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WWE announced that Vince McMahon had retired ahead of this week’s WWE SmackDown. It was also reported that one of the company’s top stars left the show after Vince’s retirement announcement.
Fans waited to see what the show had in store this week. Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey got face-to-face just over a week before their big match at SummerSlam.
Madcap Moss got a spot in the main event of the show. Meanwhile, the Viking Raiders destroyed Jinder Mahal and Shanky before their match could even get started. It will be interesting to see if New Day is able to get the better of the heels anytime soon.
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Sonya Deville also got in some trouble after getting in Adam Pearce’s face. Will The Pride Fighter find a way to get back in top position on the show?
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Let's take a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right on this week’s show.
#5. Ludwig Kaiser defeated Shinsuke Nakamura with Gunther’s help
Ludwig Kaiser was unable to defeat Shinsuke Nakamura a couple of weeks ago on WWE SmackDown. This week, a rematch took place between the two superstars.
Kaiser took advantage early on and hit some big moves before going for a near fall. He punished Nakamura and sent him into the steel steps outside the ring to impress Gunther.
A sliding knee followed by a German Suplex earned Kaiser another near fall. The Artist mounted a comeback and took Ludwig down with some signature moves. He was on a roll in the ring before he was distracted by Gunther outside of it.
Kaiser tried to take advantage and rolled up Shinsuke but could not put him away. The Intercontinental Champion distracted Nakamura once again and hit a cheap shot behind the referee’s back. Ludwig took advantage and picked up the win.
After the match, Ludwig Kaiser proudly posed at the top of the stage. Gunther punished him again by chopping his chest to end the segment.
Gunther has been built as a ruthless force on SmackDown. A match between him and Nakamura for the title at SummerSlam could end up being great. However, it’s the storyline between him and Kaiser that will likely get more interesting in the weeks to come.
#4. Liv Morgan and Ronda Rousey cut a good promo before Happy Corbin attacked Pat McAfee
A backstage face-to-face was booked between Ronda Rousey and SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan. Rousey quickly dismissed Kayla Braxton and got in the champion’s face.
She told Liv that not only will she defeat her for the title at SummerSlam, but she also expects Morgan to shake her hand after the match. Liv was unmoved by Ronda’s threat and said that she had more passion and determination than anyone else in the locker room.
The Baddest Women on the Planet mocked the champion and said that she had more passion than everyone, except her. It was a good way to build a match between the two superstars without getting them to throw punches. Fans will have to wait to see how Liv Morgan performs in a full match against Ronda Rousey.
Back in the arena, Happy Corbin came out to attack Pat McAfee at the announcement desk and sent him into the barricades. McAfee recovered and chased his opponent for SummerSlam away before a brawl broke out backstage. Pat returned to the arena and got in the ring to cut a promo.
This was another good segment to build the match for SummerSlam. It looks like WWE is ready to award Pat McAfee another big win at the Premium Live Event.
#3. Raquel Rodriguez scored a win over Sonya Deville on WWE SmackDown
Sonya Deville was backstage with Adam Pearce on WWE SmackDown. The heel talked down the WWE official and paid a heavy price for it. He booked her in for a match against Raquel Rodriguez.
Deville tried to take control of the contest early and pushed Raquel around. She bounced her head off the turnbuckle and tried to stay on top in the match.
Raquel fought back and hit a big slam followed by a corkscrew elbow for a near fall. The former NXT Women’s Champion stayed on the attack and did not let her guard down again. She hit a few kicks before putting Deville away with the Texana Bomb for the win.
The Pride Fighter has done a great job at staying relevant on the SmackDown. Fans will have to wait to see what the rivalry between her, and Adam Pearce leads to.
Meanwhile, Raquel needs a proper storyline to stay on top of the women’s division. She is among the most dominant women on the Blue brand and needs to get a proper storyline that takes her to the top.
#2. Madcap Moss and The Street Profits vs. The Usos and Theory turned out to be a great match
A confrontation early in the show led to a match between the teams of Theory & The Usos and Madcap Moss & The Street Profits. Before the match, Jeff Jarrett showed up backstage and said that The Usos and Street Profits tried to bribe him for their match at SummerSlam, but he said no.
Once the match on SmackDown got underway, The Street Profits and Moss took control. A double team from the Profits wiped out Jimmy & Jey Uso.
Theory avoided getting tagged in, but Moss knocked him off the apron. Montez Ford kept the pressure on and got a near fall after hitting Jey with a top rope cross body. Madcap came in and hit a Spinebuster on Jimmy and continued to keep the pressure on his opponents.
Theory tried to run away from the contest, but The Usos nailed him with Superkicks. The young superstar got in on the action and hit Moss with a big move but failed to get the pin. He took out his frustration on Moss by attacking him with the Money in the Bank briefcase and causing a disqualification.
It was an enjoyable match that could have ended with a proper result. It was good to see Madcap Moss get another big match on SmackDown. Meanwhile, the rivalry between The Usos and Street Profits has reached its boiling point. The two will put on another great show at SummerSlam.
#1. Brock Lesnar appeared on WWE SmackDown to destroy Theory
After the match ended, Brock Lesnar’s music hit and the Beast Incarnate made his way out to the ring. He hit Mr. Money in the Bank with a big F5 and beat him down with his briefcase.
The former Universal Champion laughed at Theory before hitting him with another F5 before the show came to an end. It was an unexpected end to a solid episode.
Before WWE SmackDown got underway, there were reports that Lesnar had left the show and the company was trying to negotiate with him. Fans did not expect him to show up on the same night to punish Theory and send another warning to Roman Reigns.
WWE did extremely well by booking this segment and removing all doubts. It was worrying to hear that the match between Lesnar and Reigns for SummerSlam was uncertain. The Beast Incarnate made a statement and removed all uncertainty with his actions.
