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The overnight ratings for the latest episode of SmackDown have been released. The show featured appearances from Vince McMahon, Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar.
This week's show emanated from the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Spoiler TV reported that the blue brand garnered an average of 2.274 million viewers. It's up from last week's average of 1.803 million.
The first hour drew 2.186 million viewers, while a staggering 2.362 million viewers tuned in during the second hour. The broadcast picked up a 0.55 rating in the key 18-49 demographic.
Roman Reigns defended the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on SmackDown
Vince McMahon kicked off SmackDown, welcoming fans in attendance. Riddle came down to the ring next and announced his intentions to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He reminded fans of Randy Orton's achievements inside the squared circle and vowed to win the title for him.
Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin faced off in the Last Laugh Match. Moss was at his best in front of his hometown crowd as he planted the Happy Superstar with two successive Punch Lines to pick up the win. After the match, Pat McAfee and the Minneapolis crowd laughed Corbin out of the arena.
The New Day was in action against Jinder Mahal and Shanky. As the match ensued, the seven-footer chopped Kofi Kingston down to size. However, Xavier Woods blared some tunes on his trombone, forcing The Skyscraping Superstar to break into dance moves. Mahal tagged himself in and got planted by the Trouble in Paradise, allowing Kofi to pick up the win for his team.
In another segment, Adam Pearce announced that Drew McIntyre and Sheamus had qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match. In another qualifying match for the premium live event, Raquel Rodriguez beat Shayna Baszler as Lacey Evans looked on from commentary.
The main event saw Roman Reigns in his first title defense since WrestleMania. Riddle brought the fight to Reigns. The Original Bro kicked out of the Superman Punch and even landed an RKO for a nearfall. However, he got caught in mid-air by a vicious Spear from The Tribal Chief, bringing the contest to an end.
Soon after, Brock Lesnar made a return and took down The Bloodline with a series of F5s, sending a clear message to the stable that he wanted the title back.
It was one of the best SmackDown episodes in recent memory, setting the stage for this year's SummerSlam main event between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
