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WWE Smackdown: 4 Superstars return; Update on Women’s Tag Team Tournament

Under the creative leadership of Triple H, the returning spree of previously released WWE Superstars continued through this week’s Smackdown. Overall, four comebacks were seen in the latest blue brand episode.

Credit: WWE

Bengaluru, Aug 13: Under the creative leadership of Triple H, the returning spree of previously released WWE Superstars continued through this week’s Smackdown. Overall, four comebacks were seen in the latest blue brand episode.

As seen on Friday (Aug 12) night, popular NXT faction Hit Row (Ashante "Thee" Adonis, B-Fab, and Top Dolla) returned to WWE sans their leader Isaiah “Swerve” Scott as he is currently employed by the All Elite Wrestling promotion.

Top Dolla and Ashante Adonis went on to defeat Brandon Scott and Trevor Irvin in a short tag team match with authority and they also went on to reintroduce themselves to the crowd.



Hit Row was formed in NXT in May 2021 and they quickly found success as Isaiah "Swerve" Scott (now AEW’s Swerve Strickland) won the NXT North American Championship within weeks of the group's formation. Currently, he is also the AEW World Tag Team Champion with former WWE Superstar Keith Lee.

Hit Row was called up to the main roster on Smackdown during the WWE Draft last October. Despite being highly touted for future success due to their ability, they did nothing on TV, and eventually, all four of them were released within a few weeks.

Apart from the trio’s surprise return, Ronda Rousey, who is currently suspended from WWE programming, also showed up during this week’s Smackdown. She entered through the crowd with a bag in hand just before the contract signing between SmackDown Women's Champion Liv Morgan and Shayna Baszler.

Rousey grabbed one of the microphones and dumped that bag filled with money on the table. As she went on a rant about getting suspended by the WWE officials, the security team arrived at the scene, trying to escort her from the building.



The Baddest Woman on the Planet met them on the floor and took them out before Shayna Baszler came out and told Rousey that she has to play by the rules in WWE. Rousey fired back by saying how Baszler has gone soft. The contract signing between Morgan and Baszler went down, thereafter.

WWE hit Rousey with a storyline fine and suspension for putting her hands on a WWE Official after her SummerSlam match against Morgan. She was furious with the controversial finish and locked on the armbar to punish both Morgan and the official.

Reports suggest that Rousey is still scheduled to compete at WWE’s next Premium Live Event, Clash at the Castle, next month. Hence, she is back on TV and will now probably try to get included in the Smackdown Women’s Title match to make it a Triple Threat.

In more news from Smackdown, Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah defeated Shotzi and Xia Li to advance to the semifinals of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament.

They’ll now face the winner of the Sonya Deville & Natalya vs. NXT’s Nikkita Lyons & Zoey Stark matchup, set for next week. Stark is also going after the NXT Women's Championship as she will challenge the titleholder, Mandy Rose, on the Heatwave special on this Tuesday’s NXT.



In the first match of the women’s tag tourney, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai defeated WWE 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke and Tamina to advance. Over on Raw, Alexa Bliss and Asuka will take on Doudrop and Nikki A.S.H. for the next semi-final spot.
Story first published: Saturday, August 13, 2022, 16:23 [IST]
Other articles published on Aug 13, 2022