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The latest episode of WWE SmackDown had its fair share of good and bad performances. The show featured a major surprise return and a shocking change in the crowd's opinions. Two new No. 1 contenders were crowned on SmackDown. Shinsuke Nakamura finally got his shot at the Intercontinental Championship, and SmackDown Women's Champion Liv Morgan met her next title challenger.
Here, we look at the biggest flops and hits from this week's SmackDown. So, without further ado, let's begin.
#1 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Karrion Kross
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During SmackDown's closing moments, we saw Drew McIntrye confront Roman Reigns and warn The Tribal Chief about what awaits him in the coming weeks. Just as McIntyre was preparing to attack The Bloodline, Karrion Kross' entrance music was played. Scarlett Bordeaux was seen standing near the titantron. While the crowd was distracted, Kross came out of nowhere and attacked the Scottish Warrior to make a strong statement. But that was not all.
Scarlett put the hourglass inside the ring and turned it upside down as Roman Reigns and The Usos looked at the returning duo with interest. This move usually implies Kross' intentions to go after a new prey, and this time, he has his eyes on the biggest name in WWE, Roman Reigns.
Following the show, Karrion Kross also took to Twitter to send a simple two-word message, "Tic Tock." Fans loved the segment and credited Triple H for booking a massive return, especially for someone who wasn't booked well during his first run on the main roster.
Scarlett Bordeaux's arrival alongside her real-life partner added to the excitement, and it will be interesting to see how the duo are booked moving forward.
#2 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre was crowned as Roman Reigns' next challenger, and the two are set to face each other at Clash at the Castle's main event. WWE understandably brought back Karrion Kross during the main event as it allowed the returning superstar to make a strong statement.
However, this has left room for valid fear over McIntyre's booking heading into the next premium live event.
Since the event will be held in the United Kingdom, fans were hoping to see McIntyre finally win gold and celebrate with a live crowd. But a potential title change would require a huge build-up. McIntyre took a lot of punishment this week at the hands of Karrion Kross, and while that may gain sympathy, WWE is now left with only three weeks until the title match.
It would be unfair to blame the Scottish Warrior for looking weak on the show, and to an extent, the creative team's decision could be justified. But there's also a desperate need for McIntyre to come back stronger on WWE SmackDown next week.
#3 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Raquel Rodriguez
This week's WWE SmackDown featured a 7-woman Gauntlet Match to crown the next challenger for Liv Morgan. The reigning SmackDown Women's Champion recently defended her title against Ronda Rousey, but it led to a huge controversy at SummerSlam. She will put her title on the line against Shayna Baszler as the latter picked up a massive victory in the Gauntlet Match to earn her title shot.
Although Baszler was crowned the No. 1 contender for Liv Morgan's title, Raquel Rodriguez's performance stole the show. She eliminated four women from the match and was the Ironwoman of the high-stakes bout. Unfortunately for her, Baszler pinned Rodriguez to get her match against Morgan at Clash at the Castle.
Rodriguez was still impressive enough to guarantee a meteoric rise in the women's division. She is bound to enter the title picture as a strong contender in the coming months.
#4 Flop on WWE SmackDown: Aliyah
Aliyah holds the record for the fastest victory in WWE history, but things have gone downhill since she picked up that monumental win. She faced Sonya Deville to kickstart the Gauntlet Match. Not much can be said about her performance because she was eliminated before she could find a decent opportunity to showcase her mettle.
While Aliyah could afford to lose in a match, she should have at least been given enough time to prove herself as a tough in-ring competitor. She was unlucky with her booking as her feud with Shotzi was scrapped, and a rivalry with Lacey Evans was delayed.
Hence, the creative team should look to make the most of the opportunity when booking Aliyah in such matches that will put her in the spotlight.
#5 Hit on WWE SmackDown: Kofi Kingston
Ever since the "new and vicious" Viking Raider returned on SmackDown, they have mercilessly targeted The New Day. Last week's brutal attack led to Xavier Woods' injury, and Kofi Kingston had revenge on his mind.
After the Viking Raiders picked up a win against Jim Mulkey and Tommy Gibson, Kingston appeared out of nowhere and launched a vicious attack on Erik and Ivar.
The entire arena erupted with "Kofi, Kofi" chants as he made a statement with his attack, and the altercation led to a singles match between Kingston and Erik, which ended with The New Day member picking up a well-deserved victory.
Kofi has also suffered the most at the hands of the Viking Raiders, and it was great to see him finally get the payback on behalf of his injured teammate.
#6 Flop/Hit on WWE SmackDown: Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn likes to call himself the "Honorary Uce," but he might be inching closer to a rude awakening. Despite his desperate attempts to meet Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown, Zayn was held at the door by The Usos. The reigning Undisputed Tag Team Champions even urged Zayn to prove his worth, which left him visibly frustrated.
Zayn hasn't been involved in a solid storyline for a few months now. This week, he was instructed to take care of the lighting and sound during Roman Reigns' entrance. To say that the former Intercontinental Champion deserves better would be an understatement.
Unless this storyline is leading a significant match for Zayn, the creative team needs to change the direction of his booking and put him in a more compelling narrative on the blue brand.
What do you think of the latest edition of SmackDown? Sounds off in the comment section below!
