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WWE SmackDown had an entertaining show planned for fans this week that only had a couple of drawbacks. The subtleties in the story-telling accounted for an interesting episode. With Bianca Belair sending a solid message to Becky Lynch and Sami Zayn advising Dominik to stop relying on his father, we saw a lot unfold on the show.
Here, we look at some of the biggest flops and hits from WWE SmackDown's go-home show before Extreme Rules. So, without further ado, let's begin.
#1 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Montez Ford shines in the main event against Roman Reigns
WWE SmackDown trusted Montez Ford with the main event spot this week, and the Street Profits member put in a great shift at work. It all started during a backstage segment in which Ford was being interviewed about his upcoming title match against The Usos at Extreme Rules. He made fun of Roman Reigns and The Usos and labeled the tag team champions as "Bloodline's B****."
This didn't sit well with the Tribal Chief, who demanded a match against Ford, giving us an unexpected main event. Roman Reigns has had a great week so far. He delivered an impressive performance at RAW on Monday, which allowed him to pick up two wins on the show. Reigns was once again entertaining in his match on WWE SmackDown, but the night belonged to his opponent.
Ford pushed the Universal Champion to his limits throughout their in-ring bout. He was intense in his story-telling and smart with his maneuvers – something we don't usually see in Reigns' opponents. But the Street Profits member was innovative during his match on WWE SmackDown and genuinely looked tough against Reigns despite the evident difference in their size.
One particular spot in the match saw Montez Ford trying to climb to the top of the announcement desk in an attempt to attack Reigns from behind. Unfortunately, the table was dismantled as soon as Ford stepped on it. He didn't let that affect the flow and chose to execute his maneuver from the top of the steel steps. It was impressive to see how he made the call in the blink of an eye which speaks volumes about his wrestling prowess.
Despite losing, Montez Ford's performance this week undoubtedly elevated his credibility in viewers' eyes and, hopefully, the WWE SmackDown higher-ups backstage. Following the match, Roman Reigns and The Usos laid out a brutal attack on Ford to make a statement, but they were stopped in the tracks by "Demon" Finn Balor, who made a surprise appearance in the show's closing moments.
He launched a convincing attack on Bloodline and got the better of the champions, adding hype to his upcoming title match in the process. Unfortunately, Balor getting the upper hand on WWE SmackDown's final show before Extreme Rules could also mean he is not winning on Sunday.
#2 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Kevin Owens booking on the show
WWE SmackDown's creative team has been extremely unfair to Kevin Owens lately. Earlier this year, the former Universal Champion pushed Roman Reigns to his limit, tore the house down with Sami Zayn, and was instrumental in getting Baron Corbin's 'broke' character over with the crowd. In return, he has been rewarded with being pushed into underwhelming segments with Logan Paul, canceled matches against Corbin, and an overall weak booking on the show.
This week, KO intended to punish Corbin for his past actions but was subjected to an unprecedented attack at the hands of Riddick Moss. Unless WWE SmackDown plans to use these segments to push Kevin Owens further, they risk losing one of their best performers to AEW.
The Canadian Superstar is one of the few people on the roster who can work well with any script handed to him. However, his current run resembles the one that Dean Ambrose had during his final couple of months in WWE. The promotion now has until January to fix this mistake as that's when his contract will end. If Owens decides to move to AEW and reunite with his old friends, can anyone really blame him?
#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Shinsuke Nakamura defends his Intercontinental Championship
This week on WWE SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura put his Intercontinental Championship on the line against Apollo Crews. Both superstars delivered good performances in a well-balanced title rematch. Crews looked tremendous as a challenger, which helped add more credibility to Nakamura's successful title defense. Considering that WWE has scheduled their annual Draft for next week, this might be Crews' final attempt to win the title.
An interesting spot in the match saw Commander Azeez trying to run interference but was brilliantly taken out of the equation by Rick Boogs. They delivered an epic suplex at ringside. Although Nakamura hasn't done much on WWE SmackDown since winning the title, he was nearly flawless in the match tonight. We hope that he will be involved in more intense feuds moving forward.
#4 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. meet potential new challengers
WWE SmackDown hosted newly crowned women's tag team champions Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. this week. They won the title on RAW after defeating Natalya and Tamina. The latter didn't win a title rematch with the Blue brand, but we saw Nikki and Natalya lock horns in a promising encounter. The one-half of the women's tag team champions eventually picked up a victory and made a big statement.
However, their celebration was cut short by Tegan Nox and Shotzi, who made a brief yet impactful appearance on WWE SmackDown. They hit the champions with their missile in their signature fashion. Nox and Shotzi made an impressive debut when they defeated former champions Natalya and Tamina in a non-title match. They have looked strong and will make for interesting challengers against Ripley and Nikki.
#5 Flop/Hit on WWE SmackDown: Naomi doesn't get a match, Zelina Vega gets a win
After weeks of backstage arguments on WWE SmackDown, Naomi finally managed to get near the ring but to no use. Sonya Deville refused to give her a match and got security officials to escort the former champion out of the arena.
Now, it appears that the creative team are building towards a feud between Naomi and Deville, but the latter has repeatedly said that she is no longer a competitor. If this feud is not on the cards, maybe it would be better to include Naomi in the Bloodline alongside Roman Reigns and The Usos. After all, no one says no to the Tribal Chief.
The good thing is that WWE SmackDown at least put a decent effort into booking the women's division. Liv Morgan faced Zelina Vega in a good match, with the latter picking up her first victory in more than a year. This loss might also mean that Morgan will go all out against Carmella at Extreme Rules. We hope to see the writers invest more in pushing her to be one of the better challengers for the women's championship on the Blue brand.
