.
It led to destruction across the ringside area at SmackDown, with Brock Lesnar destroying everyone and everything that he could get his hands on. We wrote about a few theories as to why Brock Lesnar was suspended indefinitely, but there is a long-term plan in place.
It was rumored that Crown Jewel wouldn't be the end of the Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar rivalry, and based on what happened on SmackDown, that was even clearer.
Brock Lesnar is advertised for the 2022 Royal Rumble, which means that an appearance in the Men's Rumble match is more than likely. Not only this, but he could join the elite list of stars to win the Rumble match twice, including Edge, Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, etc.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out. But to us, this segment on SmackDOwn screams one direction and one place to settle it all - WrestleMania 38, at the AT & T stadium. The main event for WrestleMania next year might see Reigns and Lesnar face off one more time.
Is it the right main event for a show that could potentially hold 100,000 people? Or will the change in dynamic make for an even more interesting third WrestleMania encounter between Reigns and Lesnar?
#4. Happy Corbin en route to championship glory on SmackDown?
Happy Corbin's run on SmackDown might be looking even better than before. It was only a few months ago when Corbin lost his throne to Shinsuke Nakamura and became destitute. He was constantly borrowing money and was unable to pay his debts.
One lucky weekend in Las Vegas changed it all, and ever since then, he's been one of the luckiest men in WWE. Madcap Moss, his new sidekick, has been with him since then.
Corbin had a chance to get his revenge on Shinsuke Nakamura - the man who beat him to become the King Of WWE (until he voluntarily relinquished it ahead of the King of the Ring tournament this year).
Thanks to a big distraction from Madcap Moss as well as chaos involving Rick Boogs, Happy Corbin managed to pick up the win over Shinsuke Nakmaura in a non-title bout.
Obviously, this sets up the next big Intercontinental title match on SmackDown. The Championship hasn't been defended on pay-per-view since WrestleMania 37. With Survivor Series coming up, this is likely to be a TV feud on SmackDown, and Happy Corbin is more than likely set for championship glory.
#3. No heel turn for Xavier Woods on SmackDown
Xavier Woods had his King's coronation on SmackDown this week. Kofi Kingston was the host, and he did an incredible job as you could see how genuinely happy he was for his friend Xavier Woods.
Despite the King of the Ring tournament traditionally being used to build top heel stars, Xavier Woods feels like a breath of fresh air. He has made the crown feel more important than anyone has for years before him, and hopefully, he does a good job as a babyface King.
It will be interesting to see how his run as King Xavier plays out. Based on indications from the segment on SmackDown, there won't be any heel turn. It seems like the rumors of Vince McMahon never wanting to turn The New Day heel are true, and for the first time in a while, we'll get an actual babyface King of the Ring winner.
While Shinsuke Nakamura was a babyface King, he didn't win the King of the Ring tournament. Hopefully, Xavier Woods lives up to the expectations and has a great reign over SmackDown.
#2. Drew McIntyre gets a good start on SmackDown
Drew McIntyre is going to be huge for SmackDown. The timing of his draft couldn't have been better either. Many consider Drew McIntyre to be a swap for Finn Balor, and that will benefit the latter more on RAW.
As for Drew McIntyre, his sights are not on the Universal Championship just yet. He said that whichever brand he goes to, he'll target the world title. It will happen eventually, but not right now.
Big E gave Drew McIntyre his farewell to RAW at Crown Jewel in an incredible WWE title match and it seemed like an apt way for him to bow out. For Drew McIntyre, the long-term focus on SmackDown will be the Universal Championship.
However, we don't expect Drew McIntyre to emerge as a Universal title contender until December. After Survivor Series, where Roman Reigns will presumably face Big E, Drew McIntyre could be lying in wait.
On his return to SmackDown, Drew McIntyre faced and defeated Sami Zayn, who had a change in theme song.
#1. The SmackDown Women's title feud takes a less exciting turn
The women's title situation was confusing at first because RAW Women's Champion Charlotte Flair was drafted to SmackDown, while SmackDown Women's Champion Becky Lynch was drafted to RAW.
Ultimately, WWE confirmed there would be a title swap. Unlike what happened last year with The Street Profits and The New Day, it wasn't so straightforward. The two tag teams simply swapped titles and moved on to their own brands.
This had an entire build and segment to it, one that didn't seem suitable for the end of the show. Either way, Becky Lynch gave up on the idea of becoming Becky 2 Belts again as she simply threw her title down while taking the RAW Women's Championship with her - a title that she never lost.
Charlotte Flair offered Becky Lynch an opportunity at her title the same night, but there were only five minutes left for the show to end at this point. Sasha Banks came out, making herself the first challenger for Charlotte Flair's SmackDown Women's Championship.
Becky Lynch instantly gave up on the idea of being a double champion again, simply telling them to sort it out before saying she would meet one of them at Survivor Series 2021.
It'll be interesting to see how Bayley fits into SmackDown when she returns, but for now, it's Sasha Banks vs Charlotte Flair again. It seems like a big mistake on WWE's part, especially since there are more women on SmackDown.
Sasha Banks has been the centerpiece of the SmackDown Women's division for a while now, but fresher feuds are necessary to keep interest. Also, feuds like this prevent WWE from building more stars.
