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From an interesting exploration of Roman Reigns and Jey Uso's bond to Sasha Banks revealing her thoughts on Bayley's brutal ambush, this week's edition of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.
The Blue brand delivered another entertaining episode last night. As of now, SmackDown might be better in various aspects when compared to Monday Night RAW. Let's hope that this impressive streak continues even beyond WWE Clash of Champions.
Which show was better this week, RAW or SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE SmackDown (September 18, 2020).
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#5: Bayley assaulted Sasha Banks in the WWE Performance Center
For the first time since The Golden Role Models broke up, Sasha Banks returned to WWE by providing her perspective on Bayley's attack.
Banks cut an emotional promo from the Performance Center, where the former RAW Women's Champion was too overwhelmed by how things ended between herself and Bayley.
Eventually, The Legit Boss said that Bayley wouldn't be the current SmackDown Women's Champion if it wasn't for her support. Banks also staked her claim on Bayley's prestigious title at the end of her promo.
Bayley was present in the WWE Performance Center at the same time, and she launched another attack on her former best friend. Before things could escalate any further, both of them were separated by the on-site staff.
Bayley has transformed from a smug Champion into a dangerous heel, which seems intriguing. Meanwhile, Sasha Banks has all the momentum of the world behind her as a babyface. With Sasha also being cast in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, this feud could end up getting some mainstream attention in the next few weeks.
WWE has ample opportunities to book Sasha Banks vs Bayley as their top feud on SmackDown.
#4: The Miz sued Otis after what happened at the beginning of the episode
This week's edition of WWE SmackDown opened with The Dirt Sheet, hosted by The Miz and John Morrison.
The Dirt Sheet duo is currently embroiled in a feud with Heavy Machinery, and their rivalry has escalated due to some important plot developments. John Morrison unsuccessfully attempted to steal Otis' MITB contract several times, and The Miz pulled some strings to get Mandy Rose traded to WWE RAW.
So Otis wasn't too happy when The Miz cracked a joke at Mandy Rose's expense during The Dirt Sheet segment. Heavy Machinery interrupted both of them and Otis didn't hold back while attacking The Miz.
The Miz ended up being embarrassed because he was stripped down to his underwear. But later in the night, Miz revealed that he wanted to intentionally aggravate Otis earlier. It was all a "part of his elaborate plan."
Eventually, Otis got served with legal documents because of what went down during The Dirt Sheet segment, and Otis may have to go to court unless he relinquishes his MITB contract.
WWE has a mixed track record with silly storylines, but Otis and The Miz are great at portraying their onscreen roles effectively. So far, they have found an entertaining way to execute what could have otherwise been a filler storyline.
#3: Jeff Hardy challenged AJ Styles and Sami Zayn to a ladder match at WWE Clash of Champions
AJ Styles and Sami Zayn covered the in-ring duties as they went one-on-one against each other on this week's edition of WWE SmackDown. This match was booked to possibly determine the better man who could challenge Jeff Hardy for the Intercontinental Title at WWE Clash of Champions.
After a good battle, AJ Styles outsmarted Sami Zayn at his own game by defeating the latter with a school-boy pin. Zayn attacked The Phenomenal One after the match was over, and he demanded to be called the "rightful" Intercontinental Champion anyways.
Jeff Hardy entered the scene and knocked out both Styles and Zayn. Hardy procured a ladder to perform a maneuver on Zayn, but the latter escaped the ring immediately.
Jeff Hardy is sick and tired of running around in circles with AJ Styles and Sami Zayn, so he challenged them to a triple threat ladder match at WWE Clash of Champions.
All three competitors mentioned here are incredibly talented, and booking a ladder match between Styles, Hardy, and Zayn, might have sounded like a dream match in WWE a few years ago.
#2: Alexa Bliss showcased her duality as a friend to Nikki Cross while being entranced by The Fiend at the same time
Bray Wyatt wasn't booked on this week's episode of WWE SmackDown, but The Fiend's presence was vicariously felt through the actions of Alexa Bliss.
Alexa seemed normal when she conversed with Nikki Cross during "A Moment of Bliss". Before the former could talk about her complicated attachment with The Fiend in WWE, Lacey Evans interrupted both of them.
She took some shots at the equation between Nikki and Alexa, which led to a singles match between Nikki Cross and Lacey Evans. Lacey's "Sassy Southern Belle" character overwhelmed Nikki Cross when it came to screen presence on this week's WWE SmackDown.
Cross managed to defeat her opponent, but it was after the match where Alexa's dark side surfaced on live television. Apparently, saying "The Fiend" triggers Bliss into being possessed by Bray Wyatt's evil alter-ego, which seems to be the main reason why she snaps into a different character out of nowhere.
Lacey verbalized those trigger words in front of Bliss during WWE SmackDown, and the latter proceeded to execute a Sister Abigail's Kiss move on The Sassy Southern Belle.
Alexa Bliss remained in a trance-like state throughout the night.
#1: Roman Reigns and Jey Uso defeated Sheamus and King Corbin in a Samoan Street Fight main event
Roman Reigns and Jey Uso's equation keeps getting interesting every week. The Tribal Chief teamed up with his cousin on WWE SmackDown once again, but this time around, Reigns was present from the very beginning of the bout.
Before this match could start, Big E returned and tried to attack Sheamus backstage. The Celtic Warrior's paid security man ended up taking the brunt of this assault.
The odds are stacked against Jey Uso at WWE Clash of Champions, but he surprised Roman Reigns to a certain extent this week.
Reigns stole the pin from his cousin last time, and Jey Uso returned the favor by doing the same on the latest edition of WWE SmackDown. The relationship between both cousins has unfolded in a fascinating manner so far.
Reigns hugged his cousin in a light-hearted moment after the match was over, but the expression on the Universal Champion's face when Uso walked away indicated that he wasn't too happy with someone else holding his Championship gold as a joke.
The aftermath of last night's main event was presented in such a way that it almost felt like Reigns was going to turn on his own cousin. That didn't happen on this week's WWE SmackDown, but their storyline has reached a point where Roman Reigns could snap against Jey Uso sooner than later.
