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If you were expecting an action-packed episode of SmackDown on its Season Premiere, then that is exactly what the company delivered on the show’s first outing on Friday Night.
Beginning the show with two of the biggest Superstars to have walked the ring, to closing the night with one of the biggest surprises the company has delivered all year, the creative team knew exactly what needed to be done to make the first night of SmackDown on FOX a huge success.
While only the WWE Championship was on the line during the night, the company did fairly well in building other championship matches which will either be held at Hell in a Cell or on a show after the event.
Other than that, the company also teased a match between The Monster Among Men and a top superstar from another sport, which could result in a big match for the company.
With all that in mind, we will take a look at the 5 things the company got just right on the Season Premiere of SmackDown on FOX.
#5 Finally gave the Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan alliance some spotlight
After Erick Rowan revealed that he was the mastermind behind the attacks on Roman Reigns, fans weren’t thrilled at the prospect of watching Rowan and Roman compete for weeks to come. However, Luke Harper’s addition to the rivalry at Clash of Champions made things a little better, and things got even better when Rowan’s former partner Daniel Bryan got into the mix.
While not a single person would complain about having Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan in the same match, their alliance did not make much sense to the WWE Universe as the company did not invest much time in it.
This week on SmackDown, WWE finally looked to fill that void, as Roman Reigns took on Rowan once again, this time in a Lumberjack match. As the odds began to rise against Reigns, Bryan came to the rescue from the announce table and helped his future partner pick up the victory.
This added a nice little touch to their otherwise non-existent partnership and gives the match scheduled for Hell in a Cell between the teams of Rowan & Harper and Roman & Bryan has much more credibility than before.
#4 Allowed Kevin Owens to “Fire” Shane McMahon
This feud came to an end after a long build-up, but the ending was exactly what the fans were hoping for. Shane McMahon had taken over our screens since Crown Jewel 2018, and after winning the Best in the World title, had been haunting the WWE Universe with his antics.
After running through The Miz and Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens took the responsibility of eradicating Shane’s deadly virus from our television screens.
With both men’s futures at stake in the ladder match on this week’s SmackDown, Owens took the fight to Shane from the opening bell. The highlight of the match saw Shane deliver a Coast-to-Coast into a ladder to Owens, while KO took his revenge by planting McMahon with a powerbomb into another ladder.
Finally, Owens climbed the ladder to retrieve the briefcase to a huge pop from the WWE Universe. KO got a chance to exclaim “You’re Fired” to Shane before delivering a huge Stunner to Vince McMahon's son, which added a good touch to the entire rivalry.
Fans can now hope that Kevin Owens will become one of the top stars of SmackDown going forward and continue to battle in more meaningful feuds like this.
#3 Gave Braun Strowman the Big Show treatment
The Season Premiere of SmackDown on FOX prompted Braun Strowman to bring out his most fashionable pants to ensure he remained in the spotlight throughout the night.
However, it was a confrontation with WBC Heavyweight Boxing Champion Tyson Fury that made Strowman’s quest even easier.
Before the match between the teams of Braun Strowman, The Miz, and Heavy Machinery vs Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton could begin, Strowman got into a brief staredown with Fury. After planting Ziggler with a running power slam and picking up the win for his team, Strowman seemed to be in the line of fire from Fury as he hopped the guardrail, but was restrained by security and officials.
This little segment could very well result in a match between Strowman and Fury down the line.
This angle reminded fans of the several moments Big Show had with big men belonging to other sports. Be it Shaquille O'Neal or Floyd Mayweather, Show has rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest sportsmen the world has ever seen.
Similarly, it seems like WWE will be planning to use Strowman in a similar role for some time as he has failed at nearly every championship opportunity but remains a huge hit with the crowd.
#2 Gave Becky Lynch another A-list moment
You know you’ve become a huge star when you belong to one brand, but get to kick things off on another during a radical transition.
While it would have made perfect sense for The Rock to become the first Superstar to enter SmackDown’s newest ring, it was RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch who was given the opportunity to do so.
While it seemed like Becky had a lot to say to the WWE Universe, the King of WWE decided it was time to interrupt The Man.
King Corbin got in Becky’s way, but The Rock made an electrifying entrance and joined Becky in talking down Corbin, making the 2019 King of the Ring winner feel like nothing more than an enhancement talent.
A People’s Elbow and a Rock Bottom ended Corbin’s misery, as Becky and The Rock stood tall in the middle of the ring. This segment felt something like a ‘passing the torch’ kind of moment, as the man who became synonymous with the SmackDown brand put over a female Superstar who has broken the norms in WWE.
Becky deserved this moment, especially at a time when she’s at a threat of losing her RAW Women’s Championship, as the hype and build can help her maintain her image even after losing the title.
#1 Introduced Brock Lesnar’s biggest nightmare
It took years for Kofi Kingston’s dreams to materialize into KofiMania, but it took mere seconds for Brock Lesnar to break that dream into two. Even though fans didn’t seem thrilled at the booking or the result, it was interesting to see that WWE turned Lesnar’s win into a living nightmare.
Monday Night RAW saw Lesnar brutally attack Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik, and fans expected the masked legend to interfere in the match and help Kofi retain his title. While Mysterio couldn’t help Kofi, he did bring someone in who could help him exact his own revenge and make Lesnar pay for what he did.
Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez made his way out with Mysterio, and attacked Lesnar straight away, leaving the WWE Champion to scurry to the sanctuary of the arena floor.
Cain was the man who unseated Lesnar in UFC, and we could very well see him do that same to The Beast in WWE. While fans were expecting another boring reign from Lesnar as the Champion after defeating Kofi in 10 seconds, they’re now excited at the thought of watching Cain and Lesnar compete in their very own ring.
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