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WWE SmackDown delivered a decent show this week. There were a couple of decent matches and promising returns. The ongoing storylines picked pace as we inch closer to the upcoming pay-per-view, Fastlane. The show ended with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan signing the contract for their Universal Championship match.
The main event also confirmed a match between Edge and Jey Uso for next week’s SmackDown. The winner of this match will act as a special guest enforcer during the Universal Championship match at Fastlane.
In this article, we will look at Superstars who impressed us on WWE SmackDown this week and those who didn’t.
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#1 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Seth Rollins
This week on WWE SmackDown, Seth Rollins was booked precisely how he should have been when he first returned to the Blue brand. During a backstage segment, he stated that he was done with Cesaro and no longer intended to make the latter follow in his path. However, he quickly regained interest in Cesaro after he came to know that he had a rematch with Murphy.
Cesaro locked horns with Murphy in a good rematch. Both Superstars had engaged in a brutal match on WWE SmackDown last week that ended in Cesaro’s victory. However, he did not win this week as Rollins decided to interfere during the match. He let Murphy go out of the ring and focused all his attention on Cesaro.
Rollins then continued to assault Cesaro while screaming that he wanted good for his ‘friend’. Both these Superstars are close friends in real life. That has led many into believing that their history will help account for an engaging feud on WWE SmackDown. Rollins looked like his brutal self, and it is common knowledge that he is unmatchable as a deceitful heel.
Cesaro has been enjoying a good push and can use feuds like these to elevate his position on the roster. He deserves to be a part of top storylines on WWE SmackDown and this feud could be the right opportunity to book one of those. It will be interesting to see how the creative will move forward with this entire storyline.
We also saw Rollins cross paths with Shinsuke Nakamura on WWE SmackDown. While no words were exchanged between the two Superstars, we expect to see them involved in a storyline soon.
#1 and #2 Flopped on WWE SmackDown: Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair
This week on WWE SmackDown, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair made an appearance on The Kevin Owens Show. The two Superstars will face each other at WrestleMania, with Banks' title on the line. But before that, they will challenge Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the women’s tag team championships at Fastlane. Thus, they had a few unresolved issues that were addressed during this segment.
Belair argued that Reginald often distracted Banks, and the latter could cost them during the title match. The SmackDown Women’s Champion, on the other hand, was more focused on arguing about her in-ring capabilities to win matches all on her own. The budding tension between the two Superstars was evident. Soon, they were interrupted by the Jax and Baszler, who also had Reginald by their side.
Since being fired by Banks, Reginald has seemingly allied with Jax and Baszler. All the Superstars above discussed the recent turn of events when Natalya and Tamina demanded a match. They believed that they should have had the opportunity to challenge the women’s tag team champions. Thus, they wanted to strengthen their claim by facing the challengers on WWE SmackDown.
Surprisingly, both Natalya and Tamina were better than Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair tonight. Banks and Belair were shockingly underwhelming throughout the match. In fact, Natalya was the one who came across as the most dominant contender in this match on WWE SmackDown. The short bout ended with Belair getting pinned after she was distracted by Reginald.
Following their match on WWE SmackDown, Belair and Banks started blaming each other for the defeat. It will be interesting to see how the creative will book them ahead of a crucial title bout that requires both Banks and Belair to stay on the same page.
#2 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Big E
Big E made his return to WWE Smackdown and demanded Apollo Crews face him inside the ring. When the latter did not make an appearance, Big E extended an open challenge for his Intercontinental Championship. He then defended his title against Sami Zayn in a good match despite not being at his hundred percent.
Big E managed to dominate Zayn at the beginning of the match, but the latter also had his chances. He attacked Big E’s knees and elbows to ensure that the momentum remained on his side. The champion took a lot of punishment on WWE SmackDown, which helped maintain the flow of their entire bout.
Big E picked up the victory after hitting the Big Ending on Zayn, but he was attacked by Apollo Crews after the match. Big E was hit with the steel staircase as Crews wanted to make a strong statement on WWE SmackDown. WWE has announced that both Superstars are set to face each other for the IC title at Fastlane.
#3 Flopped on WWE SmackDown: Reginald
While Reginald influenced the result of a crucial match on WWE SmackDown, the other parts of his appearance were unflattering. Something seems to be cooking between Nia Jax and Reginald, and the latter was seen shopping with the RAW Superstar’s money. Jax also hinted at the possibility of something romantic brewing with her newfound ally.
The overall judgment of this relationship can be left to an individual. However, it is worth noting that Reginald was not shown in his element that often allows him to make athletic interferences in the matches. In fact, his agility and swiftness were his most significant advantages when he was assisting his previous allies on WWE SmackDown.
Maybe the creative has something exciting in store for Reginald. But it is essential to ensure that he is not booked as a subject of mockery. It might be harmful to his push in the future. Reginald was playing the idea of a masterplan, and it could account for long-term storytelling on WWE SmackDown. This angle should be pursued on the Blue brand in the future.
#3 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Mysterio delivered an impressive performance on WWE SmackDown this week. He teamed up with Rey Mysterio and The Street Profits to take on Robert Roode, Dolph Ziggler, and The Alpha Academy. Dominik Mysterio’s team won the match, and he was booked well for the entire duration of this in-ring bout.
Dominik Mysterio had his moments against the champions, and he came across as a good challenger while locking horns with them. We could see him teaming up with his father and fighting for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships in the future. Unlike the last few weeks, Dominik Mysterio was given ample time to read the match well and deliver accordingly.
Dominik Mysterio worked well inside the ring and he looked promising even as a singles competitor, which led us to think of whether he could soon find a path of his own on WWE SmackDown. For now, he should be booked in more matches so that he can polish himself inside the ring and prepare for a massive run in the future.
