Best and Worst of SmackDown before Extreme Rules 2021: WWE teases singles run for 2-time Champion, Mistake made with popular star? 

#2 Worst: The handling of Liv Morgan on SmackDown

Liv Morgan had a match against Zelina Vega on SmackDown ahead of her clash against Carmella at Extreme Rules 2021. The assumption was that the bout was meant to make Liv Morgan look good before the pay-per-view.

That was the opposite of what happened. Carmella made sure to make her presence known for the match on SmackDown and ultimately played a big role in Liv Morgan's downfall.

A distraction from Carmella led to Vega picking up the sneak victory over Liv Morgan on SmackDown. It was a jaw-dropping decision, especially given the level of popularity that Liv Morgan has with the WWE Universe.

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#2 Best: The handling of Naomi on SmackDown

Naomi has long been one of the most underutilized stars on the SmackDown roster. It's been a while since she has been involved in a proper storyline, but that streak seems to have ended.

Naomi's weekly clash with Sonya Deville seems to be no coincidence. This week on SmackDown, Naomi came out for an open challenge, only for the WWE Official to block her again.

Naomi then challenged Sonya Deville to a match, with the latter claiming she would wipe the floor with the former SmackDown Women's Champion.

It seems as though Naomi will be the first woman to welcome Sonya Deville back into the ring after more than 13 months away. It's a fitting storyline, and it does justice to Naomi, who should ideally be one of the main stars of the SmackDown Women's division.