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WWE SmackDown delivered a solid episode this week. Fans saw the biggest feuds undergo exciting developments as we inch closer to SummerSlam 2021. The show featured excellent matches, entertaining promos and had no weak performances.
We don’t shy away from criticizing the smallest mistakes in WWE shows. It is only fair to credit the creative team for a flawless show from start to finish, even if this occurrence is as rare as seeing a Bigfoot riding a unicorn.
Thus, this review only discusses the hits from WWE SmackDown this week. If you feel that there were indeed 'flops' on the show, let us know in the comments section below.
#1 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Roman Reigns and John Cena steal the show
John Cena confronted Roman Reigns in WWE SmackDown’s opening segment, and their exchange delivered beyond expectations. Both superstars were equally brilliant, which is a huge compliment for anyone who is battling Cena in a war of words. WWE had one shot at setting a balanced tone for the Universal Championship feud, and they made the perfect booking decision.
John Cena claimed to be the only one who can make Roman Reigns “shut up.” He promised a historical night at SummerSlam 2021, where he will win his 17th world championship. Roman Reigns acknowledged Cena’s envious career but assured him that he wouldn’t lose his gold at the upcoming pay-per-view. But that wasn't all for the Tribal Chief on WWE SmackDown.
Reigns’ promo was one of the best that he has ever delivered. He started by counting John Cena’s various accolades before making a brutal reference to his breakup with Nikki Bella. We will refrain from repeating the exact joke to protect the innocence of young readers who still have high expectations from life. But it is safe to say that his words sent the audience into a frenzy on WWE SmackDown.
Roman Reigns did well in holding off on his own, sticking to a single destructive line rather than a boring monolog made up of high school insults. It was also great to see that he didn’t need Paul Heyman during his exchange with John Cena on WWE SmackDown. Roman Reigns had a chance to redeem himself, and he grabbed the opportunity by its horns.
“You ruined Seth Rollins. You drove Dean Ambrose out of WWE,” said John Cena.
While Roman Reigns was brilliant, John Cena quickly reminded us why he is unbeatable on the microphone. He blamed the Universal Champion for everything that happened to Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Dropping AEW Superstar Jon Moxley's name was bound to fetch a reaction, and Cena played the audience just the way he wanted on WWE SmackDown.
Roman Reigns and John Cena are set to lock horns for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam 2021. It is a huge match and deserves all this hype, especially when they are successfully entertaining the viewers.
#2 Hit on WWE SmackDown: ‘King’ Shinsuke Nakamura wins the Intercontinental Championship
This week on WWE SmackDown, ‘King’ Shinsuke Nakamura challenged Apollo Crews for the Intercontinental Championship match. It was an excellent encounter between two superstars who relied on their respective strengths. Rick Boogs and Commander Azeez were at ringside to accompany Nakamura and Crews, respectively. However, the match official sent both superstars backstage during the title match.
Nakamura and Crews locked horns in a well-balanced encounter. The latter looked aggressive in the match and proved to be a big challenge for the King. However, Nakamura eventually sealed his victory with a Kinshasa and won the Intercontinental Championship on WWE SmackDown.
It was an excellent decision to schedule this match for WWE SmackDown this week instead of SummerSlam 2021. Nakamura’s title win is huge, but it would have been overshadowed at the pay-per-view. The title change added to the show’s solid start, and there are several incredible opportunities for the creative team to explore during Shinsuke Nakamura’s Intercontinental Championship reign.
Honorable mention: Rick Boogs and Pat McAfee’s celebration
It would be borderline criminal to talk about this match without mentioning Pat McAfee and Rick Boogs’ epic celebration on WWE SmackDown. The two hyped Nakamura like his long-lost brothers, playing air guitars while the entire arena sang along to Nakamura’s theme music.
Pat McAfee deserves a lot of credit for going above and beyond to make his commentary special. But his moves on top of the commentary desk every time Shinsuke Nakamura arrives are something that will never be topped on WWE SmackDown.
#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair’s contract signing
WWE SmackDown's main event saw an eventful encounter between Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks. Both superstars met inside the ring to sign the contract for their WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match scheduled for SummerSlam 2021. After an initial exchange of harsh words, Belair signed her name on the dotted line.
Sasha Banks then took the pen and was about to sign, but she pulled away at the last minute. She then revealed that she wanted witnesses before Carmella and Zelina Vega walked out. As soon as both superstars signed the contract, Belair attacked all three superstars, but the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion couldn’t beat the number’s advantage.
Vega and Carmella eventually managed to put Belair on the mat before Banks took control of things. She rolled the champion onto the table and raised the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship in the air while Belair struggled to deal with the aftermath of a brutal beatdown.
Sasha Banks then got back on the table and used Belair’s braid to intensify her Banks Statement. It was an entertaining way to showcase the challenger’s dominance ahead of a WrestleMania title rematch. Fans hope to see them add more brutality to their feud on WWE SmackDown next week before they eventually meet for their championship bout at SummerSlam 2021.
#4 Hit on WWE SmackDown: The Street Profits steal a victory
This week, Street Profits returned to action on WWE SmackDown and locked horns with Alpha Academy in a tag team match. Both teams needed a good match to assert their credibility on the show, and they made the most of the opportunity. All four superstars were booked strongly, leading to an entertaining match.
In the match’s closing moments, Otis and Angelo Dawkins were left inside the ring. The Street Profits member had taken a lot of punishment and was lying in one corner of the ring. At the same time, Gable patted Otis to praise him for his performance, but the official counted it as a tag. Otis was forced to make way for Chad Gable, and Dawkins used the confusion to his advantage. He attacked Gable while Montez Ford took Otis out of the equation with a big dive off the top rope.
Back inside the ring, Dawkins slammed Gable with a pop-up corkscrew neckbreaker and went for a quick pinfall to seal victory for Street Profits on WWE SmackDown. The former tag team champions needed this victory to assert their dominance if they were to feud with Otis and Gable moving forward.
The finish protected the Alpha Academy, leaving room to extend the storyline. Can this rivalry help build the next potential challengers for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships?
#5 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Kevin Owens schools Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin’s riches-to-rags story is one of the best things on WWE SmackDown. This week, he returned to beg for $1000 from the WWE Universe, but Kevin Owens had other plans. KO proposed that Corbin should beat him and earn the sum. However, if Corbin lost, he would have to stop with his constant begging.
Following that, Corbin and Owens locked horns in a great match. Corbin evidently pushed Owens to his limits which made us wonder why he isn’t involved in such matches more often. He tried to win via count out and used devastating maneuvers to attack Owens on the apron, thereby stopping him from entering the ring.
But Kevin Owens eventually managed to get back inside the ring and used a picturesque Stunner to pick up the victory. He delivered another Stunner after the match ended before celebrating with fans on WWE SmackDown. You would think that Corbin learned a lesson, but he responded to the loss by stealing Big E's Money in the Bank briefcase backstage.
Interestingly, the in-ring action wasn’t the best part of this segment. From Pat McAfee’s poetic claim -- “Baron Corbin’s hairline has given up on him but not his right hand” to Michael Cole’s revelation “Baron Corbin is using his mom’s phone,” there’s a lot that the commentators had to say during this match on WWE SmackDown.
Fans can also check out this week's review of WWE SmackDown with Dutch Mantell in the above video.
