WWE SmackDown Flops and Hits: Brock Lesnar steals the show, Former "brothers" in epic rivalry (3rd December 2021)

#2 Flop on WWE SmackDown: The Viking Raiders

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This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown saw The Viking Raiders face Los Lotharios in a tag team match. It was an extremely underwhelming bout, and no one came out of it looking strong. Angel and Humberto conveniently took Ivar out of the equation and gained the number’s advantage over Erik inside the ring.

Soon after, we saw Shinsuke Nakamura at ringside and Rick Boogs on top of the commentary desk, playing his guitar to distract Los Lotharios. The plan worked for barely a second as Angel quickly took advantage and pinned Ivar on the Friday night show.

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Nakamura and Boogs’ plans backfired, and The Viking Raiders walked out of the ring to confront the Intercontinental Champion and his ally. Instead, all four superstars started dancing together at ringside.

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While Pat McAfee’s brief dance on top of the chair was entertaining, this spot ended up compromising the credibility of everyone involved. The Viking Raiders, who were once the tag team champions, somehow get over a loss on SmackDown because the culprits played their theme song?

We understand that the creative team did not want to pit two babyfaces against each other, but it was still a colossal blunder to commit on the show.

Additionally, Shinsuke Nakamura is the reigning Intercontinental Champion. Wouldn’t it be better to have him involved in singles feuds with other top superstars on SmackDown who aren’t a part of the Universal Championship picture?

About the author

Shruti Sadbhav is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. With a triple major in Journalism, English Literature, and Psychology, she has always been drawn to writing. As an avid sports lover, writing about sports was the finest way to combine her passion with her prowess.

Whenever she writes, Shruti puts herself into the shoes of fans to see how she would appreciate an honest account of anything related to something she follows wholeheartedly with engaging and relevant information to cater to the readers' needs.

Shruti has seven years of experience. She previously worked as a content manager at Fox Sports Asia and as an assistant manager and digital marketer at Kickstart FC. Shruti previously worked in multiple roles in Sportskeeda, where she was a WWE features writer, editor, and content manager. She has over 40 million+ reads across all her writer profiles, giving her an immensely diverse audience across WWE and football.

When it comes to pro wrestling, Shruti does not particularly remember the first match she watched. However, she recalls accompanying her brother and getting hooked when she saw The Undertaker – a fascinating wrestler that she, like thousands of others, believed in.
Her views on pro wrestling evolved as she grew older and understood the intricacies of the business. This allows her to appreciate those who dedicate themselves to the craft and, once in a while, it does become what it has always been touted to be – magical. Her favorite wrestler is Finn Balor due to his persistence.

When she is not working as a writer, Shruti loves to read, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and let Manchester City dictate her weekend plans.

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Edited by Kaushik Das