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It was the final SmackDown of February this week, which means that there is only one more month left on the road to WrestleMania. The main event of WrestleMania Sunday will be from the blue brand, and presumably for Saturday as well.
RAW has been great, but SmackDown has become the must-watch show on the road to WrestleMania. Here are the best and worst aspects of the show this week:
#3. Best: The main event segment on SmackDown
The main event of SmackDown this week featured a contract signing between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. Ahead of the show, it was officially announced that the Champion vs Champion, Title for Title, winner take all match would be a unification bout. This means that it won't be a Becky Lynch situation from 2019, where she won both titles and proceeded to lose one of them not long after.
It's interesting, but it won't be a popular decision. It seems clear that the plan is to give Roman Reigns his ultimate coronation in his sixth WrestleMania main event — and his third against Brock Lesnar.
It's clear that WWE is trying to build up this rivalry as the biggest of this generation, on par with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and The Rock. However, the true star power of both men will likely never compare to that of the two Attitude Era stars.
Either way, WWE has given this match the highest stakes imaginable to make it the biggest of their numerous bouts so far. It goes without saying that the biggest beneficiary will be Roman Reigns rather than Brock Lesnar.
But what will WWE do after unifying the titles? It seems to be a bad move on paper because of the two lucrative broadcasting deals that WWE has with the USA Network for RAW and FOX for SmackDown. The network executives would likely prefer exclusive rosters and each brand having its own world champion.
While it may not necessarily be the end of the brand split, we're more likely to see Roman Reigns defend the unified World Championship across both brands. We're not sure how long it will last, or whether it will be a good idea in the first place.
An alternate solution would be to elevate the United States and Intercontinental Championship. WWE has treated Damian Priest as the best US Champion in the last few years but not enough to make the title a substitute.
Either way, the segment on SmackDown was great and built a lot of anticipation for the match at WrestleMania.
#2. Worst: No other plans for Sasha Banks on SmackDown
Given that the SmackDown Women's title match for WrestleMania is set, it leaves no option for Sasha Banks. It certainly isn't going to be a triple threat match. This week, Sasha Banks returned for the first time since the Royal Rumble nearly a month ago to face her old rival Shotzi — who she beat with relative ease.
Naomi, a recent title challenger, was on commentary, and we soon discovered why. Post-match, she approached Sasha Banks and simply declared that they would pursue the Women's Tag Team Championships. It's clear that this was a last-minute plan for Banks as there isn't a better option at the moment.
It's unfortunate, but nothing can be done. Hopefully, Naomi will get to taste gold for the first time in five years alongside Sasha Banks.
#2. Best: Sami Zayn's feud with Johnny Knoxville
It's a bit bizarre that a celebrity is about to compete for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania and nobody is complaining about it. Johnny Knoxville has maintained his popularity and the audience was furious with Sami Zayn after he assaulted him with two Helluva Kicks.
It's unfortunate that a superstar on the roster won't be challenging for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania, but this is entertaining enough to create a great moment at the grandest stage of them all.
#1. Worst: Drew McIntyre's road to WrestleMania on SmackDown
Things aren't looking up for the Scottish star. Two years ago in 2020, Drew McIntyre was the Men's Royal Rumble winner and faced Brock Lesnar in the main event of WrestleMania 36. Last year, McIntyre faced Bobby Lashley in an unsuccessful attempt to win the WWE title. Even though he lost, it was a great spot to be in.
This year, however, it's as underwhelming as one can get. He is set to face Happy Corbin, who has been undefeated for a while now. They keep mentioning it since McIntyre is likely to beat the former US Champion at WrestleMania.
It's unfortunate since it has all the makings of a five-minute bout, similar to McIntyre's SummerSlam match against Jinder Mahal. Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss have been entertaining, but it simply isn't a big enough spot for the SmackDown warrior.
#1. Best: Xia Li's debut
After months of anticipation, teases, and vignettes, the debut of Xia Li on SmackDown finally happened. We're not exactly sure what took so long, and in that time, Li has assisted Aliyah and Naomi.
She took on veteran Natalya in her debut and it was a straightforward match that highlighted the Chinese star's strengths. She is an interesting and unique addition to the roster and could do well if handled accordingly.
She is certainly a marketable star, especially if WWE wants to expand in the Chinese market.
