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From an excellent triple threat match to Edge and Bianca Belair's post-Royal Rumble segments, this week's edition of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.
The Blue brand put on an enjoyable episode to some extent, even if RAW was the more newsworthy show this week. Surprisingly, that was the case even though Hulk Hogan made a small cameo during this episode.
The Road to WrestleMania has just begun, so one can't just expect WWE to give away a ton of major plot points at the moment. With that being said, let's hope that SmackDown kicks into full gear from next week onwards.
Which show was better this week, RAW or SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE SmackDown (February 5, 2021).
#5 Bayley picked up a much-needed victory on WWE SmackDown, thanks to Billie Kay's unintentional distraction
Billie Kay was one of the most exciting aspects of the Women's Royal Rumble, and it looks like her storyline with The Riott Squad isn't over yet.
Bayley's recent feud with Bianca Belair seems to have culminated on the Blue brand, as The EST of WWE moved on to bigger things after winning the Royal Rumble, and Bayley fought Ruby Riott in a one-on-one match this week.
Billie Kay was on commentary for the aforementioned bout, as she hasn't found her true purpose as a solo act in WWE. Bayley was the favorite to win here, and she gained a victory over Ruby Riott on this week's SmackDown.
But the finish of the match created further conflict between Billie Kay and The Riott Squad. The former star's involvement in the bout proved to be an unintentional distraction that benefited Bayley.
During the bout, Corey Graves also mentioned the possibility of a team-up between Billie and Bayley. This might indicate that Billie could turn heel. Otherwise, the storyline may proceed predictably, leading to a long-term alliance between the former IIconics member and The Riott Squad.
#4 Daniel Bryan put over Cesaro in another good match on WWE SmackDown
Cesaro gained two impressive victories on WWE SmackDown not too long ago, but the fans thought that it may not translate into a long-term plan for The Swiss Superman.
Even if one can't exactly determine what Cesaro's long-term plans will be at this point, WWE hasn't given up on the star yet. Things have been different on the Blue brand ever since Daniel Bryan earned some creative power, and Bryan has been way too generous in terms of putting over underutilized talents on WWE TV.
Cesaro had defeated Bryan recently, and the two fought each other in a rematch this week. In another good clash, The Swiss Cyborg was able to tap out Bryan with the help of a sharpshooter.
After the match was over, both men even showed respect to each other. It's not often that heel stars get involved in such scenarios, so one has to wonder if Cesaro is a babyface now.
Even though Daniel Bryan has been one of the most selfless idols in WWE today, there are a lot of fans who would like to see him embark on a Championship run once again.
Let's hope that other creative heads in WWE can recognize that dynamic and book the leader of the 'YES Movement' in a significant storyline on the Road to WrestleMania 37.
#3 Big E fought Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews in an excellent triple threat clash on WWE SmackDown
Big E put his WWE Intercontinental title on the line against Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews on this week's SmackDown.
Without a doubt, this one of the most exhilarating triple threat matches that WWE fans have seen in a while. The Intercontinental Championship bout was also the main event match of this week's episode, so it ended up being a huge step-up from the previous episode's overbooked main event.
Sami Zayn hasn't been booked like a credible competitor in a while, but the triple threat match showcased his true potential in the best way possible. The Conspiracy Theorist was able to hit Big E with a Helluva Kick for a potential victory, but Crews pulled out Zayn from the ring during the pinfall attempt.
Zayn was effectively eliminated from the equation when Crews tossed him over the barricade, but Big E got up on his feet in time to hit a Big Ending on Crews for the win.
Big E may have successfully retained his WWE Intercontinental title this week. Still, Sami Zayn will probably frame his own arc from the triple threat match as another conspiracy theory that was plotted against him.
#2 Bianca Belair was confronted by her potential WrestleMania opponent on WWE SmackDown
After winning the Women's Royal Rumble, Bianca Belair came out on WWE SmackDown to reflect on her victory and talk about WrestleMania 37.
As expected, Belair laid out her options, but she wouldn't choose to challenge for a specific title on this week's episode.
The EST of WWE was interrupted by Carmella's sommelier, Reginald. Reginald advised Belair to challenge for the RAW Women's Championship instead, as he thought that she could never defeat Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women's title.
Carmella entered the scene and got involved in a heated discussion with Belair before Sasha Banks came out and had a face-off with the 2021 Women's Royal Rumble winner. This triple threat situation ended with Belair attacking Reginald with her braid.
Now that Sasha and Belair's story has already been established, it would take something more significant for The EST of WWE to challenge Asuka instead.
Moreover, Carmella may get involved in a feud with Belair on the Road to WrestleMania 37, so it seems quite likely that the babyface will challenge The Legit Boss at The Show of Shows.
#1 Roman Reigns and Edge engaged in an intense war of words; Kevin Owens attacked Reigns at the end of WWE SmackDown
Edge has appeared on WWE RAW and NXT after winning the Men's Royal Rumble, so his intriguing faceoff with Roman Reigns on SmackDown was inevitable this week.
Even though all the signs indicate that Reigns and Edge will clash against each other at The Grandest Stage of Them All, WWE wants to extend Edge's final decision to create more scope for the Rated-R Superstar to appear on all three shows — RAW, NXT, and SmackDown.
The rules were a bit different on the Blue brand, as Roman Reigns practically ordered Edge to make a decision by the end of the night. The Rated-R Superstar didn't show up at the beginning of the episode on purpose, which impacted The Tribal Chief's ego throughout the night.
At the end of the episode, the two stars would have their faceoff, and it certainly felt like a high-stakes situation. Edge even pointed out the fact that he was outnumbered in this case, which prompted Reigns to order Jey Uso to head backstage.
This was a huge mistake, as Kevin Owens took the WWE Universal Champion by surprise and laid him out with a Stunner, and Uso wasn't there to help out his cousin as a result.
Even though Reigns and Owens have amazing in-ring chemistry with each other, their one-on-one rivalry may have run its course at this point. Instead of another singles match between the two, WWE could book a tag team match where Reigns and Uso could face Edge and Owens.
Before The Prizefighter ambushed The Tribal Chief on WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns almost forced Edge into choosing him as the WrestleMania opponent, and it felt like a scene straight out of Breaking Bad.
Of course, Edge did not look intimidated, and he wasn't forced to make a decision, thanks to Kevin Owens' arrival. Still, the huge potential for Edge vs. Reigns at WrestleMania became apparent this week.
Do catch SK Wrestling experts Rick Ucchino and Denise Salcedo as they share their thoughts on all that went down during last night's WWE SmackDown in the video linked above.
