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From an interesting series of Survivor Series qualifying matches to Sasha Banks and Bayley's huge title rematch, this week's edition of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.
Roman Reigns and Jey Uso's storyline eclipses each and every aspect of WWE's programming across multiple brands, which is why SmackDown feels like an entertaining show despite a few questionable moments that crop up on the Blue brand outside of the Universal title scenario.
Survivor Series is inching closer with each passing week, and apart from the traditional matchups, both RAW and SmackDown haven't done much to build up a storyline for the top title cross-branded bouts.
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 (November 6, 2020).
#5: Ruby Riott qualified for the WWE SmackDown women's Survivor Series team
Bianca Belair was the first woman to qualify for the Blue brand's women's Survivor Series team. Belair defeated Natalya and Billie Kay in a triple threat match to secure her spot.
Natalya received one more chance to earn a spot on Team SmackDown in another triple threat match which also featured Ruby Riott and Zelina Vega. When Natalya was about to win the match by applying a Sharpshooter hold on Vega, Riott executed her own submission on Andrade's former manager.
The Queen of Harts let go of the submission at the wrong time, and Zelina Vega tapped out while Riott had Vega still locked up in her hold.
Ruby Riott deserves this opportunity, and one may even question whether Liv Morgan will also get a similar opportunity for WWE Survivor Series. Either way, this is Ruby Riott's moment to shine on the main roster.
Natalya has received two separate qualifying matches to join Team SmackDown, and she has failed on both occasions. Over on WWE RAW, the situation is a bit strange since only Lana had to qualify to earn a spot on Team RAW, unlike the rest of her teammates.
#4: Lars Sullivan cut a strange promo on WWE SmackDown; Street Profits tried to trick Big E into revealing The New Day's secrets
Aside from the big feuds on WWE SmackDown, fans witnessed some unusual backstage segments and promos regarding the Blue brand's secondary storylines.
Lars Sullivan may have tried his best to get through an interview with Michael Cole, but the script for this segment was just all over the place.
Sullivan went from being a figure who wanted sympathy to a person who made people eat weird things just to exercise his power over others. Sullivan put too much energy into coming across as a scary individual, but the bizarreness of the text just made it all too silly for an average viewer.
On the other hand, Big E's backstage segment with The Street Profits was intentionally comical, as all Superstars involved broke into a fit of awkward laughter when Big E denied them any insider information regarding The New Day. The whole situation was further complimented by Billie Kay offering her resume to The Street Profits.
It was good to see that mid-card segments like these have been building up towards WWE Survivor Series, while top players across both brands haven't addressed the event in a major way so far.
#3: The men's qualifying matches for WWE Survivor Series were overshadowed by a heavy dose of Mysterio family drama
Rey Mysterio faced King Corbin in SmackDown's qualifying match for WWE Survivor Series. Dominik Mysterio stood by his father's corner this week, and Seth Rollins showed up during Rey Mysterio's bout against Corbin.
It wasn't easy for Rey Mysterio to keep track of his family and focus on Corbin at the same time. When Aalyah Mysterio appeared along with Murphy, it was a distraction big enough for Corbin to capitalize on the opportunity and hit an End of Days on his opponent for the victory.
Later in the night, Seth Rollins wrestled Otis to earn a spot on Team SmackDown for WWE Survivor Series. Towards the end, Otis had gained an advantage, but Murphy distracted Otis so that his former Messiah could win the match.
This was quite unexpected since most fans had expected Murphy to continue being a babyface. Seth Rollins caught up with Murphy backstage and appeared to be in high spirits about their potential reunion.
Aalyah Mysterio wasn't happy with Murphy, but the latter assured her that she needs to trust him with this one. It looks like Murphy has laid a trap for Rollins, and this plot point gives fans enough reason to tune back in next week, no matter how ridiculous this premise may have become.
#2: Sasha Banks defeated Bayley in a hard-fought rematch on WWE SmackDown and received her future challenge through an ambush by Carmella
After Sasha Banks and Bayley's critically-acclaimed WWE Hell in a Cell Match, The Role Model challenged the new SmackDown Women's Champion to a rematch that went down this week.
Although this particular confrontation between Bayley and Sasha Banks wasn't as iconic as their Hell in a Cell clash for obvious reasons, it was still a great match in its own right.
Banks managed to tap out Bayley, which effectively brought an end to their long-term storyline in WWE. But several other women are waiting in line to earn a shot at the SmackDown Women's Championship, and it was Carmella who capitalized on the opportunity and attacked Sasha Banks after the match was over.
This is Carmella's first major feud after she debuted her 'Untouchable' gimmick several weeks ago, and it seems like she's headed straight to the top.
Sasha Banks may finally get to hold the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship for a long period of time, which indicates that Carmella might not end up being the winner of their upcoming feud.
#1: Roman Reigns controlled the narrative and gave Jey Uso an opportunity to wipe out Kevin Owens in the main event of WWE SmackDown
Critics often say that the little things in WWE and pro wrestling matter a lot, and the Anoa'i family arc captured the essence of that very statement during this week's SmackDown.
Although Jey Uso has aligned himself with Roman Reigns, the Universal Champion made it clear that he was the one in control. Paul Heyman perfectly portrayed his role as the special counsel to The Tribal Chief this week. Uso wasn't allowed to be in unauthorized interviews, and Kevin Owens' harmless dig at Jey Uso's new role did enough to flare up Reigns' ego.
Reigns pulled some strings to schedule a match between Owens and Uso in the main event. Both competitors are supposed to be a part of the same team at WWE Survivor Series, but Roman Reigns made sure that Jey Uso would be winning this match in the end, thanks to a set of distractions planted carefully at separate points during the main event.
It was in character for Roman Reigns to control the narrative, similar to what a mafia boss would do in any fictional movie. Daniel Bryan and Kevin Owens may team up in an attempt to squash The Tribal Chief's threat, building up to the TLC pay-per-view.
Do catch Sportskeeda 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.
