WWE SmackDown: 3/11/2022

Yikes.. what a pretty lackluster episode this week for the blue brand. The buildup for WrestleMania is still being brought up and even though this WrestleMania might actually be another great one, the way SmackDown has been building up has just felt empty. There were still relatively good moments to be taken from this episode regardless of the rest of the show feeling unimportant.

Match 1: Tag Team Match; The New Day vs Sheamus and Ridge Holland. (Rating: 2.5/5)

First and foremost, I want to wish a speedy recovery for Big E who sustained a very scary injury in this match. Near the closing minutes of the match, E and Ridge Holland had gotten physical outside of the ring and Holland ended up delivering a belly to belly suplex to Big E, with E landing right on the top of his head, damaging his neck in the process. Thankfully it isn’t anything too serious as Big E has been giving updates on his condition, in which he’d need about 8 weeks to recover. Anyways, to the match itself: it wasn’t anything too special. It was just there to continue a to build up a possible feud for WrestleMania. However the biggest thing to have happen from this match was the official main roster debut for Pete Dunne as he has sided with Sheamus and Ridge Holland!…. Except he isn’t Pete Dunne anymore. Now, Dunne is referred to as “Butch…” by Sheamus and the commentators. A really unnecessary name change as Dunne had already worked several dark matches on SmackDown as Pete Dunne, and to go back a few years earlier was a surprise entrant for a Royal Rumble match as “Bruiserweight Pete Dunne.” Anyway, Sheamus hits Kingston with a Brogue Kick for the winning pinfall while afterwards … Butch… attacked a prone Kingston in a post match assault.

Match 2: Rick Boogs vs Jey Uso. (Rating:2.75/5)

Slightly better than the tag team opener only because seeing Rick Boogs absolutely dominate his opposition with his freakish strength is absolutely fun to watch! Before the match started, the Usos came out to cut a promo about how they ran through every single tag team on the blue brand!.. all except for the team of Boogs and Shinsuke Nakamura, whom came out to interrupt the tag champs. Boogs made that statement clear that they’re in fact next to face the Usos for the titles at WrestleMania, and had Boogs defeated Jey he and Nakamura would get the match for the show of shows: which Boogs won in a ridiculous short amount of time! Perhaps now we’re getting new champions?

Main Event: Intercontinental Championship Match; Ricochet vs Sami Zayn. (Rating:4/5)

Without a doubt, these last 20+ minutes were the highlight of this otherwise bland show. Ricochet’s first title defense and it was a main eventer as well, which is even more amazing! Loads of counters, dives and emotion in this match; however near the opening of the match, Raw superstar Austin Theory came out to confront his opponent at WrestleMania, Pat McAfee. Theory yet again slaps the headset off of McAfee which promoted the commentator to leap off the announcer’s table and dive onto Theory, leading to a brawl between the two which was so much fun! Unfortunately security broke both men off one another. Ricochet ended up retaining his championship via a 630 Splash for the pinfall victory. I’m looking very forward for Ricochet’s title run; I know he’s going to deliver banger matches weekly.

Final rating:2/5