WWE SmackDown Flops and Hits: Roman Reigns changes ‘bend the knee’ to ‘break the knee’, big return set up for next week (5th November 2021)

WWE SmackDown put up an excellent show this week. The biggest storylines on the Blue brand took exciting turns, the top superstars delivered amazing performances, and there were minimal complaints with the overall booking of the show. The writers also did well in hyping up the new talents who will feature on Friday nights in their new era.

Here, we look at the biggest hits and flops from the latest episode of WWE SmackDown. So, without further ado, let's begin.

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#5 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Roman Reigns puts Jimmy Uso to the test, King Woods outshines old rival

Roman Reigns returned on WWE SmackDown and kickstarted the show on a fantastic note. After addressing the events involving Brock Lesnar, he turned his attention towards The Usos. Jimmy and Jey Uso lost against The New Day last week, and Reigns wanted Jimmy Uso to make up for taking the pin. They were interrupted by King Woods and Sir Kofi, who walked out to deafening "New Day Rocks" chants.

The two poked fun at Roman Reigns' current gimmick before throwing an intriguing challenge. They said that if Jimmy defeated Woods, the latter would acknowledge Reigns as the "Tribal Chief". However, if the King won the match, Jimmy Uso would have to "bend the knee". While The Usos refused to comply, Roman Reigns surprisingly accepted the challenge.

Fast forward to the main event that witnessed an epic clash between Woods and Jimmy. Both superstars pushed each other to their limits while the arena erupted in supportive chants. Jey Uso tried to help his brother, but the referee stopped him right in time. King Woods took advantage of the situation and secured a pinfall to pick up a massive win over The Bloodline member.

Following the match, everyone demanded Jimmy Uso to "bend the knee." He seemed like he was close to doing that when Reigns entered the ring from behind and attacked The New Day. Following that, The Tribal Chief forced Woods to watch The Usos unleash a vicious attack on his friend as the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions ruthlessly targeted Kingston's knees.

The incident will not sit well with The New Day, who are bound to get back at Roman Reigns and his entourage for their actions this week. However, one can't deny that the turn of events made The Bloodline look like monstrous heels on the show. Could this also lead to an unexpected title feud with Reigns and Woods on the Blue brand?

King Woods snaps, Big E returns to WWE SmackDown next week?

King Woods came extremely close to beating Bobby Lashley not so long ago and thus can do well in a world championship picture. In addition to that, he is extremely over with the crowd, so he won't be in desperate need of beating Roman Reigns to the title either.

But the angle could still work well in establishing the King as a top babyface when he takes on Reigns on WWE SmackDown.

Before that, we might see another New Day member have his say with Roman Reigns. The Universal Champion is bound to face WWE Champion Big E at Survivor Series. However, the attack on Kingston means that E will have a bigger motivation to take on The Tribal Chief.

Fans desperately wanted both superstars to face each other on WWE SmackDown before Big E moved to RAW. This could be a perfect way to give viewers what they want, and it might also lead to an epic six-man tag team match between The Bloodline and The New Day as we move closer to the Survivor Series.

#4 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Drew McIntyre picks another statement victory

One of the best parts about Drew McIntyre’s arrival on WWE SmackDown is the way he has been booked on the Blue brand so far. As a two-time world champion, The Scottish Warrior has earned immense respect from fans. He has established himself as one of the biggest threats on the roster and was one of the most entertaining performers in the pandemic era.

Despite being one of the biggest stars in the company today, the creative team is doing well in McIntyre’s slow build-up before he enters the title picture.

Once again, he walked out with his open challenge to the rest of the WWE SmackDown roster. We saw Ricochet answer McIntyre’s call with a relatively bold move when he smacked The Scottish Warrior right in the face.

That was enough to trigger Drew McIntyre, who unleashed a monstrous attack on his opponent. He threw Ricochet all around the ring while the latter could only manage to land a handful but effective offenses.

McIntyre didn’t take lightly to the disrespect that spoke volumes about his intent on WWE SmackDown this week. The crowd was invested in the match that also gave TV time to Ricochet, who was cheered despite taking a lot of punishment.

The closing moments of the match saw Drew McIntyre deliver a creative Claymore to seal his victory. Following that, he subtly showed respect for his opponent before exiting the ring.

This is the right way to book him on the show instead of directly pushing him into a title feud with Roman Reigns. He needs to have the right kind of momentum to pose a significant threat in the Universal Championship. Even Ricochet was booked well; a backstage segment on WWE SmackDown showed an exciting exchange between him and Mustafa Ali.

While Ali proposed that the duo should work together, Ricochet denied the proposal. Could we see them engage in a feud in the coming weeks, and would this rivalry finally give them the opportunity they have been looking for?

#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Naomi impresses despite adversity

Former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi’s ongoing feud with Sonya Deville has been one of the highlights of the Blue brand’s women’s division over the last few weeks.

Naomi returned to the show for a match against Shayna Baszler, intending to make the latter pay for helping Deville with her evil plans. They faced each other in an entertaining singles match that allowed both superstars to play to their respective strengths.

Naomi finally got a much-deserved opportunity to remind us why she one held the title, and she didn’t disappoint. Her offense was creative, taking Baszler by surprise multiple times in the match.

The Queen of Spades also looked like her brutal self, which added more credibility to their animosity. Naomi eventually managed to pin Baszler and pick a big victory on WWE SmackDown. However, Sonya Deville had other plans.

The WWE official cited a bizarre reason to negate her win. She said that the pinfall technically didn’t count because the referee didn’t break Baszler’s hold when Naomi held the ropes. Thus, citing technicalities, Deville ruled that both superstars should engage in a rematch on WWE SmackDown.

As soon as the bell rang once again, Baszler sneaked up on Naomi from behind and held her in the Kirifuda Clutch until the latter faded out.

Shayna Baszler won the bout, and Naomi was left frustrated inside the ring. This helped gain sympathy for her, especially after she put up such an impressive in-ring performance. Sonya Deville relentlessly sabotaging her will work well in establishing Naomi as a popular babyface.

We hope that this storyline continues to book her strongly inside the ring instead of portraying her as a vulnerable and clueless performer.

#2 Hit on WWE SmackDown: The Viking Raiders destroy Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss

The Viking Raiders made their first appearance on WWE SmackDown after being drafted to the Blue brand last month. They arrived on the show as guests on the Happy Corbin’s talk show – or at least that’s what their hosts thought. Erik and Ivar essentially said what everyone thinks of Corbin and Moss’ sense of humor before destroying their set.

Following that, all four superstars squared off in an impressive tag team match. The Viking Raiders looked far from rusty despite not being in action for a while. They were dominant as ever and surprised everyone with their agility. It was clear that they wanted to make a statement on WWE SmackDown, which they did after picking up their first win on the show.

Another big highlight from this match was Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss’ in-ring performances. Yes, their jokes are corny and almost make your ears bleed, but they have been impressive as a tag team.

They worked well together, and Corbin and Moss could become an effective tag team with the correct booking. They lost the match this week after retreating from the ring, which might make them look weak but instead, it helped make The Viking Raiders look much more robust than expected.

It will be interesting to see how both these teams are booked on WWE SmackDown in the coming months.

#1 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Cesaro back in the tag team division?

Before we dive into the criticism about Cesaro’s booking on WWE SmackDown, it is crucial to establish that there was nothing wrong with his performance. In fact, he was at his usual best when he teamed up with Mansoor to take on the team of Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo. He looked strong throughout the match and also worked hard to put all the younger talents over with the crowd.

However, was it necessary to push him into this booking? He has been a part of the tag team division for so long and has finally got the chance to pursue his singles career. The creative team dropped the ball when they didn’t capitalize on his momentum earlier this year.

However, that doesn’t mean that he cannot establish himself as a dominant name on WWE SmackDown.

Cesaro would undoubtedly make for an interesting addition to the Intercontinental Championship picture. He can even engage in an entertaining feud with his former tag team partner Sheamus, who is now on the Blue brand. The Swiss Superman is a talented performer who deserves to be a part of compelling narratives on the Friday night show.