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WWE SmackDown had a decent episode scheduled for fans this week. The show confirmed that Daniel Bryan would challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at Fastlane. Bianca Belair managed to pin Shayna Baszler ahead of the Women’s Tag Team Championship match scheduled for the upcoming pay-per-view.
In this article, we will take a look at Superstars who impressed us on WWE SmackDown and those who didn’t.
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#1 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Daniel Bryan
The opening segment of WWE SmackDown saw Daniel Bryan addressing the fans. Bryan revealed how he had spent the last few months putting over everyone else. However, at Elimination Chamber, he realized that he wants to be a world champion again. Bryan also discussed his personal struggles before he was interrupted by Roman Reigns.
The Universal Champion told Bryan that he doesn’t deserve to be in the ring anymore. Jey Uso also reminded Bryan about their Steel Cage match later on the show. Interestingly, Bryan responded well when Jey Uso and Reigns tried to attack him inside the ring. He also managed to attack Jey Uso when the latter was busy with an interview during a backstage segment on WWE SmackDown.
The two Superstars finally met inside the Steel Cage in the main event. Both Bryan and Jey Uso looked aggressive right from the start. Bryan avoided a few systematic attacks and managed to stop Uso from leaving the cage on multiple occasions. He pecked on his opponent’s confidence in a short yet entertaining match on WWE SmackDown.
Bryan also took a large of punishment inside the ring. At one point, Uso had reached the top of the cage before Bryan got back on his feet. He then managed to bring Jey Uso back on the mat. Daniel Bryan finally ended the WWE SmackDown main event by forcing Jey Uso to submit to his Yes Lock while Roman Reigns stared at him from the ramp.
Bryan deserved a title rematch after the Elimination Chamber, and he has finally earned that opportunity. He will now challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship at Fastlane later this month. Tonight’s match proved that Bryan should be booked strongly after this match, but it will be interesting to see how Roman Reigns will respond on WWE SmackDown next week.
#1 Flopped on WWE SmackDown: Sami Zayn
This week’s WWE SmackDown was relatively repetitive for most of the show. Things did not look good for Sami Zayn as he ended up losing in his match against Angelo Dawkins. It all started when Zayn thought he would team up with King Corbin to take on The Street Profits. However, Corbin wanted to compete in a singles match against one of The Street Profits.
Montez Ford faced King Corbin and this match ended with the latter picking up a victory with little assistance from Sami Zayn. However, Corbin did not return the favor when Zayn battled Dawkins. The two Superstars did their job, but that does not take away the fact that Zayn was poorly booked. He struggled throughout the match, and when he finally gained momentum, Ford’s conversation at ringside distracted him.
Zayn was quickly pinned as he took yet another loss on WWE SmackDown. A few moments showed how he is confused, but the creative can undoubtedly add to his current run with a couple of good storylines. The only positive aspect of this match saw Dawkins getting a massive win over an opponent who worked hard to put over the new talent.
#2 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Jey Uso
The main event of WWE SmackDown this week saw Daniel Bryan and Jey Uso face each other in an entertaining Steel Cage match. Although Jey Uso did not win this match, he was equally good inside the ring. Uso unleashed a determined side of himself that was taking responsibility for Roman Reigns’ entourage.
He was both cunning and brutal inside the ring that made him look like an excellent heel next to Daniel Bryan. While he is doing great next to Reigns on WWE SmackDown, the creative should book in a couple of personal feuds with the brand's top Superstars.
Interestingly, Reigns had warned Jey Uso ahead of the match and said that he should not embarrass their family. The Universal Champion will have a response for Jey Uso’s loss in this match. He now has to assert his dominance again while ensuring that he doesn’t make another enemy on WWE SmackDown. Jey Uso has proved himself inside the ring repeatedly, slowly determining his place in the main event scene.
#2 Flopped on WWE SmackDown: Bayley
The former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley made a brief appearance on the Blue brand tonight. She introduced a new segment on her show, “Ding Dong, Hello!” called ‘Sweet Tweets’. In this part, Bayley would read out the nice things that people have to say about her. While her antics are entertaining to watch, she can be used in a better fashion.
After she lost her title to Sasha Banks, Bayley has managed to keep momentum on her side. While she is not in the women’s title picture, Bayley can still strengthen the division on WWE SmackDown. The creative should book top talents against her in exciting matchups. It worked with Bianca Belair, who feuded with Bayley to gain momentum ahead of Royal Rumble.
Bayley is an extremely talented Superstar who has now truly embraced her role as a villain. It is an excellent opportunity for the creative to involve Bayley in more memorable feuds on WWE SmackDown in order to keep things interesting for her after WrestleMania. We hope to see her involved in better narratives going forward.
#3 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Bianca Belair
This week on WWE SmackDown, Bianca Belair faced Shayna Baszler in a singles match. The two Superstars have known each other for a long time, and it showed in their bout. They were swift with their counters and dangerous with their blows. Baszler looked like her brutal self once again when she squared off against Belair.
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks was also present during the match, and Reginald followed her to the ringside. At one point, a distraction from him almost cost Belair the match, and he was why Banks was laid flat by Nia Jax. Regardless of everything that was going on outside the squared circle, Belair managed to put her best foot front inside the ring.
Belair managed to keep the momentum on her side by picking her moments to assert dominance over the one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. She knew that she couldn’t space out her attacks against Baszler, who carefully watches for any opportunity to lock her opponent in a submission maneuver.
The match finally ended with Belair pinning Baszler to pick a significant win on WWE SmackDown. The two will meet again at Fastlane when Banks and Belair team up to challenge Baszler and Jax for their titles. As for the WrestleMania feud for the SmackDown Women’s title, we are yet to see Banks and Belair go after one another.
