5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: The build to Survivor Series begins; The Bloodline nearly humiliated

Not many matches or segments were advertised for this week’s WWE SmackDown. The creative team tried to put on a good show that revolved around the return of Roman Reigns.

The Tribal Chief kicked off the show and made a big match official for later in the night. Meanwhile, Naomi and Shayna Baszler competed in another contest after their previous one was marred by controversy.

Mansoor found a new tag team partner on the show, while Hit Row made an appearance after the release of B-Fab from WWE. SmackDown also saw Sami Zayn trying to influence other superstars backstage to further build his character.

The Viking Raiders also appeared for a match on SamckDown and took on Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. The creative team did a good job of building some storylines this week. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on SmackDown this week.

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#5. The New Day and The Bloodline came face to face on WWE SmackDown

After going missing from WWE SmackDown last week, Roman Reigns opened up the show for a big segment. He was flanked by special counsel Paul Heyman and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos.

The Tribal Chief admitted he took a vacation last week after smashing Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel. He asked the WWE Universe to acknowledge him before turning his attention to The Usos’ loss at the hands of New Day last Friday.

Reigns learned that it was Jimmy Uso who took the pinfall to lose the match. He asked his cousin what he was going to do about it. Jimmy promised to make New Day acknowledge The Head of the Table on SmackDown.

Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston interrupted right on time to mock Roman Reigns and his Island of Relevancy. After a little war of words, a big match was set for the night between King Woods and Jimmy. If Woods loses to Jimmy, he would acknowledge Reigns. If Woods wins, The Bloodline must bend the knee to the King of the Ring.

Reigns accepted the match on his cousin’s behalf to end the segment on a high. What a great way to start SmackDown with two of its top competitors. Reigns was flawless as usual and New Day worked perfectly with The Bloodline. WWE did well to book a high-stakes match for the main event without any title being involved.

#4. Sonya Deville continued to grow as a heel on WWE SmackDown

Naomi and Shayna Baszler were booked for another match on WWE SmackDown this week. After how the match ended last time, Naomi looked to teach Baszler a lesson. She started well and attacked her opponent early. Baszler took control of the match soon after and downed her opponent.

The two women exchanged some good moves and kept the action ticking. Naomi spiked her opponent on the apron and gained the upper hand. Soon after, Baszler went for the Kirifuda Clutch but Naomi managed to escape and rolled her up for the win.

Sonya Deville was quick to make her presence known after the match and restarted the contest claiming Naomi had cheated. Baszler took advantage and locked in the Kirifuda Clutch for a quick victory.

Deville is doing a great job as a heel official on SmackDown. She’s drunk with power and is ready to go to any extent to prove that Naomi is not worth it. The two superstars will likely end up competing in a match on a big stage soon. Fans can hope the WWE creative team can pull this off well.

#3. Cesaro and Mansoor teamed up for a fun tag team match on WWE SmackDown

WWE Smackdown is not short of tag teams. However, the creative team decided to randomly throw together Mansoor and Cesaro for a match against Los Lotharios’ Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo.

After splitting with Mustafa Ali, Mansoor looked to make things work with The Swiss Superman. Garza and Carrilo targeted Mansoor early and isolated him until Cesaro got a hot tag. SmackDown fans cheered the Swiss Superstar as he took out Garza with some stunning uppercuts.

A springboard corkscrew uppercut nearly sealed the deal for Cesaro as he kept control of the match. However, a miscommunication led to Mansoor and Cesaro bumping heads before the heels hit the Cerro de la Silla for the win.

The match was fast-paced and interesting. Mansoor worked well with Ali, and it looks like SmackDown could pair him with Cesaro for some time. The Swiss Superman deserves to be much higher on the card, and a tag team run could serve him well.

However, it is good to watch him perform well whenever he gets a chance. Will the two men end up forming a long-term alliance that can help bolster the SmackDown tag team division?

#2. Drew McIntyre and Ricochet put on a good show on WWE SmackDown

Drew McIntyre ran through Sami Zayn on WWE SmackDown last week. The Scottish Warrior came out on Friday night to issue another open challenge on this week’s show.

Ricochet answered McIntyre’s call and looked to leave a mark on SmackDown. The One and Only smacked the former WWE Champion in the face before the match began.

The two athletes locked up and McIntyre vented his frustration on his smaller opponent. He dumped Ricochet out on the apron and then hit a beautiful brain buster inside for a near-fall.

The two men exchanged some good moves to keep the action going. Ricochet knocked down McIntyre and scaled the ropes to hit a 450 Splash. However, The Scottish Warrior stunned him with a mid-air Claymore for the win.

McIntyre and Ricochet deserved more time to put on an even better match. They have faced each other a few times and worked well. The ending was phenomenal and showed just how good both men can be inside the ring.

One can only hope that Ricochet’s hard work will pay off and he will rise to the top of the SmackDown roster.

#1. King Xavier’s victory planted the seeds for a big Survivor Series contest on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns demanded his cousins to “Fix the problem” before they came out for Jimmy Uso’s match on WWE SmackDown. King Woods, accompanied by Sir Kingston, was ready to take on the heel in the main event of SmackDown.

Jimmy seized control of the match early and kept Woods on the back foot. He kept the pressure on The King of the Ring and hit a running knee to the face. Woods stayed resilient and tried to make a comeback into the match. He delivered a few moves before hitting a top-rope leg drop for a near fall. Jimmy fired back and hit a Samoan Drop to nearly pick up the win.

Kingston helped his partner stay in the game by distracting the referee. Soon after, Woods rolled up Jimmy to pick up the win. After the match, Uso teased kneeling before Woods. Reigns came out of nowhere to pummel Woods and take Kingston out.

The match was good and the outcome will help WWE build towards two big storylines for Survivor Series. Reigns will most likely take on Big E at the pay-per-view, and the targeted attack will help build that storyline.

Meanwhile, King Woods could become the leader of Team SmackDown following his recent string of victories.