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WWE SmackDown delivered a solid episode last week. At the end of the show, Roman Reigns threw Kevin Owens off a ledge and sent him crashing through a table. This dynamic storyline continued on Friday night.
Reigns opened the show and delivered a dire warning to the man who booked last week’s match between Owens and Jey Uso. Following that fiery segment, Apollo Crews got a shot at the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Several SmackDown Superstars appeared backstage to confirm their participation in the upcoming WWE Royal Rumble. Plus, Sonya Deville appeared on the blue brand as Adam Pearce's new assistant.
Pearce had a rough night, and by the end of the show, "The Tribal Chief" made it clear that the WWE Official would pay for his disrespect. Here's a look at the five things WWE SmackDown got right this week.
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#5 Roman Reigns looks down on Adam Pearce throughout WWE SmackDown
WWE SmackDown opened with its top champion Roman Reigns. He spoke about how Kevin Owens impressed him with his ambition.
"The Head of the Table" then turned his attention to Adam Pearce and blamed him for Owens' injuries. He claimed that Pearce was the one who put Owens in that unfortunate situation.
Reigns then got in Pearce’s face because he felt that the WWE Official disrespected him. The champion was upset because he couldn't pick his next challenger. Reigns left WWE’s resident authority figure with a looming threat that culminated at the end of the show.
The opening segment was great, as it allowed Reigns’ character to grow even more. Fans expected Reigns to call Pearce out on WWE SmackDown this week, and that’s exactly what "The Head of the Table" decided to do.
Reigns’ fierce attitude towards Pearce was fantastic, and it set the tone for the entire night. Over the past few weeks, Reigns has gotten the chance to both open and close the show. With such an electric segment at the beginning of the night, fans were expecting a thrilling conclusion to the show.
#4 Apollo Crews gets a big chance on WWE SmackDown
WWE SmackDown's first match pit Big E against Apollo Crews. These two stars displayed good chemistry in a bout for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Crews took the fight to Big E and showed off his impressive strength.
He easily threw around the massive WWE Intercontinental Champion and took him down with a big Superplex. But the match abruptly ended when the referee counted a double pinfall. He declared that the match ended in a draw.
Crews demanded the title, as he claimed that he won the match. He then disrespectfully slapped Big E in the face. Crews’ actions convinced Big E to restart the match, and he fought Crews with much more aggression.
Big E refused to stay down, though Crews executed his signature moves. Big E finally hit his finisher to earn the victory. The initial false finish confused some fans, but this match still delivered.
Though he lost the match, Crews looked quite strong this week on WWE SmackDown. He'll probably get another shot at the title sooner rather than later. Fans can also expect the former WWE United States Champion to turn heel, as he hinted at his dark side on Friday night.
#3 Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode win the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Last week on WWE SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode attacked The Street Profits. The Dirty Dawgs got a title match this week’s show, and they capitalized. Roode and Ziggler have been doing well as a tag team in WWE, and the veterans entered this match determined to win the gold.
Ziggler survived an early attack from Ford, and he targeted the champion's injured leg. The Dirty Dawgs worked hard to slow down the fastest man in the ring.
Dawkins tried to take matters into his own hands, but the heels were unstoppable. Ford ultimately fell to a Spinebuster-ZigZag combination that allowed Ziggler and Roode to win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Street Profits had been holding the SmackDown tag titles for a few months. Some fans were upset by the decision to dethrone the popular team. But with the titles around their waists, Roode and Ziggler could shake up this stale division.
SmackDown's tag team division doesn't have a lot of depth right now. The decision to crown heel champions could help the brand build some babyface teams.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura wins over the WWE Universe on WWE SmackDown
In the main event of WWE SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura competed in the Gauntlet Match to determine Roman Reigns’ challenger for WWE Royal Rumble. Given Nakamura's lackluster booking in recent months, few fans considered him to be a legitimate threat in this match. But early on, he blocked a splash attempt from Rey Mysterio and forced the fan-favorite star to tap out.
Nakamura also eliminated King Corbin after a competitive exchange. Suddenly, the former Royal Rumble Winner looked quite impressive.
Nakamura and Daniel Bryan put on a great show when they shared the ring. Eventually, "The Artist" drilled Bryan with a nasty knee strike to eliminate the former WWE Champion. This third elimination made it seem like Nakamura was bound to win the match.
Following the pin, the two Superstars shook hands, and Nakamura looked like a babyface for the first time in almost three years.
"The Artist" is still one of the best wrestlers in the world, and on WWE SmackDown, he showed why many fans believe that his talent is being wasted. Nakamura should have been a multi-time WWE Champion by now. Instead, he has been wasting away in the mid-card. But he could finally be on the right track.
#1 Roman Reigns has the last laugh on WWE SmackDown
After Shinsuke Nakamura took down Daniel Bryan on WWE SmackDown, it seemed like he'd be challenging Roman Reigns at WWE Royal Rumble. But Reigns shattered Nakamura's dreams when he helped Adam Pearce win the match.
Paul Heyman worked hard to put Pearce in the Gauntlet Match, though the authority figure did not want to compete. Uso attacked Nakamura and weakened him to guarantee Pearce's victory. Reigns knocked Pearce out and draped him over Nakamura. The referee counted the pin, so Pearce will challenge Reigns for the WWE Universal Title later this month.
This closing segment allowed "The Tribal Chief" and his associates to demonstrate their dastardly methods. While it’s one thing to take out a competitor like Kevin Owens, bringing a reluctant non-wrestler into a fight is a new low.
Some fans are aware of Pearce’s accomplishments in the squared circle earlier in his career. But he has never faced a competitor like Reigns. Plus, Pearce hasn't wrestled in six years. Either way, WWE SmackDown threw fans a major curveball this week, and it added even more excitement to the show.
