5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: Roman Reigns finds next challenger; Mickie James confirmed for a big match

Brock Lesnar had announced that he would show up on WWE SmackDown to confront Roman Reigns. Fans waited for another face-off between the two heavyweights.

The WWE Universe also wanted to see who would challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. The revelation was built well, keeping fans glued to their screens.

Sami Zayn looked to prove himself before his Intercontinental Championship match against Shinsuke Nakamura, but lost to Rick Boogs. Johnny Knoxville also announced his participation in the men's Royal Rumble match.

WWE also made some blockbuster announcements. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on SmackDown this week.

---

#5. Brock Lesnar challenged Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns opened WWE SmackDown and declared he wanted to see Brock Lesnar or Paul Heyman again.

Right on cue, the two men made their way to the middle to a massive pop from the WWE Universe. The WWE Champion mocked Reigns and got straight to the point. He challenged The Tribal Chief to a title vs. title match for WrestleMania.

Reigns refused to do business with Heyman or anyone associated with him. The advocate almost broke down in tears, saying he worshipped Reigns before being assaulted for his allegiance.

Lesnar told Heyman to shut up, and in that distraction, Reigns nailed the WWE Champion with a Superman Punch. Then he headed up the ramp on SmackDown as Lesnar looked on.

WWE is looking for ways to keep Heyman between the two men. The promo helped achieve just that, and it is clear that Heyman is not done with Reigns yet. A title vs. title match seems to be on the cards, and it will be difficult for another storyline to top this one heading into WrestleMania.

#4. Huge announcements on WWE SmackDown for the women’s Royal Rumble

On WWE SmackDown, a video package was shown to announce a few competitors for this year's Women's Royal Rumble.

Some of the big names included were The Bella Twins, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, and Lita. However, the biggest and most unexpected name on the screen was that of IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion, Mickie James.

The Queen Charlotte Flair then announced that she would also enter the 30-woman match, become the first champion to win it, and then choose whom she would defend her title against at WrestleMania.

SmackDown made some big announcements this week, but the inclusion of former WWE Superstar Mickie James was arguably the biggest.

It was a good way to get the fans excited. If James wins, she could challenge Flair for the SmackDown Women’s title.

It also seems the creative team does not have a path for Flair after Toni Storm’s release and Sasha Banks’ potential injury. Having her in the Royal Rumble match will help the creative team create some top spots.

#3. Charlotte Flair and Naomi put on a good match on WWE SmackDown

Charlotte Flair was not done for the night on WWE SmackDown. Naomi walked out to confront her and demanded a title match. Flair questioned what Naomi had done to earn it, to which Naomi smacked her, setting up a match between the two.

Naomi controlled the pace of the action early on. She showcased her wrestling skills as Sonya Deville showed up to watch the action up close.

Deville kept changing the stipulation of the match to ensure that Naomi remained at a disadvantage. However, The Glow continued to fight on and delivered a Bubba Bomb for a near-fall.

She fought out of a powerbomb attempt, but Flair soon finished her off with the Natural Selection. The two SmackDown Superstars had a decent match on Friday night.

It’s been some time since Flair had a good match with another superstar. Her matches against Storm were passable, and this was a much better effort.

Naomi is constantly looking to prove herself as a contender for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. But her issues with Deville will likely lead to a match between the two women at WrestleMania 38.

#2. The Usos destroyed The New Day on WWE SmackDown

A Street Fight was booked between The Usos and The New Day for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships after both teams had a good match at WWE Day 1.

Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods tried to take out The Usos early. The two teams fought their way up the ramp and then into the crowd as the action picked up. In one of the best spots of the match, Woods donned a Spartan Helmet to absorb a Superkick.

The challengers tried their best to stay on the attack, but Jimmy and Jey were too fired up on SmackDown. They rocked both members with Superkicks and put Kofi Kingston through a table with a 1-D to pick up the win.

It was one of the better matches of the night. Also, The Usos now have a new finisher that isn’t the same as their brother Solo Sikoa. It will be interesting to see who stands up to the SmackDown Tag Team Champions next.

#1. Seth Rollins is Roman Reigns' next challenger on WWE SmackDown

After Roman Reigns’ opening segment on WWE SmackDown, Adam Pearce informed Sonya Deville that he had to determine a challenger for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble.

Pearce only had until the end of SmackDown to announce the challenger. When he entered Reigns' locker room before the main event, the champion did not seem bothered and asked the WWE official to leave.

After The Usos were done with The New Day, a confrontation occurred in Reigns' locker room. The superstar was Seth Rollins, who will face The Head of the Table at the Royal Rumble. The Visionary entered Reigns’ locker room, cackling.

It’ll be interesting to see how things go for Rollins on RAW in the coming weeks. With Drew McIntyre out injured, it made sense for Pearce to pick one of the top men from RAW to challenge for the top title.