WWE: 3 MVPs From Tonight’s SmackDown (Sept 5)

WWE SmackDown decided to end the week with a bang, as it kicked off the night with a match no one expected and then ended with one of the biggest shocks in years. Suffice it to say it was an eventful night on the blue brand, and that was in addition to any number of developments in several other stories across the show. WWE’s upcoming WrestlePalooza event also got some attention, and by the end of the night, a few more matches were added to the card. Now that SmackDown is in the books, we’re breaking down the three critical MVPs of tonight’s SmackDown, so let’s get started.

3. John Cena

Tonight’s SmackDown was a milestone moment for John Cena, as it was his final appearance on SmackDown (at least for the foreseeable future). One of Cena’s many skills is to truly make a moment resonate not only with the live fans but also the fans watching at home, and after a hyped promo, he did just that in the show’s opening moments.

The real skill of Cena though is working with what the crowd’s giving him, and that showed up tonight at a rather unexpected time. Sami Zayn would come out to the ring to talk with Cena, and what was supposed to be a hyped up moment turned awkward when, for some reason, Zayn started getting boos from the Chicago crowd. It wasn’t expected and seemed to even take Zayn and Cena off guard, but Cena made a perfectly timed joke that broke up the awkwardness and let Zayn get to the part of the promo that would easily win the crowd back over.

Then Cena would go on to have a thrilling match against Zayn before taking two F5s from Brock Lesnar, so to say he did a full day’s work in the show’s opening hour would be an understatement, and it’s one of the many reasons he just might be the greatest of all time.

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2. Becky Lynch

Speaking of greatness, Becky Lynch once again reminded everyone why she is one of WWE’s top stars, and she did so throughout the entire show. Lynch took part in three different segments across the episode, and while the first one was just a quick arrival at the arena, the next two were pure gold.

Lynch would have a great exchange with Nick Aldis when she showed up unannounced, as she attempted to ease any fears of the chaos she would likely cause. That exchange was delightful, but it would pale in comparison to her segment at the end of the show, which led to another memorable and brutal segment with CM Punk as she took any number of shots at him and even hit him several more times.

The best part though was in Lynch’s reactions, and when the big reveal of AJ Lee hit, it landed with even more impact thanks to Lynch’s hilarious expression of shock, and she fed right into that idea with her approach to Lee once she was in the ring and how she reacted to Punk outside the ring. Lynch made this moment soar even more, though the person most crucial to this unforgettable moment sits in the number 1 spot.

1. AJ Lee

Even with the unintended leak of merchandise and the reports that Lee was making a return, you wouldn’t have known any of that when Lee’s music hit the speakers and the crowd lost its collective mind. After nearly a decade, AJ Lee made her grand return to WWE, and it was a truly sensational reaction from the crowd. Having Punk involved in the story and right there in the mix only made it that much more special.

While Lee hasn’t been in a WWE ring for close to 10 years, you wouldn’t know it from seeing her entrance. Lee arrived in classic form, like she never left, delivering the trademark skip around the ring before hitting several other hallmarks of her entrance as she made her way into the ring. Then Lee delivered a series of attacks to Lynch, causing The Man to scatter out of the ring, and while she didn’t lock in the Black Widow, that will likely follow sooner rather than later.

An emotional hug in the center of the ring was the cap on a truly momentous night, and it’s simply fantastic having AJ Lee back in the fold. Also, WWE wasted no time getting the hype train moving, as they already have new merchandise and a shirt for Lee on the WWE Shop.

Do you agree with our picks, and who were your MVPs of tonight’s SmackDown? Let us know in the comments or on the ComicBook forum!

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