WWE SmackDown Flops and Hits: Brock Lesnar destroys Roman Reigns’ ego, former world champions desperately seek redemption 

WWE SmackDown delivered an engaging show this week. The episode had its highs and lows. However, the positives outweigh the flaws when it comes to setting the tone for the road to WrestleMania.

The show's opening segment saw Sonya Deville launch an attack on Ronda Rousey. As a result, a singles match was booked between the two superstars for next week.

Additionally, we also saw Team B.A.D. reunite as WWE Superstars Sasha Banks and Naomi joined forces to let everyone know that they will be challenging for the Women's Tag Team Championships shortly.

Here, we look at the biggest flops and hits from WWE SmackDown tonight. So, without further ado, let's begin.

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#5 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Brock Lesnar

This week, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar paid a short visit to Universal champion Roman Reigns on SmackDown. The two superstars met for the contract signing in the main event. As has always been the case, the inking of the name on the dotted line is far from a peaceful event. The Beast Incarnate successfully got under Reigns' skin by challenging his authority.

An agitated Roman Reigns cut a promo to assert that the blue brand belongs to him, with all its good and bad. He also had several "security personnel" inside the ring, hoping to keep the tides in his favor. However, they were no match for Lesnar, who eventually lost his cool and destroyed most of the people inside the ring.

From flinging a chair at one of the men to attacking several with a huge table, The Beast Incarnate went from zero to a hundred in the blink of an eye. The Tribal Chief and the other members of The Bloodline quickly escaped from Lesnar's reach and looked at the beast with horror in their eyes.

The WWE Champion then smiled at his future opponent, sending a clear message to his entire entourage.

The great thing about this segment was Brock Lesnar's booking as a babyface. The more heroic he looks, the better he makes Roman Reigns look like atop heel, which is the long-term goal anyway.

It was confirmed on WWE SmackDown tonight that Reigns and Lesnar will compete in a winner-takes-all title unification match at WrestleMania 38. The stakes increase every week, and the creative team has done well in building up this feud to justify the tag "Biggest WrestleMania Match of all time."

Before The Show of Shows, Brock Lesnar is scheduled to put his WWE Championship on the line next Saturday. The company has not yet revealed who would be his challenger, but there are several exciting options to explore from the current roster.

#4 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Big E and Kofi Kingston

This week's first match on WWE SmackDown saw Big E and Kofi Kingston face Lethal Lovers, aka Los Lotharios, in an action-packed in-ring encounter. Both tag teams did well in taking turns to dominate their match. Last time, Big E took the pin, and he wanted his revenge against Angel and Humberto.

Big E and Kingston were at their best inside the ring, putting their best antics on display. The duo dominated their opponents throughout most of the bout, but also faced multiple challenges from Humberto and Angel.

Los Lotharios deserve credit for their creative offenses, especially at ringside. Big E then retaliated by threatening to run over his vehicle over Humberto, which distracted Angel long enough for Kofi Kingston to capitalize.

The particular spot allowed Kingston and Big E to shift the moment entirely in their favor on WWE SmackDown. They eventually used Midnight Hour to seal their victory against Los Lotharios on the show. But that was not all for the recently reunited New Day members.

A backstage segment showed Kingston and Big E cross paths with Sheamus and Ridge Holland. The Celtic Warrior tried to assert his superiority over the former WWE Champions, but Kofi Kingston and Big E rode away after insulting the Irish superstar in front of his protégé.

It was surprising to see Holland back on Sheamus' side, especially considering that the latter had pushed his "friend" inside the ring last week. But it appears that they have made up and are now gearing up for a tag team feud with Big E and Kingston on WWE SmackDown.

#3 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Drew McIntyre’s repetitive booking

Drew McIntyre deserves to be a part of one of the more compelling storylines on WWE SmackDown. He has been feuding with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. There was nothing wrong with The Scottish Warrior’s performance tonight. But it was evident that the creative team didn’t have a clear direction for his match this week.

First, it was announced that McIntyre would face Moss. It was then said that he would face Corbin. However, at the show, Happy Corbin forced Madcap Moss to compete against Drew McIntyre, which meant that the initial plan was back in action.

Despite the last-minute changes, we saw Moss and McIntyre face each other in another impressive encounter. To their credit, they don’t leave any stone unturned in delivering compelling matches. And thus, it is unfair to blame either of the two superstars.

Instead, the creative team deserves the heat for dropping the ball against two talented superstars. McIntyre is a certified world champion, and Moss looks like he has a bright future in the company. However, their current run would force even the most loyal fans into boredom.

Surely, there can be more twists in this storyline on WWE SmackDown, especially if the writers are too adamant about ending the feud.

Latest reports have suggested that Drew McIntyre will face Happy Corbin at WrestleMania this year. Following that, The Scottish Warrior is expected to enter into a title feud with Roman Reigns. However, he would only lose credibility if he is constantly written as the most boring babyface in the promotion.

They made a similar mistake with Reigns long back, and it is baffling to see that they turned another superstar into a boring on-screen character.

#2 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Xia Li

Xia Li made her in-ring debut against Natalya on WWE SmackDown tonight. Since her arrival, she has been booked as The Protector on the blue brand. Li first took notice of Natalya because of the latter’s fixation on Aliyah, and she made it her mission to make the “Best of All Time” pay for her oppressive actions.

It was important for Li to make a huge statement on WWE SmackDown this week. Fortunately for us, her in-ring performance made her seem like a legitimate threat to the women’s division. She was impressive in her performance against Natalya and picked up a huge victory over the veteran to kickstart her run on WWE SmackDown.

Here’s no denying that the company’s women’s division has taken a hit in the last few months with the ever-shrinking roster. Bayley and Sasha Banks’ absence barely left any credible challengers for the titles on RAW and SmackDown.

WWE has started investing in new talent on the red brand, and the same must be done on SmackDown in the coming months. Xia Li appears to be such a talent who has the potential to establish herself as a legitimate title contender moving forward.

#1 Flop/Hit on WWE SmackDown: The start to Sami Zayn’s Intercontinental Championship reign

Sami Zayn returned on WWE SmackDown to celebrate the beginning of his third reign as the Intercontinental Champion. Last week, he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the title in epic fashion. Unfortunately for him, he crossed paths with an old rival who is seemingly back on the show to target Zayn’s title. We are talking about Jackass star Johnny Knoxville.

While Knoxville did well in his brief stint with WWE earlier this year, there is no need to extend their feud at this point. Wouldn’t it be better to have Zayn continue his feud with Nakamura and give the former champion a well-deserved title rematch?

Even Rick Boogs could make for an interesting challenger against Zayn on WWE SmackDown. The newly crowned champion needs more matches as the title-holder, especially if the creative team insists on booking him as a conspiracy theory fanatic.

There was a silver lining to his segment. Zayn’s open challenge for her title led to Ricochet stepping up backstage. He informed everyone that he wants to be the next in line to challenge the Intercontinental Champion, and the high-flying superstar is inching closer to the opportunity.

We will finally see him doing something worthwhile on WWE SmackDown. It will be exciting to see how the creative team books Ricochet after handing him a career-defining opportunity.