The post-Hell in a Cell edition of WWE SmackDown was on fire from the start last night and featured a lot of fallout from this past Sunday night.
Last night’s WWE SmackDown touched on many of Hell in a Cell’s major questions and issues and potentially set the foundation for future feuds as well. And with SmackDown’s next pay-per-view showing not expected until the multi-branded Survivor Series, there’s still a lot of time to build and develop feuds new and old.
SmackDown had several standout moments that will affect the landscape of the blue brand in the weeks to come. Let’s take a look at five takeaways from last night’s SmackDown.
Source: WWE.com via Twitter
5. Charlotte Will Get Another Shot at Natalya
Charlotte’s return to SmackDown a few weeks ago was intersected by the SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya immediately. And after Charlotte won a number one contenders match shortly after returning, their paths were set to intersect at Hell in a Cell for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
The two had a respectable match at Hell in a Cell, but a match that ended in a disqualification after Natalya attacked Charlotte with a chair at the conclusion of the match to retain her title. This immediately suggested Charlotte was not done with Natalya by a long shot and last night’s SmackDown confirmed that.
In what turned out to be a small melee backstage with the SmackDown women’s division, Natalya made another disrespectful comment to Charlotte about her father Ric Flair’s recent health scare and it incensed The Queen. She had to be separated from attacking Natalya and the two will almost certainly meet again in the near future.
With SmackDown’s next pay-per-view appearance not scheduled until Survivor Series at the end of November, there would be plenty of time to further build this feud if the match was to take place at Survivor Series. And there’s always a chance more superstars could be added to the equation as well or Natalya vs. Charlotte part two could take place on a SmackDown episode.
But regardless of the circumstances surrounding the match, The Queen of the WWE is not done with Nattie by a long shot.
Photo by WWE.com
4. What’s Next For Shinsuke Nakamura?
The King of Strong Style Shinsuke Nakamura has taken SmackDown by storm since debuting on the main roster in April. He has captivated the WWE universe from day one and seemed destined for big things rather quickly on the blue brand.
But in his last two chances to dethrone Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion, Nakamura came up empty both times and was arguably booked weakly in the process. Mahal’s WWE Championship reign has been so-so at best and fans were hoping Nakamura would get a chance to shine as WWE Champion, but to no avail.
While he will probably win the WWE Championship eventually, Nakamura has lost two straight pay-per-views to Mahal and is seemingly out of the WWE Championship picture for the time being. So, where does that leave Nakamura’s future plans?
On last night’s SmackDown, he teamed up with Randy Orton and defeated the team of Rusev and Aiden English. The WWE could do something with Nakamura and any of the other three individuals in that match, but it just wouldn’t feel very significant compared to challenging for the WWE Championship. And that’s not to say he will for sure square off with Orton, Rusev, or English.
One of the WWE’s most captivating superstars is on standby at the moment, and the company must be careful to not lose the momentum Nakamura had built up over the past few months.
Photo by WWE.com
3. SmackDown Tag Team Division Heats Up
The SmackDown tag team division has been on fire over the past few months with the feud between The Usos and The New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. The teams put together the best tag team feud the WWE has seen in a long time and it came to a memorable end inside Hell in a Cell in a potential match of the year with The Usos coming out on top.
But while these two teams were tearing the house down, the rest of the SmackDown tag team division stood by and watched. And on last night’s SmackDown, the tag team division took center stage to open up the show. The entire tag team division came out and said they wanted a chance at the SmackDown Tag Team Championship and they were tired of being overshadowed by two teams.
SmackDown GM Daniel Bryan took notice and made an immediate Fatal 4-Way match to determine the new number one contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin, The Ascension, Breezango, and The Hype Bros battled for a chance at gold and in the end, Gable and Benjamin got the win.
A tag team title bout between The Usos and Gable and Benjamin should be a very interesting match with a lot of athleticism involved. While it’s impossible to get tired of seeing The Usos battle The New Day, having new teams in the fold spruces up the division greatly.
The Usos are arguably the best tag team in the WWE and a battle with Gable and Benjamin is an intriguing followup to the best tag team feud in a long time.
AJ Styles is The Phenomenal One on WWE SmackDown. Credit: WWE.com
2. A.J. Styles is Done With the United States Championship Picture
The Phenomenal A.J. Styles has carried the United States Championship with great pride over the past few months and has elevated that championship to a level it hasn’t seen since John Cena’s run as U.S. Champion in 2015. But despite this being a positive for SmackDown, it’s clear Styles is a top guy on SmackDown and deserves to be in the main event.
And last night’s SmackDown might have just signaled a change for the better for Styles. After losing his title to Baron Corbin at Hell in a Cell in a Triple Threat Match along with Tye Dillinger, Styles immediately asked for his rematch and Corbin defended his newly-won U.S. Championship against Styles last night.
The two put forth a very solid match with Styles shining as he always does, but also being so good that he makes his opponents look like a million bucks. And Styles did just that with Corbin last night and Corbin defeated Styles to retain his championship. The Lone Wolf has countless other superstars that can step up and challenge him for the U.S. Championship, and with Styles out of the equation, The Phenomenal One could be on to bigger and better things.
Rumors have called for Styles to be the next challenger for Jinder Mahal and the WWE Championship and that would be the perfect opponent to help make Mahal seem like a legitimate WWE Champion. Not to mention, Mahal needs a standout match as WWE Champion and Styles certainly can help out with that.
The Phenomenal One has done his job in elevating the U.S. Championship and now could be in line for a second WWE Championship reign in the future.
Photo by WWE.com
1. Sami Zayn’s Storyline Heel Turn Mirrors Real-Life Fan Frustrations
One of the most surprising twists the WWE has done in a long time came at Hell in a Cell in the main event between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon. The match itself was a classic Hell in a Cell battle, but the ending is what people will remember.
With Shane leaping off the top of the cell to crush Owens through an announce table, Sami Zayn moved KO off the announce table and Shane came crashing through the table and to the floor below. Zayn’s apparent heel turn was confirmed on last night’s SmackDown with an in-ring promo alongside Owens to explain his actions.
Zayn’s reasoning was based on many fans’ real-life frustrations with how the WWE has been handling Zayn in recent months. Zayn said he came to SmackDown and was excited he would finally get a chance to shine, but Shane O’Mac basically brushed him aside and forgot about him in the process. He also said Shane is a reckless commissioner and he doesn’t care about Zayn or Owens and what happens to them.
Zayn said another reason he did what he did was because he realized that he and KO are brothers at the end of the day no matter if they argue or not. The promo was very well-done and it will be very interesting to see what the duo of Owens and Zayn does in the coming weeks on SmackDown.
Next: 5 Takeaways From Oct. 9 Raw
The Underdog From the Underground’s reasoning behind his actions were reality-based and many fans are ecstatic that the WWE finally seems to be giving Zayn a chance to be a major player on the blue brand.