WWE SmackDown: Returns continue with Hit Row comeback
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
This week on WWE Friday Night SmackDown, Hit Row returned in surprise fashion.
First, here’s a recap of the match results:
- Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah defeated Shotzi and Xia Li via pinfall to advance in the Women’s Tag Team title tournament
- Hit Row's AJ Francis and Ashante "Thee" Adonis defeated two local wrestlers via pinfall
- Drew McIntyre and Madcap Moss defeated The Usos via pinfall
- Gunther defeated Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall to retain the Intercontinental Championship
Moment of the night: Hit Row surprise return
This was another smart move by Triple H.
Much like the other recent returns, Hit Row had a ton of potential as an act. Their release this year was puzzling.
Now, with a fresh start again, the faction has a chance to make an impact on SmackDown under a new regime.
Even without Swerve, who led the group in NXT, Hit Row didn’t seem to miss a beat with their re-introductions. They also subtly addressed him not being part of the team anymore by calling themselves the OG3.
This was a good way to restart their momentum.
Match of the night: Gunther vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – IC title
The match between these two had a big fight feel heading in.
There were promos from both Superstars beforehand, a video package stressing the importance of the Intercontinental Championship and plenty of time given for a proper main event.
Then, once the bell rang, these two world-class competitors delivered in every way with a hard-hitting match.
The kicks from Shinsuke Nakamura looked on point as he targeted the arm of his opponent. The chops from Gunther could be heard in the nosebleeds. And, in the end, the heel retained with a clean finish.
Hopefully we get more matches like this in this new era.
Additional highlights:
Karrion Kross is going to show The Bloodline a new timeline
Karrion Kross' promo was effective in addressing his release from the company without going into too much detail regarding the circumstances.
This pleases die-hard fans who follow behind-the-scenes happenings, as well as any casual viewers confused by his sudden return, and also made for good storytelling in his reasoning for targeting Drew/Roman.
Ronda Rousey crashes SmackDown with cold hard cash
This new change of attitude for Ronda Rousey is a better fit.
Throwing around a duffel bag full of money, beating up security and not giving a damn about authority truly makes her look badass.
Plus, with the way things are going, it seems like we're finally heading towards something substantial between Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
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Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
