SmackDown after Crown Jewel

            The night after a pay-per-view is always exciting. Let's see if the SmackDown after Crown Jewel is no exception.

            Universal Champion, Roman Reigns is accompanied to the ring by his cautiously looking advocate Paul Heyman. Reigns lists his accolades to the point that he beat Brock Lesner so bad that now he is tweeting about beating up the champ. The champ stands in the middle of the ring waiting for Lesner to show up. And show up he did. The Beast is back and so are Heyman's acting skills. Keep your eyes on Paul throughout the entire assault. Brock is a man of his words, few as they are. The Usos come out to the unsuccessful aid of their cousin. Others get involved only to get demolished by Brock. You know what I often think about during segments like this? If refs, camera operators, etc get hazard pay or is it just the nature of the business. 

            After the commercial break, Adam Pearce is in the center of the ring, announcing that Brock is indefinitely suspended due to his actions. Brock comes back to the ring with nothing to lose. He sends Adam on a trip via a F-5, twice. Poor Pearce is lying in the ring mangled with a ripped pair of dress pants. I hope this is not the last we see of Lesner.

            The first official match of the evening is between the newly drafted Drew McIntyre and the longest tenured member of SmackDown, Sami Zayn. Drew is not in the mood for any of Sami's games. Zayn gets in a couple of good shots but that only enraged McIntyre straight into a victory via a Claymore.

            Now it is time for the official crowning of Xavier Woods. Kofi Kingston is in the ring to officiate the coronation ceremony. I am so happy for King Xavier. WWE fans, we have come a long way since the days of Harley Race and Jerry Lawler.

            The second match of the evening has Mansoor squaring up against Mustafa Ali. The newcomer gave the veteran a run for his money. Mansoor wins and Ali picks up another loss.

            Hit Row has moved up to the main roster from NXT. I have been saying since May of this year that I was over this group the moment they debuted. I am only interested in seeing AJ Francis in one on one competition. Re-read my posts from May 11, 2021 and Aug 3, 2021. Sadly, my wish of seeing Francis and Bronson Reed in a match will not happen. Maybe AJ can face Big E, Apollo Crews, Commander Azeez, etc. Until then, he and his posse pick up the W tonight on their SmackDown debut. 

            Shinsuke Nakamura is back in action against Happy Corbin. Their storyline is continuing as is their character evolution. Shin is no longer a king and Corbin is no longer down on his luck. I have a feeling that their rivalry is the springboard for Rick Boogs and Madcap Moss. Sure enough, the action outside of the ring was just as inviting as the action inside of the ring. This distraction would cost Nakamura the win.

            Two champs are in the ring to exchange titles since being drafted. Supervised by Sonya DeVille, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair are suppose to just simply switch titles. The exchange happens but not as smoothly as it should have been. And to add to the drama, Sasha invites herself into the ring. Becky relocates herself to the locker room so Charlotte and Sasha can establish a new storyline between the two of them. Becky doesn't need to get involved until Survivor Series.

#BringBackBraun