As the WWE gears up for a big Crown Jewel card in November, Friday’s Smackdown continued that build in several ways. With appearances from John Cena, Jey Uso, and The Bloodline, the WWE is doing everything possible to keep the hype high as we head towards WrestleMania season.

Bloodline Goes Back to the Basics

Paul Heyman came out to kick the show off. He asks fans if they saw what Jimmy Uso did on Raw, referencing his interference that cost Cody Rhodes and his brother Jey Uso the Undisputed Tag Team Championship. Heyman mentions that Jimmy called the play and says Jimmy single-handedly cost Jey and Cody the tag titles. Heyman then focuses on the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at Crown Jewel. He smack-talks LA Knight, claiming the Crown Jewel will be the last time fans see Knight in the ring.

The music hits as Knight interrupts him and talks some trash of his own. Knight confirms the title match and lets Heyman and the fans know there will be a contract signing next week. Roman Reigns isn’t in the building, but the commentators pitch that John Cena will be later in the night.

The Street Profits vs. The LWO

Angelo Dawkins and Bobby Lashley prepare Montez Ford to fight with Santos Escobar. I’m not into this feud, but I appreciate the WWE sticking with a more extended storyline to build these upper midcard guys. Bobby and Rey Mysterio are in a great position to help get these younger superstars over with the fans. 

Ford gets the lead early, going into a break. Dawkins interferes, but the LWO evens the odds. Santos goes outside to knock out Dawkins, and Ford wins via roll-up when he returns to the ring. Dawkins jumps Escobar in the aftermath, and Carlito runs out with a chair to make the save. This is leading to a future pay-per-view resolution, possibly a trios match. For now, the Street Profits will take on the LWO in a tag match next week on Smackdown.

John Cena’s Streak

Virtually all wrestling fans know of Roman Reigns’ current streak as champion. Cena was in the ring to discuss a different streak. While fans haven’t been able to ‘see’ Cena for decades, Cena hasn’t seen a solo victory in the ring since 2018. Lamenting on this 2,002-day streak, the 16-time champion quickly changed pace, firing up the crowd before issuing an open challenge to the locker room. 

Solo Sikoa answers the call immediately. The fight starts without a ref, and Cena is quickly outnumbered when Jimmy Uso interferes. The advantage didn’t last long, as someone ran out in a mask and hood to even the odds. Jey Uso was the masked man, taking his frustrations out on his brother while security tried to get between them. Eventually, they are split up, and Cena hits the AA on Solo, who flees the scene with Jimmy in tow.

The Uso Brothers’ beef also turned the Raw and Smackdown General Managers against each other as Nick Aldis had Adam Pearce and Jey Uso removed by Smackdown security.

Logan Paul Calls Out Rey Mysterio

Logan Paul came out to ‘boos’ from the crowd. Paul talked about his recent boxing match with Dillon Danis, which was not a great fight, but Paul and the commentators worked hard to put it over with the fans. Logan eventually calls out Rey Mysterio, staking his claim at the United States Championship. Rey comes out looking like Batman and accepts the challenge. These two will fight with the belt on the line at Crown Jewel. 

After that segment, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller beat Cameron Grimes and Dragon Lee in a tag team match. It was a decent match, won when Waller tossed Lee over the barricade and jumped in the ring to help Theory finish Grimes.

Charlotte Flair vs. Iyo Sky (Smackdown Women’s Championship)

Before the bout, there was an interview with Kevin Owens, setting up his future on Smackdown. He name-drops Rey Mysterion, Sheamus and the Brawling Brutes, and, of course, the Bloodline. 

Charlotte and Sky had a solid main event match, which Flair looked to have won after reversing Iyo’s top rope finisher and hitting her with a spear. Bayley saved Sky at the last second by placing her boot on the bottom rope, breaking the referee’s three count. Flair chased Bayley around the ring and tossed her onto the commentary table. Meanwhile, Dakota Kai distracted the referee. Charlotte hit Sky with a spear, but Iyo revealed that she was holding the belt. Sky pins a knocked-out Flair to retain the title.

Bianca Belair is Back

After the match, Bayley and Iyo beat down Charlotte Flair until some familiar music played. Bianca Belair came out to cheers and cleared the ring of Damage Control. Bayley saved the champion from Belair’s finisher but took one in her place. Bianca checks on Flair as the show goes off the air. It was a solid Smackdown overall.

-Kev

* Image Courtesy of the WWE