Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE SmackDown hits and misses series.
The 8/16 episode of SmackDown went down at the Kia Center in Orlando, FL. Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Tiffany Stratton made featured appearances.
Here’s what went down on Friday Night SmackDown.
Hit – Pretty Deadly musical
Tiffany Stratton and Pretty Deadly welcome the WWE Universe to Nia Jax’s championship celebration. The Queen arrived in style. Nia thanked Stratton and Pretty Deadly but said this celebration wasn’t her style. She then told Stratton to bow down to her. Elton Prince and Kit Wilson did their musical before Michin showed up with a kendo stick to clear the ring.
Yes Boys! are pretty entertaining, no pun intended. Pairing them with Stratton for the championship celebration segment was a smart booking decision. It seems Nia versus Stratton is the eventual championship feud down the line. Michin now has more than one reason to take on Nia.
Miss – Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes on WWE SmackDown
Andrade took on Melo for costing him the United States number one contender’s match on WWE SmackDown last week. Both men kept each other at arm’s length till Andrade rattled Melo with a spinning elbow. However, Melo soon recovered and picked up a sneaky win. He then forced Andrade to shake his hand only to get hit with a takedown.
Their previous match was better. Clearly, TV restrictions prevented these two from having a fantastic match. Still, the crowd loved it. It seems the feud isn’t over because officials had to come to the ring and separate them. We’ll have to wait to see if they run it back at a PLE or future episode of WWE SmackDown.
Hit – NXT superstars are in the building
A couple of NXT superstars appeared in the crowd during SmackDown. Ethan Page, Roxanne Perez, and Trick Williams were shown on TV. Perez was seen before Naomi’s match against Davenport. Page made an appearance during Owens versus Waller. Williams, on the other hand, popped up ahead of DIY versus Street Profits.
NXT superstars pop up now and then on the main roster. Since SmackDown was in Orlando, they had to feature some of the best talents on the NXT roster. All three NXT superstars who appeared in the crowd during SmackDown have some big feuds on the road to No Mercy. Fans can check out our review of 8/13 NXT here.
Miss – Blair Davenport vs. Naomi
Blair Davenport collided with Naomi in singles action. The veteran used her experience to gain the advantage in the early goings of the match. Davenport recuperated and picked up the win following a knee strike to the face.
Davenport and Naomi had some instances of miscommunication in this match. Several exchanges looked sloppy. It remains to be seen if they’ll have a rubber match now that they are 1-1 against each other.
Hit – Jacob Fatu helps Bloodline take out Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns hit the ring to confront Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. The OTC took care of both men. Reigns was able to claim the ulla falla for himself before Jacob Fatu popped up. The Samoan Werewolf took down the former Universal Champion before helping Solo and Tonga with the triple powerbomb through the announce table. The show ended with the trio standing tall over a fallen Reigns.
A solid ending to 8/16 WWE SmackDown. They have built Jacob Fatu as a legitimate threat to Roman Reigns. Fatu’s return turned out to be e game changer for Solo and Tama who weren’t able to take on the OTC on their own. Reigns clearly needs some partners of his own to take down what he started four years ago, but will the OTC get the alliance he so desperately needs on the blue brand?
Honorable Mentions
- LA Knight came out to cut a promo on Santos Escobar. Knight brought his usual A-game to the mic. That said, they could’ve put Knight in the Santos Escobar vignette to build more hostility between the champion and the challenger. Both men will fight for the title on the final SmackDown before Bash in Berlin.
- Kevin Owens defeated Grayson Waller after a fun scrap. Theory and Waller jumped KO after the match. Cody Rhodes showed up to help his friend fend off the attack. They cleared the ring and KO picked Cody’s title. Friction is starting to raise its ugly head between the two friends. The way KO looked at the title before giving it to Cody shows he’s having conflicted thoughts in his head.
- The Street Profits and DIY put on a modern-day tag team clinic. Both teams went out there and tore the house down. Ford and Gargano had some brilliant exchanges. The near falls made for some excellent suspense building. I’m glad Profits got the win because I’ve been waiting to see Ford and Dawkins run it back with The Bloodline for quite some time.
READ MORE: Multiple Title Matches, More Set For 8/23 WWE SmackDown
