SmackDown.WWE
SmackDown opened with Jimmy Uso coming out to give a promo following his return at Bad Blood. After running down The New Bloodline, Reigns joined his cousin in the ring. He made the crowd acknowledge Jimmy.
This was a more emotional OTC than we are used to seeing. He said he doesn’t like being out of control and in this position. Jimmy implied it was time to reconcile with Jey, but Reigns didn’t seem to want to.
Up next, Knight put the U.S. title on the line against Hayes. Andrade showed up at ringside to watch his rivals duke it out, but Melo found his presence distracting and ended up taking a dropkick as a result.
While it lacked the same level of excitement Melo and El Idolo had during their recent matches, Knight and Hayes worked well together to highlight each other’s strengths.
The champ was able to retain with a nice counter into a BFT. El Idolo mocked Hayes at ringside to rub salt in the wound. This was a decent opener with a couple of standout spots.
Result: Knight defeated Hayes
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- Reigns looked genuinely happy to have Jimmy back.
- Hayes went down to bump for Knight’s first punch too quickly, so it looked like Knight missed completely.
- Knight tried to offer Andrade a handshake during the break but Hayes attacked him before he could.
- Knight’s elbow drop looked great, but he was so still flying through the air that it looked like a video game.
- Melo’s BFT counter was great.
