Friday Night SmackDown Review - September 2, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Viking Raiders def. The New Day in a Viking Rules Match

All we knew coming into this show was that "Viking Rules" meant that there would be no disqualifications. What we didn't know was that there would be several Viking-themed props around ringside. It actually ended up being better and more brutal than I expected it to be. They worked hard and had an entertaining affair. Even though it was their stipulation, I still thought Viking Raiders would lose considering they won the first one before SummerSlam, but I'm glad they scored a second straight win over New Day.

Karrion Kross def. Drew Gulak

This marked Kross' first match since returning to WWE. The timing was weird with this being a taped show a day before a pay-per-view he's not on, so the crowd was quiet than they likely would have been if it was live. That said, this was exactly what it was supposed to be with Kross making quick work of Gulak. His entrance with Scarlett came off as badass to boot. He can be a real threat to the title if WWE continues to book him strong.

Ronda Rousey Attacked Adam Pearce

It was revealed that Rousey's suspension had been lifted by WWE's Board of Directors before Pearce went off about how he didn't agree with their decision. He was meant to be the heel here, which tells me that WWE wants Rousey to be the babyface. It's possible she'll be a tweener, but either way, she was definitely far more bearable on the mic here. Pearce playing his role as well as he did made this a solid segment.

Hit Row def. Maximum Male Models

I still think the Maximum Male Models gimmick has an incredibly short shelf life, but to their credit, the former Mace and Mansoor giving it their all. There wasn't much to the match and the crowd didn't really care, but at least it ended in a win for Hit Row. Los Lotharios and The Street Profits joined the fray afterward, so an eight-man tag team match might be coming (even though Street Profits are Raw Superstars).

Shinsuke Nakamura def. Happy Corbin

This was an open challenge from Corbin. I had to think about the last time we saw Nakamura on SmackDown, and it was three weeks ago when he unsuccessfully challenged Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. These two obviously have history, but it's been long enough since their last match that I didn't mind this. Corbin's losing streak continues and I'm ready for whatever this next chapter is going to be involving JBL.

Butch def. Ludwig Kaiser

Butch was back to looking like the Pete Dunne of old (attire and all), which is an encouraging sign. Could a name change be imminent? Anyway, this was a battle of the sidekicks before Sheamus challenges Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship tomorrow. Butch and Kaiser had a fun hard-hitting affair with a great pace. This was a real treat for as long as it lasted. I'd love to see Butch/Dunne vs. Gunther/WALTER on the main roster at some point.

Drew McIntyre Attacked The Bloodline

There were a series of video packages that aired throughout the evening highlighting Reigns' run as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion over the last two years. For the first time, it truly feels like his reign is in jeopardy of ending and that sense of unpredictability is what makes this match between Reigns and McIntyre at Clash at the Castle so exciting. This was an excellent angle with McIntyre getting his revenge from last week and (hopefully) eliminating the rest of The Bloodline as a threat on Saturday.

Overall Show

It's a shame this show was taped immediately after last week's SmackDown because it killed the crowd and the episode didn't have the same energy it normally does, but it's obviously understandable since the Superstars are already in Cardiff for Clash at the Castle. As a go-home show, this was decent, but nothing too special. The video packages and the show-closing angle were among the highlights and the rest of the episode was enjoyable on the whole.

SEE MORE: SmackDown Reviews