Well, that was a long week, wasn’t it? After the incredible end to Clash of Champions, I can’t believe we had to wait that long for the fallout. It’s weeks like this one that I wish SmackDown was on a Monday night and not RAW. Clash of Champions was a PPV that delivered from bottom to top, especially on the Blue side with the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match, Sasha Banks popping up to get some revenge on Bayley and the brutal family battle between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso. We’ve got a lot to deal with this week in the WWE ThunderDome, so let’s get to it.

The Tribal Chief Of The WWE Universe

I think I’ve heard the words Tribal Chief more in the last few weeks than I have in the rest of my entire life, but who am I to argue? After the beating that a possessed Roman Reigns gave to his cousin over the Universal Championship last Sunday, there’s no way I’m saying anything bad about that man. He’s given me the fear for sure. Fear but also absolute respect, love and excitement because I’ve not been this invested in Roman since his original days with The SHIELD and I’m sure a lot of people feel the same.

Roman doesn’t want ME to call him the Tribal Chief though, nor does he want to hear it from Paul Heyman. He wanted to hear it from Jey at Clash of Champions and he didn’t. He heard it from Jimmy who came out and threw the towel in but he never heard it from Jey. So SmackDown gave Roman and Jey another chance to talk things through and damn they hit another home run with that promo. Roman Reigns is now this manipulative machine that wants to make Jey think it’s all his fault, and that all he wanted to do was give him a chance to shine. It’s an incredible storyline and with Roman offering Jey another chance at Hell in a Cell, I really can’t wait. The ominous words from the champ’s mouth were that the match will have the highest stakes of any match in WWE history and we’ll just have to wait to find out what that means.

A Phenomenal Performance

I do have to admire AJ Styles. Sure, I often wonder what the hell is going through his head, but he’s certainly got some balls on him to constantly come out and try and talk his way into championship situations. Did he really think it was a good night to get into Jey’s head? Maybe it was, but Uso wasn’t as broken down as the former Intercontinental Champion had hoped for. On a side note, I remember AJ’s work with Roman being some of my favourite matches from both guys so it was nice to see Styles’ involvement with the family once again.

The match was all about getting Jey back on track. How would he bounce back from defeat on Sunday? Very well in fact. Beating a superstar with as decorated a career as AJ Styles will do wonders for Jey’s confidence going into a rematch with Roman and it certainly makes him look like a far bigger threat in the eyes of the WWE Universe. Jey is on a roll of his career and all credit to him because he’s making the most of every opportunity he’s getting at the moment. A great match from both guys and I’d be happy to see a rematch down the road somewhere.

John Morrison vs. Otis

From a nice surprise in Styles vs Uso to one of the more predictable elements of SmackDown over the past… I don’t even know how long this feud has been going on for. About a decade now or something. Otis is going to defend himself in court if anyone cares. My favourite part about the match was John Morrison’s slow-motion entrance so that tells you all you need to know. OH YEAHHHH. I wish Otis would stop doing that and leave it to Macho Man Randy Savage on the WWE Network. Otis won. Otis left. Let’s move on.

Sheamus vs. Shorty G

Oh, so Chad Gable is still on the roster? That’s nice to know. I’m not overly excited about the Draft coming up as RAW and SmackDown feel pretty balanced on the whole but if it gives a fresh opportunity to someone like Shorty G then I’m all for it. The guy is far too talented to just be used as a jobber or in backstage skits or whatever else. If you can’t find a decent spot for him on your shows then you’re doing a terrible job. Anyway, this was basically a squash match to remind people Sheamus still exists as a threat, and to highlight Big E’s social media video where he challenged Sheamus to a Falls Count Anywhere match next week. Now that’s something I can get excited about.

The Fiend Show

Kevin Owens. One of my favourite Canadians snuck over from RAW because of whatever that stupid rule is. I don’t even try keeping up with that nonsense anymore. Anyway, the most important thing was the opportunity to turn the tables on Alexa Bliss and have someone ask her the burning questions about The Fiend. She was certainly a lot calmer this week. Almost still in that trance that seems to happen every so often. Owens suggested that she’d been brainwashed and it’s definitely a possibility.

Personally, I’m enjoying the Bliss/Fiend storyline as it gives Bray Wyatt and his characters an added dimension which is much needed if they want to continue things. Just coming out in a freaky mask every so often loses its appeal pretty quickly, much like Finn Balor and his Demon persona which is really just him in makeup. I feel like Bray has better control over what he’s doing and seeing The Fiend pop up on SmackDown to take down Kevin Owens was pretty exciting, especially when he took Alexa’s hand at the end. Owens gets his chance at revenge next week in a match but I think we know who’s winning that.

Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura & King Corbin vs. Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado & Matt Riddle

There’s a lot of history between all of these guys from the last few weeks, especially with Riddle looking to get back on track after losing to Corbin. What a disappointment that was. Metalik and Dorado had a chance to show what they’re made of without Kalisto there and I must say the Lucha Bro Party worked pretty damn well as a unit. Of course, Kalisto’s absence didn’t last long as he came out to help only to kick Lince by accident, however that did allow Riddle to pick up the win of the distraction. There’s still tension in the Lucha household but a win’s a win.

I’m not sure where they’re going with Riddle but the fact he didn’t lose this week has to be taken as a positive. I’d be surprised if he was moved off SmackDown already next week but never say never. SmackDown has a lot of top stars at the moment with Reigns leading the pack and Big E waiting in the wings, so is there enough room for Riddle to move up further? Only time will tell but I hope wherever he ends up he’s certain to make an impression. I’d be happy to keep him on SmackDown and move him into the Intercontinental Title picture.

The Boss Is Back

Another short and sweet segment from this feud this week. I like how they’re not overdoing it by having a million matches between the two. It really helps build a feud if you keep people wanting more and WWE often struggles with that concept and overexposes its top talent and storylines. Yet Sasha Banks and Bayley have managed to ride through most of this year on a wave of success and Sasha cut another great promo this week. Informing us that it’ll be her against Bayley for the title next week she dropped the mic after some strong words – “You don’t stand a chance BITCH.” Oh, give me the match now already.

Undisputed Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn vs. Jeff Hardy

Can I take this opportunity to say how damn smart Sami Zayn is? Anyone who caught Clash of Champions saw the evidence there. He handcuffed Jeff Hardy’s ear. Seriously this version of Sami Zayn is up there with the best work he has ever done. I’m so glad he’s back and based on his positive social media posts I think he’s happy to be where he is now too. Another match with him and Jeff Hardy was a real treat as both guys work well together and they’ve done a solid job of building the prestige of the title between them.

The story of the match was Sami trying to outwit Hardy again, only this time it was all about an exposed turnbuckle. I always love the classics and that’s a Heel 101 move if I ever saw one. After a back and forth match where both men looked like they might take the win, Hardy went to the well once too often as his top rope move ended up with him faceplanting into the exposed turnbuckle at the hands of Zayn. Three seconds later and Sami escaped SmackDown with his title in tow. What’s next for the Great Liberator? We’ll have to wait and find out.

The best of SmackDown

• Roman Reigns – Yes I will keep saying the same thing every week. This version of Roman is world-class, top drawer and everything he should have been from Day 1. The match at Hell in a Cell should be another classic.
• Jey Uso – Best work of his career too? Absolutely. As much as I love the Usos as a tag team, this is the best Jey has ever looked.
• Big E vs Sheamus – Okay I’m cheating a little bit but I can’t wait for this match next week. Another great promo from Big E and both of these guys will tear it up.
• Sasha Banks – Delivering some of the best promos of her career and keeping the feud flowing even if Bayley wasn’t there.
• Alexa Bliss – It’s not easy working with something completely new but I think she’s doing a great job in this storyline with The Fiend and showing another layer to her work.

The worst of SmackDown

• Otis – Obviously.
• Shorty G – The Draft can’t come soon enough for this man. Give him something, please?
• Drew Gulak – He’s still a SmackDown guy right? I think. Again, he’s someone that deserves more than what he’s doing at the moment. He’s playing around with ninjas, I think.

In summary…

They had a lot to live up to after Clash of Champions but multiple storylines were furthered in intriguing ways. You don’t want them to drag on for too long but ones like Roman/Jey and Sasha/Bayley are too good to end at the moment. Next week looks like an absolutely packed SmackDown with some great matches and the beginning of the Draft, so let’s see how the Blue brand does out of that. I’m hoping it won’t get robbed of all its stars because SmackDown has been the much better show this year. Fingers crossed they want to keep Fox happy…

All images and videos courtesy of WWE