WWE SmackDown Flops and Hits: Paul Heyman gets carried away after Brock Lesnar’s million-dollar fine, former champion embarrassed on the show (29th October 2021)

This week's episode of WWE SmackDown witnessed quite a few good segments. Universal Champion Roman Reigns was absent from the show tonight, which helped sell the brutal beatdown he received at the hands of Brock Lesnar last week.

The Blue brand also featured a Halloween-themed spooky match between Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs and Happy Corbin & Madcap Moss. As corny as it may sound on paper, the aforementioned bout was entertaining for most of its duration.

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

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#5 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Paul Heyman as his brilliant self

As you might know, Brock Lesnar was indefinitely suspended after he attacked half the roster as well as the production crew and match officials on WWE SmackDown last week. The Beast Incarnate did not take the news well and made a big statement when he attacked Adam Pearce inside the ring, leaving him to twist and turn in pain inside the ring.

Pearce was not present in the arena for the show tonight, but he still had a big message for Lesnar. He declared that Brock Lesnar will now also have to pay a $1 million fine in addition to the suspension.

Soon after the announcement, Kayla Braxton approached Paul Heyman backstage and asked him about Lesnar's potential reaction. While Heyman spent the first few minutes praising Roman Reigns, he soon lost his cool and went on to describe why his former client had it in him to destroy everyone in the WWE SmackDown office.

It looked like he was getting slightly carried away while defending Brock Lesnar when he caught himself right in the moment. Heyman then aggressively assured that he doesn't talk to Lesnar, and thus, he has no idea how the latter would react.

This was a great bit of storytelling involving Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chef has not-so-subtly questioned Heyman's loyalty while Lesnar constantly implies that his advocate is still working with him.

The tiny details of this angle have been epic so far, and we can't help but deny Paul Heyman's immensely believable portrayal as a dedicated advisor who sometimes can't help but feel partial towards a former, long-term client. It will be exciting to see how these details add to the storyline on WWE SmackDown as we move forward.

There are very few people in the pro wrestling business who can narrate a story as well as Heyman does. He is the kind of industry veteran who has crafted a special place for himself in WWE's history. Every week, Paul Heyman sends us a gentle reminder about why he is the best at what he does.

#4 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Naomi gets embarrassed, again

While there were a lot of new things on WWE SmackDown this week, Naomi didn’t enjoy any of that. The rift between her and Sonya Deville continued on the Blue brand as the former women’s champion was once again embarrassed inside the ring. Naomi was booked for a singles match against Shayna Baszler following their recent meetings.

Deville walked out right before the match and claimed the referee, who was supposed to officiate, was injured during Brock Lesnar’s carnage last week. Thus, she took it upon himself to perform the duties and promptly got a striped t-shirt. The bout between Naomi and Baszler began on a promising note but quickly went downhill after the first minute.

There were a lot of botches, missed blows, and clustered spots before the match ended with Naomi losing because of Deville’s lightning-fast three count. Although the writers intended to protect her credibility on WWE SmackDown, this was the second time she has taken such a loss and it does not bode well for the superstar.

Wouldn’t it be better to just have be a part of The Bloodline – the most dominant stable in WWE? She can extend that influence over the women’s division or at least escape weak booking decisions.

#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: The Usos and The New Day

Speaking of The Bloodline, Roman Reigns was not present on WWE SmackDown this week. That allowed The Usos to take command, and they undoubtedly stole the show. Jey and Jimmy Uso interrupted King Woods and Sir Kofi Kingston’s brief celebratory moment on the show. The King of the Ring responded by challenging The Usos to a match in the main event.

Both teams share a long history in WWE and have always delivered memorable matches. Once again, they faced each other in the best in-ring bout of the night that saw King Woods and Sir Kofi pick up an impressive victory over the reigning WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Jimmy and Kingston were brawling inside the ring when Jey tried to distract the New Day member.

Sir Kofi attacked Jey Uso before returning to continue his fight with Jimmy Uso. Woods sneakily tagged himself into the match. Jimmy tried to pin Kingston instead, unaware of the fact that King Woods was the legal man while the latter sought the right opportunity to pin the champion and steal a big victory to close the show.

It was a great way to set up a potential WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship feud between The Usos and the New Day.

King Woods and Sir Kofi won’t be like all of The Usos’ other opponents. They are one of the best tag teams to have ever stepped inside the squared circle, and it will be exciting to see how the creative team will book this storyline as we advance.

#2 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Mustafa Ali gets squashed

Drew McIntyre returned to WWE Smackdown this week, intending to prey on other talent and make his mark on the Blue brand. He issued an open challenge that Mustafa Ali decided to answer with utmost confidence.

Unfortunately, Ali had ridiculously underestimated the consequences of facing The Scottish Warrior inside the squared circle. He boasted about being a more athletic, agile, and attractive wrestler in comparison to McIntyre, but the match would prove otherwise.

Despite Mustafa Ali's best efforts, he could not fight Drew McIntyre's relentless blows. The former WWE Champion picked Ali and threw him all over the ring, establishing his dominance in style. The one-sided match ended with Drew McIntyre picking up a victory over his opponent.

Following that, Ali took the mic and said that he needed to get something off his chest before stating that the fans booed him on WWE SmackDown simply because his name is "Mustafa Ali." Is the creative team going for a racist angle here, or is it referring to his initial days as RETRIBUTION leader?

Either way, it doesn't make sense as fans cheer for Mansoor, and everyone blamed RETRIBUTION's failure on the weak writing. Moreover, Ali is too talented to be pushed into such storylines at this stage. He could've had a great match against McIntyre that would have eventually helped his position on the WWE SmackDown roster.

He is in desperate need of redemption. The show writers should involve him in well-balanced feuds with other superstars and give him a deserved opportunity to showcase his talents.

#1 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Interesting addition to the title picture

The opening segment of WWE SmackDown saw Charlotte Flair boast about her multiple accomplishments in the company. She declared herself as the face of the company and the leader of the women's locker room before Sasha Banks interrupted her monolog.

The Boss wanted a title match against The Queen, but the latter said that she wanted to give the opportunity to a "fresh face" on the division. The conversation prompted Shotzi to roll out in her tank and bag her title contender's match against Flair.

Although Charlotte Flair dominated at the start of the match, Shotzi undoubtedly managed to impress with her resilience inside the ring. The entire arena also chanted her name in unison as she continued to push the champion to her limits on WWE SmackDown.

The match lost pace in between, but both superstars did well in eventually gaining the right momentum to account for an entertaining bout. It helps that Sasha Banks was present at ringside throughout this high-stakes battle between Flair and Shotzi.

Although Shotzi came close to pinning The Queen, she ultimately fell victim to unintentional interference from Banks. Charlotte Flair eventually delivered a picturesque Natural Selection to seal her victory.

Sasha Banks, who had been cheering for Shotzi throughout the match, entered the ring to comfort her, but things didn't go according to plan. She decided to layout a brutal attack on Banks, seemingly turning heel in the process.

It was confusing to see the creative team turn Shotzi into a villain, especially when she is extremely over with the crowd. Regardless, it was great to see her involved in the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship picture, and she made a statement for herself.

She is now expected to engage in a feud with Sasha Banks. But before that, will we see The Boss turn face and eventually dethrone Charlotte Flair as the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion?