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Another solid episode of WWE SmackDown kicked off with a match involving members of The Bloodline. Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa teamed up to take on Ricochet and Madcap Moss in the opening match. Jey Uso made it clear that he was suspicious of The Master Strategist on the show.
The action picked up from thereon as Bayley and Shotzi competed in a top match on SmackDown. Meanwhile, Ronda Rousey made quick work of Natalya before coming face-to-face with her Extreme Rules opponent Liv Morgan.
Sheamus showcased just how tough he is by confronting Imperium on his own. Meanwhile, Max Dupri effectively ended his alliance with Maximum Male Models on SmackDown. The angle will hopefully bring the former Million Dollar Champion back to the ring.
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The show delivered and built toward the upcoming Extreme Rules Premium Live Event. Check out the five things WWE SmackDown got right this week.
#5. Hit Row made quick work of Los Lotharios
Los Lotharios got a match against Hit Row on this week’s WWE SmackDown. An altercation between the two teams led to this week’s contest.
Ashante "Thee" Adonis and Garza kicked off the match and the two men countered each other’s move. Top Dolla tagged in and hit a couple of axhandles to knock the wind out of his opponent. A running knee and a side slam earned him a near fall.
Dolla kept beating down his opponent and got an Elbow Drop on Humberto, but Garza broke the pin. Dolla showcased his strength by lifting both members of Los Lotharios to hit a massive slam.
Adonis came in and hit the Heavy Hitter with Top Dolla to pick up the win. B-Fab’s distraction helped Hit Row in the match. However, the team comes across as a dominant one thanks to Top Dolla’s strength.
The creative team needs to go back to the drawing board and rebuild Los Lotharios. Garza and Humberto are way too talented to keep picking up losses at the expense of other teams.
#4. Bayley punished Shotzi before coming face-to-face with the RAW Women’s Champion
Bayley arrived on WWE SmackDown without Damage CTRL by her side and took on Shotzi in a singles match. Shotzi took control of the contest and stunned Bayley with some good moves.
She got a double knee arm breaker and nearly rolled up The Role Model for the win. Bayley bounced back and got in some moves of her own before hitting a senton from the turnbuckles.
The two exchanged some moves before Bayley spiked Shotzi with the Rose Plant for the win. After the match, The Role Model continued to beat down her opponent. She hit another Rose Plant before bringing a ladder into the ring.
Bayley nearly sandwiched Shotzi between the ladder before Bianca Belair came out to make the save. The two women brawled before Belair nearly hit the KOD on top of the ladder. However, Bayley managed to escape.
It was essentially a squash match to get Bayley over before her big match. She will likely give Belair a tough time for the title, and could even win it from her soon.
#3. Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa picked up a statement win on WWE SmackDown
Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa teamed up on WWE SmackDown and took on Madcap Moss and Ricochet.
Sami couldn’t overpower Madcap Moss and tagged Solo early. The latter hit some good moves and kept Moss on the backfoot. Ricochet came in and tried to gain some control but took a trapezius claw and Samoan Drop for his troubles.
Ricochet hit a missile dropkick before his partner took a Blue Thunder Bomb from Sami. Moss replied with a jackhammer but could not put his opponent away. A brawl broke out soon after, and Solo took Ricochet down with a chair to the face.
Back in the ring, Sikoa hit a spinning heel kick before getting the Swinging Solo to pick up the win. The match was entertaining and strengthened the bond between Sami and Solo. The two will likely build on a good story in the coming weeks.
Backstage, Jey Uso confronted The Master Strategist once again and told him that he could see what he was up to. However, Jey couldn’t stop Sami from entering The Bloodline’s locker room. The segment planted the seeds for a possible betrayal from Sami Zayn instead.
#2. Imperium beat down Sheamus ahead of their WWE Extreme Rules match
Imperium came out on WWE SmackDown and called out The Brawling Brutes. Sheamus answered their call without Butch and Ridge Holland as they were stuck in Florida due to Hurricane Ian.
A brawl broke out between the two sides, and Sheamus brought out a shillelagh to take down Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. He entered the ring and took GUNTHER down. The rest of Imperium came back and helped their leader hit The Celtic Warrior with some chops and a big boot.
The Ring General ended Sheamus with a powerbomb and walked out of the ring with his faction. Sheamus got hold of a mic and asked if that was all they had before Imperium got back in the ring.
The former WWE Champion took another beating before GUNTHER hit him in the face with the shillelagh before the segment came to an end.
The angle turned Sheamus into a babyface. GUNTHER is the biggest force in WWE after Roman Reigns. It’ll be interesting to see who takes him down and becomes the next Intercontinental Champion.
#1. Drew McIntyre, Johnny Gargano, and Kevin Owens teamed up for a massive main event
Earlier on WWE SmackDown, Theory came out with Alpha Academy to take on Drew McIntyre in a singles match. The two men had a short match after which Drew prepared to hit his finisher, Alpha Academy interfered, causing the match to end in a disqualification.
The three heels beat down the former WWE Champion before Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens made the save. It led to a six-man tag team match later on SmackDown.
Gargano kicked off the match for his team and took control over Chad Gable. Owens tagged in and hit a big cannonball from the apron to keep the action ticking. The Prizefighter hit some good moves on his opponents and took Gable down with a senton for a near fall.
McIntyre hit a big suplex and a neckbreaker before Theory left the ring. He followed his opponent, but Otis sent him into the steel steps. Gargano and Owens worked together to lay out Ortis before Gable came to the rescue.
Back in the ring, McIntyre planted Theory with the Claymore for the win on SmackDown. The main event was extremely enjoyable as the baby faces got a chance to shine.
McIntyre will need the momentum heading into his match against Karrion Kross at Extreme Rules. Meanwhile, it looks like Gargano and KO will be working together for some time. Their partnership could help elevate the tag team division.
