5 things WWE SmackDown got right after Crown Jewel: Brock Lesnar suspended; Roman Reigns destroyed

SmackDown Superstars competed in some big matches at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. After a long journey back from the kingdom, the superstars were ready to entertain the fans once again on Friday night.

Roman Reigns was the first to come out of the show to gloat about his tainted victory at Crown Jewel. Drew McIntyre was next as he looked to make a statement on his return to the SmackDown brand.

Kofi Kingston held a coronation ceremony for the new King of WWE, Xavier Woods. Meanwhile, Mansoor and Mustafa Ali competed in another match on the show. The two men put on a good performance again before Mansoor picked up another victory.

Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura picked up a loss at the hands of Happy Corbin on Friday night. It looks like WWE will be putting Corbin in a title feud with Nakamura that could lead to a championship win for the heel.

The final segment of the night saw Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair swap their titles after being drafted to opposing brands. Let's take a look at the five things WWE got right on SmackDown after Crown Jewel.

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#5. Brock Lesnar lived up to his promise on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns came out on WWE SmackDown to celebrate his 417th day as the Universal Champion. He defeated Brock Lesnar with some help from The Usos and Paul Heyman at WWE Crown Jewel.

Like many fans, Reigns too was unsure whether Paul was really on his side or was scheming with Brock Lesnar. He questioned Heyman’s allegiances and talked him down. The Tribal Chief called himself the greatest Universal Champion of all time after smashing his competition.

He ran down the list of superstars he’s beaten and made fun of Lesnar. This brought Lesnar out on SmackDown.

The Beast Incarnate was furious and lived up to his word. He ran through Roman Reigns and The Usos to make a statement. Lesnar threw around all three men at ringside and everyone from the back had to come in and stop him.

The segment was extremely well done as it allowed Lesnar to show that he is still the most destructive force in WWE. Even though his loss at Crown Jewel could have been more protected, WWE did well to recover from the damage on SmackDown.

Roman Reigns has been phenomenal, and it looks like he can get ahead even without the services of his special counsel. However, it will be interesting to see which side Heyman chooses in the weeks to come.

#4. Adam Pearce suspended Brock Lesnar from WWE SmackDown

After running through The Bloodline on WWE SmackDown, Brock Lesnar stood tall with the Universal Championship held high. The Beast Incarnate made his intentions very clear right after Crown Jewel.

WWE Official Adam Pearce came out to announce that Lesnar would be indefinitely suspended from SmackDown for endangering the wellbeing of the WWE crew. The Beast Incarnate did not take Pearce’s words lightly and attacked him right away.

He hit the WWE official with two F-5's for good measure before walking away. This helped put an exclamation mark on the end of The Beast Incarnate’s short stay on SmackDown.

Lesnar had already announced that he would be working as a free agent. WWE could move him to RAW for some time and possibly get him in a rivalry against Big E for the WWE Championship.

That could turn out to be a great story as Lesnar was the one who took the title off Kofi Kingston not too long ago. Alternatively, he could make his return from the “indefinite suspension” and attack Roman Reigns on a pay-per-view.

SmackDown kicked off with the perfect pace and segment this week after Crown Jewel.

#3. Drew McIntyre announced his arrival on WWE SmackDown in style

Drew McIntyre hit the ring on WWE SmackDown to issue an open challenge to anyone in the back. The Scottish Warrior gave Big E a tough time at Crown Jewel but failed to win the WWE Championship.

To the surprise of many fans, loudmouth Sami Zayn answered McIntyre’s open challenge. The Conspiracy Theorist reminded the WWE Universe that he is the longest-tenured SmackDown Superstar and the “locker room leader.”

The two men locked up and Zayn tried to take control of the match early. The former WWE Champion fought back and hit a great neckbreaker to flatten Zayn. He prepared to hit the Claymore, but the heel rolled out of harm’s way.

Zayn then set up for the Blue Thunder Bomb, but McIntyre fought back. The latter delivered the Glasgow Kiss and followed it up with a thunderous Claymore to seal the win.

McIntyre is arguably the top superstar coming in from RAW to SmackDown. However, he will need a lot more build to get up to Roman Reigns’ level and challenge him for the Universal Championship.

WWE should keep him out of the title picture for some time and build him as an unstoppable force. This was a good start for him on SmackDown.

#2. Hit Row made an impactful debut on WWE SmackDown

Hit Row made a surprise move to WWE SmackDown from NXT during this year’s draft. A couple of weeks ago, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott lost his NXT North American Championship to Carmelo Hayes.

This Friday, he came out with Ashante “Thee” Adonis, B-Fab, and Top Dolla to cut a promo and announce Hit Row’s arrival on SmackDown.

Scott teamed up with Top Dolla to take on local talent Dustin Lawyer and Daniel Williams in a tag team match. Top Dolla showcased his strength and punished the two wrestlers.

Scott also got some offense in to showcase his skills to the WWE Universe. The Hit Row members delivered a combination finisher at the end of the match to pick up the win.

It was an exclamation point on the faction’s first main roster appearance on SmackDown. It looks like WWE is high on Top Dolla, and he could certainly become a major superstar for the company. Meanwhile, Scott has all the tools to make a splash in the mid-card scene.

WWE should also look to showcase B-Fab to a bigger audience by having her compete in a few matches before she challenges for the SmackDown Women's Championship at some point down the line.

#1. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch “swapped” their titles on WWE SmackDown

After successfully defending her WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship at Crown Jewel, Becky Lynch made her way to the show on Friday night. She took part in the final segment of the episode along with RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Sonya Deville joined them in the ring for a special Championship Exchange Ceremony. The idea did not create much impact as the titles seemed nothing more than props because of the switch.

The entire segment seemed a little too awkward as Becky first tried to grab Flair’s title and then threw hers' at The Queen. Soon after, Sasha Banks entered the ring arena to remind the two champions that she runs the SmackDown brand.

Lynch exited as Banks and Flair had a verbal exchange. It led to a brawl between the two women and The Boss dropped Flair with a Meteora.

The entire segment did not look too good, but Banks’ arrival made things much better. She did take the pin from Lynch on Thursday night but is still one of the most accomplished women on SmackDown.

Banks feels like the right opponent for Flair at this time. She could turn face and take down The Queen for the SmackDown Women’s Championship soon.

WWE also did well to plant the seeds for a possible match between Flair and Lynch at Survivor Series.