5 things WWE SmackDown got right this week: Ronda Rousey picks her opponent; Goldberg returns

Paul Heyman was expected to join Roman Reigns once again on WWE SmackDown after betraying Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble. Meanwhile, the women’s Royal Rumble winner Ronda Rousey was scheduled to appear on the blue brand to pick her opponent for WrestleMania.

Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Jinder Mahal in a non-title match on the show.

After the match, Nakamura had a staredown with his future opponent, Sami Zayn. Fans have been waiting for The Artist to defend his Intercontinental title for a long time now.

Drew McIntyre returned to SmackDown this week and immediately resumed his rivalry with Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin. It’s surprising to see The Scottish Warrior back so soon to continue his rivalry with the two mid-carders.

This week’s show had some decent matches and massive segments. A Hall of Famer’s return also shook up the entire landscape of the show before Elimination Chamber.

Take a look at the five things WWE got right on Friday Night SmackDown after Royal Rumble.

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#5. Goldberg interrupts The Bloodline to lay down a challenge on WWE SmackDown

Universal Champion Roman Reigns kicked off WWE SmackDown with The Usos and Paul Heyman by his side. The special counsel of The Tribal Chief had many questions to answer after what he did to Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.

Heyman took a shot at Lesnar and said he looked like a fool. He said that it was during the match at Royal Rumble that he realized that Reigns does not need protection from Lesnar, but vice versa.

He acknowledged The Head of the Table and asked the fans to do the same. Instead, Goldberg’s music hit, and the Hall of Famer entered the arena to a thunderous ovation.

He came face to face with the Universal Champion on SmackDown and threw down the gauntlet for a match at Elimination Chamber. He warned Reigns that he was next before the segment came to an end.

It was a no-brainer that Goldberg would be returning for another match with the Saudi Arabian Premium Live Event on the horizon. It’s good that WWE is going with this massive contest before Goldberg finally hangs up his boots.

Many will complain that Goldberg should not be in the title picture at this point. However, it’s a dream match that needs to happen before the legend finally walks away from the ring.

#4. New Day defeated Los Lotharios on WWE SmackDown

Los Lothario’s Angel and Humberto competed against Kofi Kingston and Big E on WWE SmackDown. The heels took control of the contest with some smart moves to put New Day on the back foot.

They isolated Kingston before Big E got the hot tag. The former WWE Champion went on a roll and nearly picked up the win with Kofi. The Midnight Hour was enough for the babyfaces to pick up another win.

It was a good match that showed how well Big E and Kofi worked together. WWE has done well to pair up the two superstars on SmackDown after Big E fell out of the championship picture.

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#3. Aliyah picks up another win on WWE SmackDown

Aliyah looked to pick up another win over Natalya this week. The Queen of Harts beat down the NXT export early and looked to weaken her once again.

Aliyah stayed alert outside the ring and sent her opponent into the guardrail before beating the referee’s count. She picked up the win via countout as Natalya looked on in disbelief.

The match wasn’t anything special, but it did put Aliyah over once again. The superstar has been around for a long time now, and it’s good to see her finally get some chances.

Hopefully, this storyline will have a good payoff for the rising star.

#2. The top three mid-carders of WWE SmackDown continued to deliver

Ricochet and Ridge Holland competed in a one-on-one match on WWE SmackDown. The two had some quick exchanges before Ricochet picked up a surprise victory over The Bothercauser.

After a break, Sheamus demanded a tag team match with Holland against Ricochet and his partner, Cesaro. Holland took out Ricochet at ringside, and Cesaro was left to fight on his own.

The Bothercauser put away Cesaro with the Northern Grit for a big win. It’s no secret that Cesaro, Ricochet, and Sheamus are the top mid-carders on the brand.

Holland has been getting a great rub working with the three men. WWE now needs to book a major match between the two teams before pushing one into the tag team championship picture.

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#1. Ronda Rousey chose her opponent for WrestleMania

The show’s main event saw Ronda Rousey pick her opponent for WrestleMania. The Royal Rumble winner intervened as Charlotte Flair was joined by Sonya Deville in the ring.

After a verbal exchange between Flair and Rousey, The Baddest Woman on the Planet chose the Queen as her opponent for WrestleMania.

After the exchange, Deville attempted to jump Rousey from the back. She locked in the armbar on Deville as Flair looked on from ringside. Whenever Rousey is on screen, it is expected that she will get physical. WWE did well to put Deville in this situation.

Meanwhile, it’s interesting to see Rousey go after the SmackDown Women’s Champion at WrestleMania. It will likely allow Becky Lynch to retain her title at the show.