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This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown revealed significant additions to the WrestleMania 37 match card. The Blue brand witnessed several top names confirm the respective in-ring battles that await them at the next pay-per-view. It also established the shocking heel turn of WWE legend after nearly ten years, and it can have major implications in a big title match scheduled for next month.
It was difficult to identify any superstar who ‘flopped’ on WWE SmackDown this week. There was barely a mistake during the show, and it was one of the most engaging editions of WWE SmackDown that we have seen in a while. Thus, this review will only feature names that impressed us with their performance last night.
#1 Daniel Bryan (fought for his title rematch on WWE SmackDown)
The opening segment of WWE SmackDown this week witnessed a passionate promo featuring Daniel Bryan. The five-time World Champion urged the viewers to think about his Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns at Fastlane. Bryan reminded everyone that the champion tapped out to him, and that stands as a fact even if Reigns eventually retained his championship.
Bryan then demanded a title rematch against Roman Reigns and refused to leave the ring until someone addressed his demands on WWE SmackDown. Adam Pearce walked out to negotiate some time to come up with a better decision, but he was soon interrupted by Edge. The Rated-R Superstar walked to the ring and confronted Bryan for asking for another shot at the title.
Edge argued that it is his opportunity, and he doesn’t want to share it with anyone else. This led to a brawl between the two superstars, and Edge attacked Bryan with a chair. Backstage on WWE SmackDown, Reigns saw everything unfold and warned Pearce to make a favorable decision. Finally, the main event of WWE SmackDown confirmed that Roman Reigns, Edge, and Daniel Bryan would lock horns in a triple-threat match at WrestleMania 37 with the Universal Championship on the line.
All three superstars immediately started attacking each other. Reigns took down Bryan, but Edge had a plan in place for the Universal Champion. He took down Reigns and even brutalized Jey Uso when the latter tried to save his Tribal Chief. Soon, Edge brought a chair and started hitting both Reigns and Bryan to confirm his heel turn on WWE SmackDown.
Adding Bryan to the Universal title match at WrestleMania 37 was a good decision. He has delivered several great matches and dedicated himself to uplifting underused talents on WWE SmackDown. More than anything, Bryan could be the only babyface heading into the Universal Championship at WrestleMania next month. It has put a lot of pressure on him, but Bryan is different from a traditional mold of challengers in WWE.
Instead, the creative have done well in booking Bryan as a smart babyface on WWE SmackDown. All three superstars now have a huge reason to walk out of WrestleMania with the title. Even without competing in a match, Bryan managed to double the excitement surrounding this title bout. It will be interesting to see who will emerge as a top favorite as we inch close to the next pay-per-view.
#2 Seth Rollins (continued his rivalry with Cesaro on WWE SmackDown)
After a long time on WWE SmackDown, Seth Rollins looked like his old self while playing a heel. Good matches, opportunistic blows, and well-times escapes used to be synonymous with his gimmick. This week, we saw glimpses of that on the Blue brand even though it was painted in The Messiah’s color.
Rollins delivered a great match against Shinsuke Nakamura. The two previously met at Fastlane, and Rollins had won that match. He did it again on WWE SmackDown, but this in-ring bout was more entertaining to match. Nakamura also deserves credit for putting forth brutal attacks that pushed Rollins to his limits during their encounter.
The final moments of the match saw Rollins deliver a stomp that helped him pick up a victory. He could barely celebrate his triumph before Cesaro walked out. The latter wanted to avenge the assault on him a couple of weeks ago and was determined to make Rollins pay for his actions. The Messiah managed to escape, but these two superstars will now meet for a much-awaited singles match at WrestleMania.
#3 Kevin Owens (confirmed his feud with Sami Zayn on WWE SmackDown)
Ever since Kevin Owens was drafted to WWE SmackDown, the fans have patiently waited for a storyline involving him and his real-life best friend, Sami Zayn. The two superstars work very well together, and it guarantees entertainment. Last week, we saw Zayn desperately trying to make Owens believe in his conspiracy theories.
When Owens refused to do that, Zayn attacked him with a Helluva kick. KO addressed the series of events on WWE SmackDown this week and asked Zayn to come out. Once both superstars came face to face, Owens demanded a match at WrestleMania, and Zayn agreed. As soon as it was confirmed, KO laid down a vicious attack on Zayn.
It appears that there is some truth to Zayn’s stories, and he will eventually convince Owens. But before these two superstars finally reunite to fight against a common enemy on WWE SmackDown, their paths will cross at WrestleMania. The WWE Universe is convinced that this is precisely the kind of booking that Zayn deserves on the show, and he can now show what everyone was missing.
#4 Apollo Crews (dominated the Intercontinental Champion on WWE SmackDown)
Apollo Crews is quickly turning into one of the most dominant heels on WWE SmackDown. This week, he teamed up with The Alpha Academy for a match against Big E and The Street Profits. It was an epic clash between some of the most hard-working superstars in WWE. Each of them played their path to perfection, but in the end, it was Apollo Crews who stood tall.
Crews looked strong against Big E, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford in the same match. He managed to get the upper hand in his interaction with all three superstars on WWE SmackDown. In the closing moments of the match, Otis and Chad Gable teamed up to take out Dawkins. Following that, Ford did a top rope dive to take out The Alpha Academy.
Back inside the ring, Crews was waiting for his opportunity. As soon as Big E got back on his feet, Crews lifted the Intercontinental Champion and slammed him into the mat. He then pinned Big E to win the match for his team. This was a dominant performance from Crews on WWE SmackDown that balanced his loss against Big E at Fastlane. It will be exciting to see what’s in store for the two superstars in the coming weeks.
#5 Bianca Belair (confronted Sasha Banks on WWE SmackDown)
This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown finally marked the beginning of the much-awaited feud between Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. The two are set to face each other at WrestleMania with Banks’ SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line. They also teamed up to challenge Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Tag Team Championships at Fastlane. After their loss at the pay-per-view, Banks had slapped Belair to show who is the leader.
Last night, she sat with the commentary team as Belair faced Natalya on WWE SmackDown. Belair was dominant right from the beginning of the match and managed to counter Natalya’s attacks. She also had a brief confrontation with Banks outside the ring, which ended with Belair slapping the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion to return the favor from Sunday.
Belair went back inside the ring and won her match against Natalya. But soon, Banks snuck up from behind and delivered a Backstabber. Both these superstars are brilliant performers and are now expected to engage in a brutal feud on WWE SmackDown. With Belair being booked as the top babyface, it will be interesting to see how Banks responds to her challenger over the coming weeks.
