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With only one WWE Superstar who appeared at Crown Jewel in the country for tonight's SmackDown after "several aircraft problems" stranded the rest of the roster in Saudi Arabia, WWE called in reinforcements in the form of many NXT Superstars.
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar kicked off SmackDown as the only Superstar who appeared at last night's show in Saudi Arabia. Daniel Bryan, The Miz, and Sami Zayn were the only other male Superstars on the show - but Triple H and Shawn Michaels would appear shortly after Brock Lesnar quit the Blue brand to head for RAW before SmackDown showcased several of the Black and Gold brand's hottest stars.
Well, The Game has now spoken out on Twitter following the show, to say, "Tonight we showed the world WE ARE NXT" before calling out RAW and SmackDown, and plugging NXT on the USA Network.
Which NXT Superstars appeared on SmackDown?
We didn’t need to wait too long to see our first NXT Superstar of the night. NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler attacked SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley following her successful title defense, before Matt Riddle and Keith Lee would make a beeline for Sami Zayn, chasing the Underdog from the Underground to the ring following a backstage segment.
Tommaso Ciampa secured a clean victory against The Miz before Bianca Belair ambushed Dana Brooke and Carmella backstage. Rhea Ripley and Tegan Nox then made their way out to the ring and fought against Fire & Desire.
The main event would see Adam Cole defending his NXT Championship against Daniel Bryan, before all of the NXT Superstars reprised back in the ring with a few additions, while Triple H made a battle cry.
Why rope in NXT Superstars?
Well, because there was no other option, quite simply. A depleted roster meant NXT had to save the day, and they really used the opportunity to put a spotlight on their brand.
A statement was released earlier on WWE.com, stating that several WWE Superstars were left stranded in Saudi Arabia and would be unable to make it to SmackDown. The reason given was that "several aircraft problems" including "mechanical issues" caused a six-hour delay.
Several Superstars arranged their own separate charter to try and make it to SmackDown, but that flight would only land in the States as Cole and Bryan were fighting for the NXT Championship in the main event. The second flight is said to have just recently taken off
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