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Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown marked the return of fans for live shows. Top superstars unleashed a different side of themselves to set the tone for the post-ThunderDome era in WWE. Vince McMahon also addressed the crowd, but it was limited to a simple six-worded question, “Where the hell have you been?” It is safe to say that the promotion hit the road in an epic fashion.
In this article, we will take a look at the hits and flops from the latest edition of WWE SmackDown.
#4 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Historic match featuring Roman Reigns and Edge
The opening match of this week’s WWE SmackDown witnessed a historic Six-Man Tag Team match. It was the first match of the post-ThunderDome era and was met with an epic response from the live audience. The match saw Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso teaming up to take on Edge, Rey Mysterio, and Dominik Mysterio.
The match was well-balanced between both the teams. All six superstars took turns asserting their in-ring dominance on WWE SmackDown. Reigns and Edge focused on each other for most of the match while The Usos kept an eye out for Rey and Dominik Mysterio.
It was a big night for Roman Reigns as he finally had the opportunity to present his heel persona in front of a live audience. Yes, he previously did that at WrestleMania earlier this year, but it was a one-off encounter. Things are different this time, and he did well in the test on WWE SmackDown tonight. He fetched a mixed reaction from the crowd, which works for him at the moment.
Those who cheer for him acknowledge his performance, while those who boo prove that he is doing well in portraying a convincing heel on WWE SmackDown. It was great to see Reigns look commanding inside the ring. The match also gave us a few spots in which the Universal Champion, alongside The Usos, crafted entertaining spots that gave us a taste of their in-ring dominance as a group.
The match's closing moments saw Jey Uso pin Rey Mysterio for a win. Following the match, all six superstars were involved in a brawl. Despite losing the match, Edge managed to stand tall after using chairs and their parts to dismantle Roman Reigns and his entourage on WWE SmackDown.
The Rated-R Superstar needed this momentum ahead of his Universal Championship match against Reigns at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Edge admitted that he wouldn't shy away from playing manipulative mind games to secure his win.
Additionally, it was also confirmed tonight that The Usos would challenge Rey and Dominik Mysterio for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships on Sunday night. Could we see all three members of The Bloodline walk out of the event with a title?
#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Finn Balor’s return
Finn Balor accounted for one of the best surprises on WWE SmackDown this week. He returned to the main roster tonight after nearly two years. Balor had moved to NXT in 2019, where he also introduced the WWE Universe to his heel persona, "The Prince".
He enjoyed a great run on the Black and Gold brand and even won the NXT Championship again. Balor went on a two-month hiatus after losing the title to Karrion Kross before finally returning on the Blue brand tonight.
Balor interrupted Sami Zayn while the latter was busy complaining about how everyone is unjust to him on WWE SmackDown. He walked down to the ring and soon laid a vicious attack on Zayn. Balor then stood in the middle of the squared circle, confidently striking his pose, as the crowd loudly cheered for him.
Finn Balor sent a strong message to the rest of the WWE SmackDown roster. Fans are excited to see what's in store for him upon his return to the main roster. We hope that the creative team will continue to book him as a dominant superstar on the Blue brand. His recent run on NXT was nothing short of brilliant, and WWE should look to continue investing in that character.
Hopefully, this time around, the creative team will trust him with the biggest rivalries on WWE SmackDown. Finn Balor deserves to be a part of good storylines, and a superstar of his caliber can undoubtedly carry significant title feuds.
#2 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Kevin Owens
In the main event of tonight’s WWE SmackDown, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Big E locked horns in a Fatal Four-Way Match. It was a brilliant match featuring four superstars who have already qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder match. Their in-ring encounter undoubtedly gave us a glimpse of the action that awaits us on Sunday.
All four superstars looked determined to retain complete control over the in-ring action. Although Rollins eventually won the match, Kevin Owens emerged as the best performer in the highly-entertaining main event.
He successfully worked the crowd right from his entrance on WWE SmackDown. He also hit Baron Corbin with a Stunner when the latter tried to insult Owens’ outfit in a sad attempt to get financial help.
KO dominated all his opponents but also took his fair share of punishment on WWE SmackDown. He then crafted a jaw-dropping moment when he hit Nakamura with a flying elbow off the top of a huge ladder. Both KO and the Japanese star went through the announce desk while the crowd stood in disbelief. The reaction to this spot showed why we missed fans during live shows.
#1 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Bianca Belair’s successful title defense
This week on WWE SmackDown, Bianca Belair put her women’s championship on the line against Carmella. It was a good match, and the champion did well in delivering a credible performance. The challenger came across as a legitimate threat on multiple occasions, and this could work out well for Carmella on the Blue brand.
Belair and Carmella kickstarted things slowly, but the champion was quick to gain control. She relied on her brute strength to keep Carmella from attacking for an extended period.
Belair eventually resorted to using her hair, but her challenger had seemingly done the homework before the title match on WWE SmackDown. She was successful in escaping several brutal blows while managing to land a few of her own.
In the end, Belair hit a picturesque Kiss of Death to seal her victory and retained her WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship. It wasn’t her best title defense, but she certainly needed to face someone new in a title feud. If not for Bayley’s unfortunate injury, Belair would have had to defend her title at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
#1 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Cesaro’s underwhelming victory
This week on WWE SmackDown, Cesaro returned to in-ring action as he was scheduled to face Otis in a singles match. Although The Swiss Superman was eventually declared the winner, the entire booking was quite underwhelming. He won the match via disqualification after Chad Gable entered the ring and delivered a German Suplex.
Even before that, Cesaro barely had any chance to land an offense while facing Otis. It was odd to see him in this manner after his incredible performance last week. The Alpha Academy member threw Cesaro all around the ring while the latter could only hit back with a few uppercuts. Just as he started to build momentum, Gable interfered, and the match came to an end on WWE SmackDown.
Cesaro has worked hard throughout the ThunderDome era and is clearly over with the crowd. It would be unfair to kill his push right when the fans return. His loss wouldn’t look so bad if at least he gets enough time to showcase his mettle during a match. A well-balanced encounter could have added more credibility to Otis’ dominance.
Hopefully, Cesaro will be a part of a better booking on WWE SmackDown in the future.
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