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Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown before Crown Jewel 2022. As you may know, the episode was pre-taped last week as the roster needed time to make it to Saudi Arabia following their brief European tour.
The roster is now in Riyadh, but that didn't stop WWE from putting on another epic edition of SmackDown. Before we can go any further, we must mention the epic Intercontinental Championship match on SmackDown. There was nothing subtle about it, just a straightforward, hard-hitting affair.
A shout out to Rey Mysterio and Gunther for the masterclass of an Intercontinental Title match. Unfortunately, for the WWE legend, the title remains with Gunther and Imperium.
Let's get right into what WWE subtly hinted at this week:
#5. Liv Morgan's epic new SmackDown run
This is by far the best Liv Morgan we've ever seen. We're talking about her NXT run, her main roster run, and even her recent reign as the SmackDown Women's Champion.
Losing the title to Ronda Rousey seems like a blessing in disguise as it led to the unhinged, Extreme Liv. It appears that Morgan hasn't moved on from Extreme Rules, and this week, she opened SmackDown with an epic No DQ match against Sonya Deville.
Deville was also underrated in this bout, but Morgan undoubtedly stole the show with her win. For those who were worried about Liv Morgan after she lost the title to Ronda Rousey, we urge you to listen to the reactions she got on SmackDown and the recent live events in Europe.
If anything, her character change is a sign that she will get a big push in 2023.
#4. Bray Wyatt's all-important backstage confrontation on SmackDown
Bray Wyatt had an interesting confrontation when he was interrupted by a crew member. He went berserk but calmed himself down before letting the staff go.
It was interesting to see the subtle changes in his character as he is putting on a mask to hide his true self. We saw images of a girl, Uncle Howdy, the Firefly logo, and more.
The real meaning is that a mix of past and present is disturbing Wyatt. It also means that there are complex layers to his character that we haven't yet seen. Sure, he might just be putting on a mask to seem in control now, but that will not last long - and we saw a glimpse this week.
#3. WWE uses Ricochet to establish LA Knight
LA Knight provoked Ricochet in his biggest match on SmackDown so far. He then went to Ricochet's real-life girlfriend, ring announcer Samantha Irvine, to criticize her for not giving him an introduction worthy of a "megastar."
Ultimately, LA Knight cheated to beat Ricochet by the skin of his teeth. It was just an indication that WWE used Ricochet as a stepping stone for the former manager and leader of Maximum Male Models.
#2. Emma's first feud since returning to WWE revealed
Emma is back for good, and we were a bit surprised this week when she was confronted by Xia Li - who returned for the first time in nearly a month. In all honesty, we forgot that she was even a part of the roster.
However, it appears Emma is being positioned as a babyface. We love that WWE is going all-in on women's feuds that don't have a title on the line. We need more of that.
#1. The Usos are on the cusp of history, but what does that mean going forward?
We assumed that if The Usos defeated The Brawling Brutes in Riyadh, they would secure the position as the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in WWE history.
However, The New Day came out to confront them, and it was revealed that they would face them next week on SmackDown. Assuming that The Usos retain at Crown Jewel, which they will, this is simply WWE's way of building anticipation around the record.
During The New Day's record-breaking run from August 2015 to December 2016, it was clear that the aim was to break Demolition's record. It hasn't been as big a deal this time, but this is the company's way of doing so.
