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The episodes of RAW and SmackDown following WrestleMania are usually newsworthy for debuts, title changes, and shocking moments. RAW this week saw Rusev and Sami Zayn return, and Bron Breakker join with Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins. SmackDown witnessed the return of Aleister Black, who immediately dispatched off a whiny Miz with one kick.
Cody Rhodes didn't appear after losing to John Cena. Officials also decided not to use Alexa Bliss yet again despite WrestleMania being in the books already. Here's the best and worst of the SmackDown after WrestleMania 41.
#2. Best/Worst - A glimpse into the future with Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill
When Tiffany Stratton came out after successfully defending her title at WrestleMania, two names were the most likely to interrupt her. One was former champion Nia Jax, and the other was Charlotte Flair.
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Instead, Jade Cargill answered the call, and the two had an impromptu match. It was extremely choppy and messy in spots but also featured some impressive exchanges and counters from both women.
The match ended when Naomi attacked Cargill to keep their feud going. She stood tall to end the segment but retreated when Stratton got back to her feet.
Jax then appeared to dish out some punishment on her former ally. The match could have been much better without the botches, but the potential for a great showdown was evident.
#2. Worst - No new feuds for several of SmackDown's top stars
Solo Sikoa tried to take credit for Jacob Fatu winning the United States Title from LA Knight at WrestleMania 41. The champ reminded Sikoa that he said he'd win it, with or without him.
Knight came out and obviously wanted a rematch. He had a short promo due to an interruption from Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior was great on the mic again, but he too wanted a shot at Fatu.
The Megastar then battled McIntyre, with the winner getting Fatu. However, both Sikoa and Damian Priest interfered. WrestleMania is supposed to wrap up some feuds.
It appears these stars will be busy with each other for another month, potentially leading to a four-way match at an upcoming event.
#2. Best - Fraxiom debuts as a team on SmackDown
The SmackDown tag team division has already been the best in WWE. It got even better when former NXT Tag Team Champions, Fraxiom, made their official main-roster debut as a duo against Los Garza.
While a mid-match commercial briefly hurt the flow, the live crowd in Fort Worth, Texas, was impressed with the fast-paced stars. Fraxiom's style blended easily with Angel and Berto's due to the heavy Lucha Libre influences.
Nathan Frazer and his masked partner picked up the win with their usual Spanish Fly/Phoenix Splash combination.
The rest of the division should be on their toes, especially since the newcomers were already one of the best duos in wrestling before ever competing on SmackDown.
#1. Best/Worst - Zelina Vega is the new WWE Women's US Champion!
Depending on how you feel, the title change on SmackDown is either a good surprise or a bad surprise. Chelsea Green was over with a large portion of the WWE Universe due to her entertaining character and the details surrounding it.
Having Piper Niven and Alba Fyre as her Secret Hervice was a hilarious addition. Despite those notes, Vega has been a reliable performer throughout her tenure. She can hang with opponents of any size.
Vega had already defeated Green twice in the last month, so it felt like she wouldn't do so a third time. The surprise was a good shock on a show that is supposed to be a big deal off the heels of WrestleMania.
#1. Worst - Repeating the opening from RAW
RAW opened with new Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena chiding the audience while making good on his promise to ruin wrestling. It ended with Randy Orton hitting him with an RKO.
SmackDown opened with John Cena mocking the fans again, but The Viper quickly came out. The two talked for about 20 minutes. Cena insulted some fans, including a child and an older person.
It was clearly all to build up to an eventual RKO again, which Orton hit after Cena attacked him first. The whole situation was a drag, especially since at least five or 10 minutes of it could have been given to Alexa Bliss.
The entire segment led to what everyone knew was coming even before WrestleMania - the two squaring off at Backlash. Nick Aldis made the match official later on SmackDown.
#1. Best - The TLC Tag Team main event
There's a strong argument to be made that the TLC main event tag team match on SmackDown should have been on WrestleMania instead of New Day's win.
The card featured several multi-star matches but only one stipulation match - the Sin City Street Fight between Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest.
That was the only drawback from the WWE tag title match as DIY, the Street Profits, and Motor City Machine Guns tore the house down in Fort Worth. There were too many entertaining spots to list.
A huge one was a callback to Edge spearing Jeff Hardy off a ladder as he hung from the belts. The match was one of the best of the year and highlighted that AEW no longer has the best tag team division - SmackDown does.
