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The SmackDown Premiere on FOX is officially in the books and what an episode it was! While it wasn't even the best SmackDown this year, it certainly lived up to the hype and the crowd was incredible, the set was fantastic and it felt like watching a new show altogether.
It was a huge facelift for SmackDown and it's going to be interesting to see how it progresses storyline-wise. The WWE draft officially begins next week and things are going to get crazy as we head towards the last few months of the year.
The main problem this show had was they were clearly trying to get as many stars on the card as possible, which meant that superstars such as AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, etc. all had no entrances whatsoever.
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It ended with a major shock and debut, of course. But we will get to that soon. If you've been waiting for it, here are the things that WWE subtly told us on the SmackDown FOX premiere!
Also read: Renee Young responds to CM Punk's return rumors
#6 The Firefly Fun House segment was a reference to Dean Ambrose
Bray Wyatt had one of the most serious and dark episodes of Firefly Fun House yet. While we did get the bubbly and happy Bray Wyatt, things took a dark turn. The Ramblin' Rabbit cosplayed as Seth Rollins and warned him again, after which Wyatt put him inside a model of the Cell.
He showed Rollins getting decimated and said that "History has a way of repeating itself". It was a nice little nod to a man we now know as Jon Moxley, previously Dean Ambrose. It's crazy that they even acknowledged it and with that alone, the rivalry took a whole new level.
We still don't know why Hell in a Cell has just three matches as of this writing, but let's wait and see.
#5 A huge sense of trust in the Four Horsewomen
The first match of the SmackDown on FOX era saw The Four Horsewomen go at it in a tag team match. Sasha Banks and Bayley were defeated by Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a match that saw The Queen submit the SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley.
One clear thing is that WWE places more trust on these four women than the majority of the roster, male or female. They know exactly what they're capable of and the fact that they were the ones to have the first match on FOX is a huge responsibility for them.
Thankfully, the four women, once an integral part of NXT, have come a long way and know how to thrive under high-pressure situations. We commend WWE for giving them the platform to open things on the show and it must have been a huge confidence booster for all of the women.
As of this writing, we don't know what is happening at Hell in a Cell, but don't be surprised if Charlotte Flair vs Bayley is announced in short order.
#4 The Rock did want to work with Becky Lynch only
Sportskeeda's own Tom Colohue had reported earlier that The Rock would have been very disappointed if he wasn't working with Becky Lynch. Here's what he said:
In a follow-up report, he wrote:
In the end, this is exactly what has happened and I have been assured since that the plan was changed to fit with the preferences of The Rock and Becky Lynch. The originally scheduled segment would have played out very similarly, with Baron Corbin suffering a beating at the hands of The Rock and The Rock alone.
It's nice to see that the rumor was, in fact, true. WWE subtly hinted at this fact and right off the bat, Colohue was proven to be true. It's incredible that over the last year, Becky Lynch has shared the ring with Edge, John Cena and The Rock, looking good in all of the segments.
She even shared a ring with 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin on his show, if that counts. But it's a big boost for The Man that The Rock of all people wanted to work with her.
#3 Tyson Fury vs Braun Strowman is happening
Tyson Fury was only one of the three 'former' legitimate Heavyweight Champions who appeared on the night. Of course, Fury never lost the title, so he is still the Lineal Heavyweight Champion.
Before he takes on Deontay Wilder later next year, it looks like he's getting his hands into pro wrestling. It's quite incredible to see Fury reach where he has and if you don't know his backstory over the last few years, you need to read about it.
This is a man who went from winning the World Heavyweight Championship to then spiraling into depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and drug use. He has since made a comeback and looks better than ever.
Braun Strowman tried to showboat in front of him and even Irish-whipped Dolph Ziggler onto the barricade, sending Fury back a little bit. After Strowman won, Fury jumped over the barricade and had to be restrained by the security, who did their job for once. While Strowman will be playing the heel, it's going to be exciting to see him face Tyson Fury - an unexpected name!
Get ready for Strowman vs Fury at some point this year or even next.
#2 Cain Velasquez vs Brock Lesnar is on, but when?
Brock Lesnar ended KofiMania in ten seconds. You read that right. It took Lesnar all but ten seconds to catch Kofi Kingston mid-air and defeat him in what was his first match on free TV in 15 and a half years.
It comes as no surprise that Lesnar won the match, especially given the circumstances. However, a ten-second squash certainly seemed out of the realm of possibility. Either way, that moment itself was overshadowed when Rey Mysterio came out...with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.
Lesnar's face told the whole story. For those unimpressed by the man who may not have the most perfect physique - he's as legitimate as they come. One of the scariest men on the planet, he is the man who knocked Brock Lesnar out into oblivion to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
It was a flashback moment as he took Lesnar down with the double-leg and then began the ground and pound, something that actually happened in their real fight. Now the big question is when exactly they're planning to have this match. They have a bunch of really good PPV dates coming up ahead, so it's going to be interesting to see how they deal with it.
#1 The "sports-like direction" is true upon Shane McMahon's firing
"The Best in the World" is no longer in WWE. Shane McMahon, the man who has been SmackDown commissioner for a good part of a couple of years, has now been fired from WWE.
As per the stipulation of the ladder match, the loser's WWE contract would be terminated and that's exactly what happened as Kevin Owens beat Shane McMahon, concluding their story that didn't just start this year - it started back in 2017.
Their long-running feud even culminated in a tag team match at WrestleMania where Shane, the babyface at the time, got the big payoff victory. Despite the roles being switched, there is a level of consistency in the storytelling which has been downright brilliant.
This, of course, is the perfect conclusion to the story and many are wondering why Shane McMahon got fired. There were rumors that WWE is now moving in a "sports-like" direction, which means that Authority Figures will be all but done with.
Paul Heyman is reportedly not a fan of the authority figure concept, probably knowing well as to how overdone it has been over the years. WWE will be taking this sports-like direction moving forward!
Also read: 5 reasons why Shane McMahon got fired from WWE on the SmackDown on FOX Premiere
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