Evans steals the show; Vaquer-Stratton set for Crown Jewel

"SmackDown" further precocious the roadworthy to Crown Jewel connected Oct. 11 successful Perth, Australia, with Tiffany Stratton retaining her WWE Women's Championship, keeping her undefeated twelvemonth intact. "SmackDown" ended with the 2 women's satellite champs, Stratton and Stephanie Vaquer, eyeing each different titles precocious arsenic they volition present conscionable for the WWE Women's Crown Jewel Championship. But the communicative of Friday nighttime was a save, a astonishment and an unthinkable showing by 1 of the astir talented wrestlers successful the roster.

Sept. 26 SmackDown results

• Street Profits def. Melo Don't Miz

• Women's U.S. champ Giulia and Kiana James def. B-Fab and Michin

• Men's U.S. champ Sami Zayn def. Je'Von Evans

• Women's champion Tiffany Stratton def. Nia Jax and Jade Cargill

The nighttime belonged to Je'Von Evans

No 1 flies similar Je'Von!! 🙌@WWEJeVonEvans pic.twitter.com/5UN3VxLFic

There were large crippled points from "SmackDown." Randy Orton saved Cody Rhodes from a Vision treble squad beatdown and Jacob Fatu confronted Drew McIntyre. But I volition code those 2 points beneath due to the fact that the biggest takeaway from this occurrence of "SmackDown," by a Greensboro mile, was the fantastic showing of NXT's Je'Von Evans, who faced Sami Zayn successful the U.S. Title Open Challenge.

Evans is simply a prima successful the making, a aboriginal satellite champion who much than held his ain against Zayn. If he's been wrestling since 2018 and he's 21 years old, ideate what helium volition look similar astatine 25, astatine 30. Take a bow, Je'Von.

This is besides the quality of the U.S. Title Open Challenge. Zayn is the benignant of wrestler who tin person terrific matches with everyone connected the WWE roster and transportation this unfastened situation to a agelong and fruitful run, making his opponents look fantastic successful the process -- and yet winning via the progressively destructive Blue Thunder Bomb. So far, Zayn's U.S. Title Open Challenge has been an unthinkable occurrence and it's 1 of the champion things astir WWE close now.

Other takeaways, storylines

• Orton came to Rhodes' assistance to stave disconnected The Vision. It inactive feels similar we volition get a Rhodes vs. Orton lucifer down the enactment (which would beryllium their archetypal since the King of the Ring last successful June), but with Survivor Series happening connected Nov. 29, it's much apt we volition spot the erstwhile Legacy stablemates proceed to squad up.

• Melo Don't Miz and Street Profits person had their stock of miscommunication and fracture, and it looks similar Melo Don't Miz could soon go Melo Won't Miz, aft Carmelo Hayes refused to interruption up a pin connected The Miz pursuing an speech betwixt the two. The Street Profits present person a tag squad rubric lucifer against the Wyatt Sicks, who were watching intimately from down the announcer's table, but they could besides implode during the rubric match(or soon after).

Great to person you astatine SmackDown, @LylesNoah! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SRd3cdBiVt

• If I had aggregate Olympic medals, I'd deterioration them similar Noah Lyles too.

• Jacob Fatu appeared connected "SmackDown" to face McIntyre, and aft a large exchange, flattened The Scottish Warrior. A lucifer betwixt the 2 would beryllium terrific.

• Damian Priest took a footwear to the look connected his birthday. As is pro wrestling tradition.