With the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view looming on Oct. 8, WWE SmackDown has been heating up over the past few weeks with several standout matches already confirmed for the event.
Last night’s edition of WWE SmackDown Live saw the continuation and development of certain feuds while we also got a glimpse of some new as well. Hell in a Cell is taking shape and looks to be a great show for the blue brand.
With just one SmackDown remaining before Hell in a Cell, last night’s show was crucial to building intrigue for the pay-per-view and beyond and it did a solid job of doing just that.
Let’s take a look at five key takeaways from last night’s episode.
Smackdown. Photo by WWE.com
5. Personal Element Spices Up Natalya vs. Charlotte Feud
Natalya’s reemergence as a women’s champion again has been a sight for sore eyes after she went widely unnoticed and underutilized in recent years. Natalya has been a mainstay of the WWE women’s division and has been one of only a very few number of constants in the women’s roster.
She won the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Naomi back at SummerSlam, but her championship reign hasn’t been the greatest up to this point. But now, it seems like the WWE is finally giving her a bigger spotlight and a true storyline to work with in her current feud with Charlotte.
Charlotte made her return to SmackDown recently from a brief hiatus while her father Ric Flair dealt with serious health issues and she has already earned a SmackDown Women’s Championship match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. On the Sept. 19 edition of SmackDown, Natalya subtly brought up Flair’s health issues to ruffle the feathers of Charlotte and she did the same on last night’s edition of SmackDown.
A great feud is typically built on personal issues and Natalya bringing up Flair’s health scare, even if not in a malicious context, adds more fuel to the fire of this rivalry.
Natalya vs. Charlotte at Hell in a Cell could wind up being one of the better women’s matches of the year and the feud could have a lot left in it with how it’s been built in recent weeks.
Photo by WWE.com
4. Future Sami Zayn Push Could Be in the Making
No superstar on the WWE roster has been as underutilized as Sami Zayn has been in 2017. He had some standout moments in 2016, but ultimately not enough to truly thrust him into more significance. The Underdog from the Underground has been in pointless feud after pointless feud since joining SmackDown and in recent weeks, he hasn’t even wrestled much.
But last night’s SmackDown might have planted the seeds for a possible push to some type of prominence for Zayn in the future. During an in-ring promo with Kevin Owens to open the show, Zayn stated in more or less terms that whenever he gets his big break, it will come from him doing it his own way, not how Owens has cheated and cut corners.
This is a simple and seemingly insignificant statement, but it could foreshadow a future push for Zayn. The WWE has had success in the past by pushing the fan favorites that had been held back for way too long and the same could happen with Zayn on SmackDown.
He has all the in-ring ability to be a main event level talent on SmackDown and if the WWE can build his potential push the right way, it could lead to great things for not only Zayn, but SmackDown in general.
Bobby Roode makes a “Glorious” entrance on WWE SmackDown Live. Credit: WWE.com
3. Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler at Hell in a Cell Could Steal the Show
Smackdown got a glorious arrival a few weeks ago when former NXT Champion Bobby Roode made his debut to the main roster. Roode has had a successful wrestling career and made a bigger name for himself in NXT. Fans wondered when Roode would debut on the main roster and now as an official member of Smackdown, the future is bright for the glorious one.
The same might not be able to be said for one of the WWE’s longest-running superstars in Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler’s career has hit a crossroads and has been resorted to imitating a variety of superstars’ entrances – past and present– to make a point that anybody can do the superficial elements of the business, but not nobody can perform in the ring the way Ziggler can.
This came to a head on last night’s Smackdown when Ziggler imitated the Undertaker before being interrupted by Roode. Roode called out Ziggler and challenged him to a match at Hell in a Cell, which Ziggler accepted.
Ziggler is one of the best go-to guys in the company in terms of working with newer talent and Roode’s main roster pay-per-view debut match could be a show stealer. Ziggler has had a habit of out-performing his spot on the card and this match could truly be a gem.
Roode vs. Ziggler is a match fans can look forward to and it provides Hell in a Cell with an extra standout match that has all the makings of a potential show stealer.
Smackdown. Photo by WWE.com
2. The Usos vs. The New Day Inside Hell in a Cell Adds Needed Dimension to Feud
SmackDown has provided the WWE universe with arguably the best tag team feud of the year over the past few months with The Usos and The New Day battling for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. The chemistry between these teams is through the roof and they have put on many memorable matches over the past few months.
Whether it was their initial showdown at Money in the Bank, their follow-up at Battleground, their potential tag team match of the year at SummerSlam, or just an episode of SmackDown, The Usos and The New Day continuously produce quality match after quality match. The stakes were raised in their feud on last night’s edition of SmackDown when it was made official they will battle inside Hell in a Cell on Oct. 8 for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
For what is already likely the tag team feud of the year, closing it out inside Hell in a Cell makes all the sense in the world. Hell in a Cell matches are great ways to conclude a feud and have served as that for many years, and the same can be said for The Usos and The New Day’s feud. This will be the first tag team Hell in a Cell match since D-Generation X battled Legacy in 2009 and what better way to conclude one of the best tag team feuds the WWE has seen in a long time?
The Usos and The New Day will go out guns a blazing at Hell in a Cell.
credit: wwe.com
1. Jinder Mahal’s Days as WWE Champion Are Numbered
One of the most surprising moves in WWE history took place at Backlash earlier this year when Jinder Mahal defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Mahal had been nothing more than an afterthought in the WWE, but was suddenly thrust into prominence at the blink of an eye. His title reign has been hit or miss over the past few months, but as of late, just miss.
His current feud with Shinsuke Nakamura has produced some of the most cringe-worthy promos in recent memory and even some borderline racist moments. Over the past few weeks, including briefly on last night’s Smackdown, Mahal and his lackeys, the Singh Brothers, have poked fun at the facial expressions of Nakamura in failed attempts at humor. Nakamura has been as hot as any superstar in the WWE since debuting to the main roster in April.
He has defeated the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton since becoming a member of SmackDown and if that doesn’t show the kind of momentum he is getting, nothing will. Mahal is set to defend his championship against Nakamura at Hell in a Cell for the second straight pay-per-view after using every trick in the book to defeat Nakamura at SummerSlam.
Mahal’s entire title reign has felt like an experiment and as of late, the experiment has been failing. It seems inevitable that Nakamura will take the WWE Championship from Mahal. Nakamura has rarely lost a match since joining SmackDown and it seems unlikely he will lose to Mahal for the second straight pay-per-view.
Next: 5 Takeaways From Post-No Mercy Raw
A changing of the guard on SmackDown could be coming at Hell in a Cell.