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From Sami Zayn's much-awaited documentary trailer premiere to a Street Fight main event, this week's episode of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.
The latest edition of SmackDown added some interesting depth to several WrestleMania feuds. Aside from a few mistakes, the blue brand delivered yet another entertaining show. As far as the WrestleMania 37 card is concerned, WWE also booked an unusual stipulation for one of the matches at The Show of Shows.
Which show was better this week, RAW or SmackDown? Sound off in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE SmackDown (April 2, 2021.)
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#5 Apollo Crews challenged Big E to a Nigerian Drum Fight at WWE WrestleMania 37
WWE's in-depth focus on Apollo Crews' Nigerian royalty gimmick led to an intriguing development during this week's episode of SmackDown.
During the episode, Crews did not stand for the disrespect he suffered at the hands of Big E at WWE Fastlane. He tied that aspect of this feud to his ancestors, and this connection led to the introduction of a Nigerian Drum Fight.
Crews wanted to settle the score against Big E in the said stipulation match at WrestleMania 37. According to Crews, the fight had been created by his ancestors with no limitations, pertaining to an ancient Nigerian ritual. He compared the beatings to drum-like sounds and gave a symbolic explanation behind the Nigerian Drum Fight.
Whether there will be any unique modifications to this stipulation match remains to be seen, but Big E will likely accept the challenge next week.
Some fans believe WWE might be going too far with the Nigerian aspect of Crews' gimmick. Meanwhile, others love WWE's new creative direction with Crews on SmackDown. Either way, Crews and Big E's WrestleMania fight promises to be a brutal affair.
#4 Shayna Baszler got pinned in a few seconds on WWE SmackDown
During this week's WWE SmackDown, Natalya achieved a surprising feat in a one-on-one match against Women's Tag Team Champion Shayna Baszler.
Natalya defeated Baszler with a small package only a few seconds into their singles match. Not many fans expected the former UFC star to lose in this shocking fashion.
A post-match brawl broke out between the following teams:
- Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax
- Natalya and Tamina
- The Riott Squad
- Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke
- Lana and Naomi
At the end of the brawl, Tamina and Natalya stood tall. It's quite likely that the aforementioned teams will battle it out in some sort of a multi-team contest for the Women's Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 37.
Additionally, WWE teased a conflict between Carmella and Nia Jax over Reginald this week. Although Carmella lost a match against Bianca Belair in the same episode, the former could now enter the Women's Tag Team Championship picture.
After all, Carmella interacted with Billie Kay in a backstage segment this week, and the two stars might team up together soon. It certainly seems like Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler's future as WWE Women's Tag Team Champions is in jeopardy during this year's WrestleMania season.
#3 Seth Rollins contradicted himself in a WWE SmackDown face-off with Cesaro
Seth Rollins repeatedly assured that he wouldn't lose his cool in a face-off against Cesaro during this week's WWE SmackDown. However, that's exactly what happened in their segment, which featured ample references to the word "swing."
Cesaro admitted that there is no room for him to fail at WrestleMania 37, as he called his match against Rollins the biggest bout of his career. Meanwhile, Rollins argued that he is "unshakeable" when WrestleMania comes around. He mentioned examples such as his matches against Triple H and Brock Lesnar, as well as his iconic Money in the Bank cash-in at WrestleMania 31.
In response, Cesaro said his WrestleMania opponent may be unshakeable, but he’s not "un-swingable."
Rollins soon lost his composure and promised to end Cesaro's dream on WWE SmackDown. But The Messiah failed to act on his words, so he backed out at the last second.
This confrontation was a decent segment that showcased Rollins as a contradictory heel who, despite his statements, is clearly bothered by his beef with Cesaro.
#2 Sami Zayn lost his marbles on WWE SmackDown (featuring Logan Paul)
Sami Zayn proved his worth as an entertaining character in a segment with YouTube star Logan Paul during this week's episode of WWE SmackDown.
The social media influencer was shaken by Zayn's neurotic presence, as the latter seemed exhilarated to present his conspiracy documentary trailer to the world. The trailer itself was a wild experience, featuring Zayn's thoughts on zebras and the flat-earth conspiracy, among other topics.
Paul thought Zayn's documentary trailer was a lot to take in, but he had already been informed by Kevin Owens that there was no conspiracy here. Zayn responded by saying he did not want KO to poison the internet influencer's mind.
Unfortunately for WWE's resident conspiracy theorist, he was attacked by KO in the ring. KO delivered a stunner, warned Zayn, and pushed a startled Logan Paul away from his path to leave the ring.
At this point, it's fairly clear that the YouTube star will be in Zayn's corner during his one-on-one WrestleMania match against Owens.
Sure, Logan Paul's involvement in this rivalry has ruffled some feathers. But it can't be denied that Owens and Zayn's feud has picked up a lot of steam within a short period of time.
#1 Daniel Bryan singlehandedly destroyed his WWE WrestleMania 37 opponents
From Edge vs. Roman Reigns, the WWE Universal Championship storyline has suddenly become all about Daniel Bryan's resurgence in the main event scene.
This week's episode of WWE SmackDown kicked off with Edge's promo, where he justified his questionable actions against Reigns and Bryan in recent weeks. Edge expressed his displeasure regarding Bryan's involvement in his redemption arc. The WWE Hall of Famer said he should have seen it all coming in the first place.
Edge finally realized that he had to do whatever it takes to secure his goals in WWE. He then confirmed the return of The Rated-R Superstar and made it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to cross the line the next time around.
In the main event of this week's WWE SmackDown, Bryan fought Jey Uso in a Street Fight. While Edge sat near the commentary table, Reigns scouted the match from the entrance stage.
After a back-and-forth contest, Bryan not only tapped out Uso, but he also proceeded to brutalize Edge and Reigns. He singlehandedly took down both men and stood tall to end the episode.
Bryan's arc in this episode was necessary to establish his character's role in this triple threat saga. He is the only one willing to achieve his goals the right way, unlike Edge and Roman Reigns. In comparison, Edge and Reigns are always looking for an easy way out of every situation on WWE SmackDown.
This progression helped firmly establish the contrast between all three men heading into WrestleMania, where they'll clash in an explosive title match.
Do catch Rick Ucchino and Sid Pullar III (SP3) on 'Smack Talk' in the video linked above, as they share their thoughts on all that went down during this week's WWE SmackDown.
