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SmackDown took Bologna, Italy, by storm on WWE's European tour ahead of WrestleMania 41. Fans finally got to see Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk in the same building for the first time since two weeks ago on RAW.
Damian Priest and Jimmy Uso beat Shinsuke Nakamura and Drew McIntyre, but McIntyre left Priest in a heap after the match. Zelina Vega battled Piper Niven but couldn't overcome the Green Regime's numerical advantage.
Fans also saw the second installment of mysterious vignettes. One showed more of the masked man, while the other showed the numbers "4" and "3", presumably for a potential return date for Aleister Black.
There still were no signs of Wyatt Sicks or Alexa Bliss. As the European tour continued, some things worked, and some didn't. Here's the best and worst of WWE SmackDown from Bologna, Italy.
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#2. Best/Worst - Liv Morgan gets a historic win on SmackDown
The live crowd was hot for Liv Morgan when she took on Jade Cargill. However, One problem with everything was that, again, the Women's Tag Team Championship was a prop.
Cargill wasted time by flexing almost every time after hitting a move. She also kipped up a few times after physical exchanges. The action was okay in spots, but WWE booked itself into a corner with the finish.
The Storm is one of the most protected stars in the company, while Morgan should not be losing clean after carrying RAW in 2024. The match should have ended with Naomi's attack, but Morgan won after the interference.
It's a historic moment as it's Cargill's first singles loss via pinfall. Morgan didn't get an apology, but at least she got a huge win. The Street Profits beat Los Garza in an impromptu match and didn't give Escobar the apology he sought for being falsely accused of an attack.
#2. Worst - The voices in Randy Orton's head must be confusing
Randy Orton kicked off SmackDown from Bologna but couldn't get a word out as Kevin Owens interrupted. The Prizefighter apologized for piledriving The Viper, perhaps trying to save his head from becoming a football.
Owens claimed Cody Rhodes deserved it, but Orton did not. The Legend Killer then revealed he was happy Owens dumped him on his head because it woke up the voices in his head.
If he's happy with the result of the attack, why is he still furious that it happened? Orton's reasoning is strange because it seems like he wants to be a remorseless villain again. He then claimed he'd beat Owens up all over Las Vegas at WrestleMania 41.
#2. Best - Heels who use logical reasoning
Cathey Kelly asked Liv Morgan why she interrupted Jade Cargill's interview on last week's SmackDown and why she wouldn't leave her alone after Naomi was revealed as her attacker.
Morgan pointed out that Jade had time to update her Instagram (which she did regularly) but did not clear Morgan and Rodriguez as attackers when blamed for the assault. The former champ took it personally since Cargill never apologized.
It's the same reason some people were mad at Jey Uso and then Cody Rhodes—not apologizing when they may have been wrong. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins accused Los Garza of attacking them a few months ago.
While DIY used it as a ploy, it also didn't apologize for its mistakes. WWE faces can do and say whatever they want without justification, while heels, even with a logical reason, are never justified.
#1. Best/Worst - A messy monster fight on SmackDown with title implications
Any time stars like Bronson Reed, Braun Strowman, Bron Breakker, and Jacob Fatu do battle, it's a treat for fans. Instead of a five-star technical classic, the audience knows a car crash is imminent.
That's how things played out again between Strowman and Fatu, but with higher stakes this time. The winner will face LA Knight for the US Title at next week's SmackDown in London.
Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga interfered, giving Strowman the win by disqualification. Fatu was clearly upset since he lost out on a title opportunity.
It also added another loss to his resume. The dissension suggests a split is imminent. It's just a matter of pulling the trigger at the right time.
#1. Worst - The fire is nearly out a month before WrestleMania
Last week, there was another pull-apart brawl from bookers. This week's SmackDown featured a split-screen interview with Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair. Both women talked over each other at various points and said the same things as usual.
Stratton said she's the champ, and things don't revolve around The Queen anymore. She added that Flair puts out any rising fire (ascending stars).
Flair said her usual, "I'm the best. People bow to me," without giving credence to any opponents.
Despite the fire metaphor, the SmackDown segment did nothing but burn the house down. What's next: a contract signing where they recite the same four lines again?
#1. Best - CM Punk reminds Roman Reigns how the Royal Rumble works
In one of his quarterly appearances, Roman Reigns disclosed why he attacked CM Punk and Seth Rollins two weeks ago on RAW. He said CM Punk "screwed him" by eliminating him from the Royal Rumble. He must not understand the nature of the match.
Reigns then claimed Rollins tried "to kill him" after the elimination, but he must have forgotten that he had done the same to Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Daniel Bryan, and many others over the last four years.
Punk mentioned that it had been a while since Reigns had been in a Rumble, so he had forgotten how they worked. He also saved his family at WarGames.
The Best in the World teased that Heyman "delivered" Reigns to him on a silver platter. All three pointed to the WrestleMania sign during a SmackDown brawl to unofficially agree to a triple-threat match.
