SmackDown Live delivered a good show this week. The blue brand had some interesting matches with impressive segments. A title match took place this week as The IIconics defended their twin belts against The Kabuki Warriors. Asuka and Kairi Sane won by count-out but the champions retained their titles. Bayley and Ember Moon teamed up to defeat Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
Following the match, Bayley chose Ember Moon as her next opponent for the SmackDown Women's Championship, while Charlotte Flair defeated Liv Morgan in a singles bout. Apollo Crews went on to overcome "El Idolo" Andrade. Furthermore, Aleister Black won a rematch against Cesaro and New Day lost a six-man tag team match against Elias, Randy Orton and Samoa Joe.
Here, we will discuss the two things WWE did right and two things they did wrong on SmackDown Live this week.
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#2 Did right: Ember Moon becoming the number one contender for Bayley's SmackDown Women's Championship
Bayley had an insurmountable task at Extreme Rules where she faced two credible opponents in a handicap match. The Hugger faced Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross but managed to pick up the victory. Since Alexa Bliss already challenged Bayley twice, she doesn't deserve another opportunity for the title at SummerSlam.
Ember Moon chose Bayley as her mystery partner against the team of Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Moon and Bayley won the bout but we saw a surprising incident after the match. Bayley was asked about her potential next challenger and The Hugger chose Ember Moon. And now, the two women are set to lock horns at SummerSlam.
Natalya is the new challenger for the RAW Women's Championship and Moon is the number one contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Considering Moon had a colossal success in NXT, she certainly deserves to reach the top of the women's division. The former NXT Women's Champion is dextrous in the ring and she can deliver an exceptional match at SummerSlam.
#2 Did wrong: Women's Tag Team title match
The Women's Tag Team Titles were not defended at Extreme Rules. However, The IIconics put the twin belts on the line on SmackDown Live this week and The Kabuki Warriors challenged the IIconics on the blue brand. Though Asuka and Kairi Sane won the match by count-out Peyton Royce and Billie Kay managed to retain the twin belts.
The women's tag team division is in serious jeopardy and we witnessed another disappointing match on SmackDown Live this week. Considering the Kabuki Warriors defeated the IIconics in Japan recently, we were expecting to see them as the new champions.
#1 Did right: A new feud between Ali and Nakamura was teased
Nakamura tussled Finn Balor in the kick-off show at Extreme Rules. Nakamura defeated Balor to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Although Nakamura won the US Title before, it was his first Intercontinental Title. Since Bray Wyatt already assaulted Finn Balor on RAW, the feud between Balor and Nakamura probably ended at Extreme Rules.
Nakamura's next feud was teased on SmackDown Live this week. Ali confronted the new Intercontinental Champion when the latter was giving a backstage interview. As a matter of fact, the former 205 Live Superstar congratulated Nakamura for his victory at Extreme Rules. Considering both Nakamura and Ali are exceptional performers, they could tear the house down at SummerSlam.
#1 Did wrong: The WWE Champion got pinned
Randy Orton returned to SmackDown Live this week. The Viper's last match was at Super ShowDown where he defeated Triple H. Following the show in Saudi Arabia, the thirteen-time WWE Champion skipped Stomping Grounds and Extreme Rules. Since SummerSlam is the second biggest pay-per-view of Vince McMahon's company, WWE might have big plans for Randy Orton.
A six-man tag team match was held on SmackDown Live this week. While Daniel Bryan didn't reveal his career-altering decision, the New Day was confronted by Samoa Joe, Elias and Randy Orton. After an interesting segment between the six men, they faced each other in a tag team match. Randy Orton made a gigantic statement on the blue brand this week as The Viper pinned the WWE Champion Kofi Kingston.
Since winning the most coveted prize of the blue brand, Kingston held an unbeaten streak in WWE. Though he hasn't lost a singles match, he got pinned by Samoa Joe in a tag team match on RAW. We saw the same scenario on SmackDown Live this week when Orton pinned Kingston. Considering SummerSlam is just three weeks away, it is certainly not a good sign if the WWE Champion gets pinned.