WWE SmackDown Flops and Hits: Crowd reacts to heel Roman Reigns, Finn Balor returns, fans go wild after epic main event spot (July 16th, 2021)

By Shruti Sadbhav

Modified Jul 17, 2021 03:52 GMT

WWE SmackDown was almost perfect this week

#1 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Cesaro’s underwhelming victory

This week on WWE SmackDown, Cesaro returned to in-ring action as he was scheduled to face Otis in a singles match. Although The Swiss Superman was eventually declared the winner, the entire booking was quite underwhelming. He won the match via disqualification after Chad Gable entered the ring and delivered a German Suplex.

Hey, we can GIF fan reactions again! 👍Not a fan of Otis and the Alpha Academy this lad! 👎#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/NyxkIx9McL
— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) July 17, 2021

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Even before that, Cesaro barely had any chance to land an offense while facing Otis. It was odd to see him in this manner after his incredible performance last week. The Alpha Academy member threw Cesaro all around the ring while the latter could only hit back with a few uppercuts. Just as he started to build momentum, Gable interfered, and the match came to an end on WWE SmackDown.

CESARO SWING!!!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/AvikLVxurg
— WWE (@WWE) July 17, 2021

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Cesaro has worked hard throughout the ThunderDome era and is clearly over with the crowd. It would be unfair to kill his push right when the fans return. His loss wouldn’t look so bad if at least he gets enough time to showcase his mettle during a match. A well-balanced encounter could have added more credibility to Otis’ dominance.

Hopefully, Cesaro will be a part of a better booking on WWE SmackDown in the future.

About the author

Shruti Sadbhav is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. With a triple major in Journalism, English Literature, and Psychology, she has always been drawn to writing. As an avid sports lover, writing about sports was the finest way to combine her passion with her prowess.

Whenever she writes, Shruti puts herself into the shoes of fans to see how she would appreciate an honest account of anything related to something she follows wholeheartedly with engaging and relevant information to cater to the readers' needs.

Shruti has seven years of experience. She previously worked as a content manager at Fox Sports Asia and as an assistant manager and digital marketer at Kickstart FC. Shruti previously worked in multiple roles in Sportskeeda, where she was a WWE features writer, editor, and content manager. She has over 40 million+ reads across all her writer profiles, giving her an immensely diverse audience across WWE and football.

When it comes to pro wrestling, Shruti does not particularly remember the first match she watched. However, she recalls accompanying her brother and getting hooked when she saw The Undertaker – a fascinating wrestler that she, like thousands of others, believed in.
Her views on pro wrestling evolved as she grew older and understood the intricacies of the business. This allows her to appreciate those who dedicate themselves to the craft and, once in a while, it does become what it has always been touted to be – magical. Her favorite wrestler is Finn Balor due to his persistence.

When she is not working as a writer, Shruti loves to read, enjoy a good cup of coffee, and let Manchester City dictate her weekend plans.

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Edited by Kaushik Das