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WWE SmackDown after Bash in Berlin pushed things forward on the blue brand, diverting from the Berlin event. LA Knight was confronted by Carmelo Hayes and Andrade, both defiant that they were befitting contenders to dethrone him for the United States Championship.
Let's take a look at the best and worst from the latest edition of WWE SmackDown:
Worst: Giovanni Vinci's hyped return crumbles in seconds
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Giovanni Vinci's unfortunate streak spilled over from April this year to the latest episode of SmackDown.
The former Imperium member's unpleasantries with Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser led to the unsuspecting betrayal and attack. Shortly after, he was announced to be drafted to the blue brand.
Earlier this month, a vignette aired hyping his SmackDown debut. Giovanni Vinci was set to face Apollo Crews. The WWE star made his grand entrance, showcasing his new look and persona. However, Crews pinned the 34-year-old star in 3 seconds marking a pitiful start to his SmackDown run. Giovanni Vinci was also off television for the majority of the year, and recent events do not seem to pan out in his favor regarding future bookings.
Best: Tiffany Stratton to be free from Nia Jax's shadow?
Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax had seemingly formed an unlikely alliance, with the former winning Money in the Bank and the latter hell-bent on becoming the WWE Women's Champion.
Jax proceeded to complete her quest and become the women's champion, while Stratton stood by her side. The latest edition of SmackDown saw Tiffany Stratton square off against Bayley. Jax was ringside supposedly to cheer her friend who ultimately lost to The Role Model. Bayley mocked the two stars as she celebrated victory, with Jax visibly upset.
A beef between Stratton and Jax looks imminent but not so soon given their blossoming friendship. Ms. Money in the Bank is a huge fan favorite among the WWE Universe despite her brief time so far on the main roster.
Worst: Kevin Owens' seemingly going back to Austin Theory and Grayson Waller feud after major title match
Kevin Owens' trajectory over the past month has somewhat witnessed a major downfall.
Cody Rhodes practically handed KO a title match at Bash in Berlin citing that he deserved it. Owens has been missing a singles title around his waist for quite a while now but the method of booking the match left many WWE fans disinterested.
Last week, Rhodes defended his Undisputed WWE Title against Owens, and the two shook on it post-match, displaying no hard feelings whatsoever. Given KO's position on the blue brand, it seemed demeaning to have him go back to feud with Austin Theory and Grayson Waller on SmackDown.
It was announced that the former Universal Champion would be teaming up with a mystery tag team partner against Theory and Waller in the coming week. Many dreadfully anticipate it to be Randy Orton, given their recent history.
Best: Jacob Fatu to outshine Solo Sikoa?
The show kicked off with Cody Rhodes talking to fans about his match with Kevin Owens the previous week. The champion proceeded to talk about The Bloodline problem and called out Solo Sikoa for wanting a rematch.
Rhodes was (unsurprisingly) interrupted by the group. The American Nightmare dismissed Sikoa's challenge before choosing to put his title on the line against Jacob Fatu. The Samoan Werewolf approached Rhodes but stopped before entering the ring. Sikoa was seemingly taken by surprise with The Bloodline member's actions. Sikoa was adamant against it before sending Jacob Fatu back to his place in the faction.
In a bid to outdo the monotony of their feud, Cody Rhodes laid out a stipulation to make it a Steel Cage match for the title next week on SmackDown. The match was later made official by Nick Aldis and WWE.
Jacob Fatu's already seemingly impressed backstage officials which is evident from his recent WWE booking. If Solo Sikoa continues to pull the strings, it is only a matter of time before the Enforcer snaps and attacks the current Bloodline leader.
