5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (April 14)

Shinsuke Nakamura returns; WWE sets up GUNTHER's next opponent; Roman Reigns warns The Usos.

By Jamie Kennedy /

WWE.com

Something is simmering in both major WWE tag-team camps.

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Creative put across the clear difference in approach Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have on this week's SmackDown, but the same writers also teased a possible split on The Bloodline's side. It was easy to miss, but Paul Heyman definitely gave The Usos a warning courtesy of absent 'Tribal Chief' Roman Reigns on Friday night - they better win their rematch vs. Sami and KO in two weeks or else.

Think of the two-hour show as a placeholder for things to come. WWE has the 2023 Draft coming up, so they're 100% killing some time until the rosters settle down. That leaves Backlash on 6 May feeling like a pay-per-view Bad Bunny is gonna do a lot of heavy lifting for, but there's time for things to turn around yet.

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Shinsuke Nakamura returned, WWE revealed GUNTHER's next Intercontinental Title opponent, the Judgment Day vs. LWO stuff experienced an upturn in fortunes from last week, and the Women's Tag-Team Title scene sucked wind yet again.

Yep, it was one of those mixed bag episodes. Here's all the good and bad from it...

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