WWE SmackDown Flops and Hits: Roman Reigns punished for insulting 11-time champion, big mistake before Survivor Series (19th November, 2021)

WWE SmackDown's final show before Survivor Series was a decent one. We saw a clash between two powerhouses, exciting matches between team members, and surprise changes.

It was also announced that the pay-per-view event will feature a Dual Brand 25-Man Battle Royal to honor the 25th anniversary of The Rock's WWE debut.

One of the highlights of the show included Jeff Hardy and Drew McIntyre shutting up Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss for good.

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

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#5 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Big E confronts Roman Reigns

The opening segment of WWE SmackDown saw The Usos openly berating RAW Tag Team Champions, RK-Bro. They assured viewers that they would prevail at Survivor Series.

Following that, they turned their attention towards Roman Reigns, who was prepared to "ascend the throne" on the show. The Tribal Chief walked out with Paul Heyman, and the latter was a little too excited to see Reigns become the new King.

As it turns out, the Universal Champion didn't want an official ceremony to declare himself a "King." He frustratingly inquired with his entourage about the brains behind the in-ring setup.

He was soon interrupted by King Woods, who mocked Roman Reigns' for his false superiority. Reigns then took it upon himself to humiliate Woods by destroying his cloak, throne, and staff.

Just as Roman Reigns was about to step on the Crown, King Woods ran to the ring to defend his hold. Unfortunately, he fell victim to the number's advantage as The Usos quickly took him down.

Jey and Jimmy Uso then forced a helpless Woods to watch Reigns destroy his crown in the middle of the ring on WWE SmackDown. The latter then confirmed that he would return to face The Tribal Chief later in the night while speaking to Kayla Braxton during a backstage segment.

Cut to the show's final segment, Woods cut a scathing promo and called out Reigns after mocking him. The latter walked out with Paul Heyman, hoping that The Usos would follow him soon, but to his surprise, both his cousins rolled on the floor close to the entrance. It was then revealed that Big E had attacked the duo, and he now had his sights set on the Universal Champion.

The two superstars engaged in a brief altercation with the WWE Champion gaining the upper hand for most of its part. Reigns fought back on a couple of occasions but ultimately chose to escape.

Big E and Xavier Woods also attacked The Usos and took them out of the equation, sending a strong message to their Tribal Chief ahead of Survivor series. It was great seeing Big E on WWE SmackDown. Even if he ends up losing this weekend, her won't lose much of his credibility.

#4 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Naomi humiliated once again

Naomi returned on WWE SmackDown this week only to be humiliated once again on the Blue brand. She allied with Aliyah to take on Shayna Baszler and Natalya in a tag team match.

This looked like a good clash on paper, but the booking was extremely weak. The babyfaces were doing well in competing against the top heels. Unfortunately, the match ended abruptly when Natalya pinned Naomi owing to the match official’s unusually fast count.

Following the match, the same match official approached Sonya Deville backstage and asked if she did a good job. Deville denied knowing anything about the fast count, but it was evident that she wished to sabotage Naomi once again on WWE SmackDown.

The idea was good as it helped gain sympathy for the former women’s champion, but the execution was too poor. It barely gave any of the four superstars enough time to look strong on the show.

It is worth noting that three out of the four competitors from the tag team match are a part of WWE SmackDown’s women’s team that will fight for the Blue brand at the Survivor Series team. All of them could have used an excellent bout to build momentum ahead of the pay-per-view.

The finish could have been the same, and it would have had more impact if the match had been decent.

Moreover, Aliyah was removed from the Survivor Series team despite picking up the victory in her debut match last week. Considering she lost a chance to perform at the biggest annual pay-per-view, it would have made more sense to make her look more intense and driven on this week's show.

#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Ricochet

Last week on WWE SmackDown, Sami Zayn was removed from the Blue brand's Survivor Series team after his defeat against Jeff Hardy. Tonight, Cesaro, Sheamus, Jinder Mahal, and Ricochet faced each other in a fatal four-way match to determine the fifth member of the team.

It was an exciting battle that saw all of them play to their respective strengths, accounting for high-paced action.

During this match on WWE SmackDown, Ricochet was particularly impressive as The Resident Superhero channeled his best version while squaring off against his opponents. He stole the show with his in-ring maneuvers and had the entire arena chanting his name in unison.

Ricochet even came close to winning the match after delivering a big 450 on Jinder Mahal before attempting the pinfall.

Unfortunately, he was taken out of the equation by Sheamus, who eventually won the match following a brief but challenging battle with Cesaro. The match featured several incredible moments between the two former tag team partners.

It should be noted that The Swiss Cyborg was also booked strongly, and The Celtic Warrior only won the bout because Ridge Holland interfered to help his idol seal a spot for himself in WWE SmackDown's Survivor Series team.

While Sheamus walked away with a huge victory, Ricochet was the real star of this match. He shared explosive chemistry with each of his opponents and came across as a legitimately strong contender.

He also took a shot at Shanky, who was present at ringside to support Jinder Mahal, which could lead to a feud involving both superstars. Once again, he proved inside the ring that he deserves to remain in the spotlight. Hopefully, Ricochet will be given more opportunities on WWE SmackDown in the future.

#2 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Shinsuke Nakamura’s token victory

Shinsuke Nakamura’s reign as the Intercontinental Champion on WWE Smackdown has been relatively uneventful. He has been chiefly involved in feuds with tag teams, competing alongside Rick Boogs.

This has taken a serious toll on the build-up to his match against United States Champion Damian Priest at Survivor Series. They are nowhere close to looking equal ahead of the upcoming pay-per-view, and thus The King of Strong Style needed a token victory tonight.

Nakamura faced Angel, which played well into the narrative surrounding his feud with Los Lotharios. Rick Boogs and Humberto were present at ringside as they witnessed their respective partners engaging in a match inside the ring.

Everything was still fine until the creative team restricted the bout to a few minutes on WWE SmackDown. We hardly saw either of the two superstars land a credible offense until Nakamura sealed his victory with Kinshasa.

Understandably, the Japanese star needed this victory, but it didn’t have to be so underwhelming, especially when you consider that Angel is his biggest rival at the moment. He could have used a more credible victory over his opponent, laying the foundation for a more intense feud.

For now, it would be fair to say that any bit of threat seen by Shinsuke Nakamura in his match at Survivor Series can solely be credited to his reputation.

#1 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Sasha Banks’ strong statement before Survivor Series

Sasha Banks is set to lead WWE SmackDown’s women’s team at Survivor Series. The captain needed to make a strong statement in her match against a fellow member of her team, Shotzi.

The latter had attacked The Boss after blaming her for costing her a shot at Charlotte Flair’s title. Both superstars need to settle the score and attempt to get on the same page before competing at the upcoming pay-per-view.

Shotzi and Banks faced each other in one of the in-ring bouts on WWE SmackDown tonight. It was a well-balanced encounter that seemingly allowed both superstars to compete at their best.

Banks took equal punishment at the hands of her opponent. At one spot, Shotzi brutally attacked Sasha Banks’ arm by trapping it inside the steel steps and following it up with vicious kicks at her shoulder. The Boss eventually fought back inside the ring and slowly managed to turn the match in her favor.

She eventually forced Shotzi to tap out to the Bank Statement, picking up an important victory ahead of Survivor Series. Both superstars were instructed to shake hands after their bout, and Sonya Deville walked out to ensure that happened.

Banks extended her hand first, and Shotzi obliged only for the former to turn and deliver the Backstabber.

This booking on WWE SmackDown was required to establish the right dynamic before the Survivor Series pay-per-view, and it will be interesting to see if both superstars can work together as part of the same team this Sunday.

Honorable mention from WWE SmackDown: No brand invasion before Survivor Series

Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown had its flaws, but the show didn’t have any dull moments. That is the only reason why the lack of brand invasion has not been categorized under a “flop” from the Blue brand.

That said, the topic is still too important to ignore and thus, deserves a special mention. WWE has somehow decided to give up on the brand invasion – a famous tradition that precedes Survivor Series.

There is an undeniable appeal in watching everyone from the WWE SmackDown and RAW rosters engage in a brutal altercation to hype up the last of WWE’s big four pay-per-views. The chaos that ensues often does an excellent job in adding to the hype surrounding the battle of brand supremacy, making it seem as believable as it could get.

The lack of brand invasion this year begs the question: did the two brands stop caring about the most dynamic battle between two stacked rosters, or have the writers just gone lazy?

Before an argument over schedule is brought up to counter the abovementioned points, it is worth mentioning that this invasion transpires once a year. It is the only opportunity for the creative team to bring multiple superstars together and tease countless feuds veiled under the egoistic need to paint the arena blue or red.

WWE SmackDown’s go-home show before Survivor Series wasn’t bad, but it certainly missed the excitement surrounding the surprise attack from an entire locker room. The build-up to the pay-per-view could have been so much better if at least one brand invasion was on the cards.