'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
SmackDown's go-home edition to TLC 2020 was successful in building the anticipation for this Sunday's PPV event.
The Kevin Owens-Roman Reigns-Jey Uso saga turned even better this week with The Bloodline doing their all to put down the challenger, but Owens ensuring us that nothing can hold him down for long. The match between Reigns and Owens promises to be a brutal affair this Sunday.
On the other hand, Carmella showed some terrific character work on tonight's show hyping up her clash with SmackDown's Women's Champion, Sasha Banks.
The Street Profits defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championship against the team of Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler in an entertaining bout, while Bianca Belair and Bayley locked horns for the first time.
So without any further delays, let's dive into this episode of SmackDown and check out the developments that are bound to get people talking.
#5 Roman Reigns and Jey Uso brutalize Owens on SmackDown
In the final build-up to their clash at TLC 2020, Kevin Owens made his way to the ring to open this week's episode of SmackDown. He advised his family not to watch TLC as he doesn’t want them to see what he’ll do to Roman Reigns this Sunday.
Owens is clearly at the top of his game here, with his intensity on the mic being at the highest level throughout the feud. With many predicting The Tribal Chief to come out on top at TLC, KO is going his bit to keep the fans hooked on to the match.
Owens walked into a trap laid by Reigns and Uso during the initial stages of tonight's episode. The Prizefighter made his way back to the ring to confront Reigns but was attacked from behind by the former Tag Team Champion. The two men then brutalized Owens and KO was subjected to more assaults throughout the night.
The closing segment saw Reigns and Uso brutalize Owens yet again by burying him under a pile of chairs, ladders, and broken tables. However, KO refused to stay down and delivered an incredible promo to close the show.
It would be exciting to see how things pan out at TLC 2020, as the odds look stacked against Owens. However, with the way this week's SmackDown ended, KO does retain an outside chance and could pull off a massive win this Sunday.
#4 Bianca Belair loses to Bayley on SmackDown in controversial fashion
The outcome of this match was frustrating, to say the least. Yes, the loss wasn’t entirely clean, but it undermines the push Bianca Belair has received of late on SmackDown. Why make her lose on a random episode of SmackDown? What purpose does it serve?
The only thing it can potentially lead to is a win at a PPV for Belair over Bayley as we can expect both women to go on a long feud.
While the match itself was great, it should have ended differently. Even a trope like disqualification or countout would have worked better in this context. An outside interference could have helped as well to protect Belair.
We can expect WWE to reverse this damage by getting Bianca Belair win her feud with the former two-time SmackDown Women's Champion, before she heads into the title picture against Banks or Carmella. With that being said, tonight's match should have had a better ending that would have protected Belair.
#3 Carmella has another standout performance on SmackDown
Carmella put up yet another terrific performance on this week’s episode of SmackDown. The way she’s handling her rather character deserves a lot of praise as many fans have voiced their displeasure at her new gimmick.
From bragging about her costly champagne to already being sure about the result of the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at TLC, Mella is having one hell of a run, which could culminate in her winning the title this Sunday.
Despite reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks trying to ruin her night, Carmella had the last laugh. Striking Banks with a champagne bottle for the second week in a row, Mella is all-set to enter TLC 2020 as the one with the psychological advantage.
While WWE could be criticized for booking Banks look weak on TV, the plan has been successful in building Carmella as a viable contender for the Women’s title. There’s not a lot we can complain about here, honestly, except for the fact that segments like these must also ensure that the champion is presented strongly.
Banks taking the beating on consecutive weeks also suggests that we may be in for the champion retaining her title at TLC 2020
#2 Otis and Gable continue to excel on SmackDown with their chemistry
Yes, a former Royal Rumble winner, one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, Shinsuke Nakamura, lost clean to Otis of all people, in under three minutes on SmackDown.
Moving on, the match and the following segment did progress the story of Otis and Gable finding their touch as team rather nicely.
While Nakamura and Otis could have done better if allotted some more time, they achieved what was required. Gable asking the former MITB briefcase holder to execute a Suplex instead of his Signature Caterpillar elbow and later telling Otis that he should not have listened to him was interesting. It also helped his new gimmick shine through on tonight's show.
It'll be intriguing to see if this unlikely duo gets a tag team title shot soon as the SmackDown tag division is thin with only a handful of teams. The duo could find themselves tangling with Cesaro and Nakamura for a few weeks to come until they are put under the spotlight.
#1 The Street Profits retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships in an uncharacteristic way
Considering this title match took place on an episode of SmackDown, it was expected the ending to not be a clean one. After a hard-fought battle that was mostly dominated by the challengers, Montez Ford secured the win for his team by grabbing the tights of Roode and rolling him up for a pinfall.
Both Roode and Ziggler later blamed the referee for their loss, to which the official responded by threatening to suspend the two.
There’s more to this rivalry. It was Roode and Ziggler, until now, who managed to win by using underhand tactics. This week, however, the tables were turned and it was The Street Profits who adopted a similar strategy to retain the titles.
SmackDown creative did a good job here as they have built an interesting dynamic that could come into play in their future matches. While The Street Profits have been dominant Champions, they haven't had interesting feuds till now.
This could set up for a potential heel turn down the line and they can engage in a feud with an up and coming team like Gable and Otis over the titles.
