WWE SmackDown Results: Becky Lynch Too Good to Hate and Top Takeaways

On the heels of WWE Hell in a Cell 2018, SmackDown Live promised a big show for Tuesday night.

After barely retaining his WWE Championship against Samoa Joe, AJ Styles was set to face Andrade "Cien" Almas, knowing The Samoan Submission Machine would be watching.

Rusev had a huge opportunity after he and Aiden English lost to The New Day on Sunday, with The Bulgarian Brute fighting for the United States Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. Plus, Becky Lynch was expected to have a special coronation to celebrate her first women's championship reign since 2016.

These moments set up the blue brand as a show to watch, and it delivered with electric action and top-notch moments. All the biggest stars on the brand put in performances that could have been on pay-per-view.

More than anything, though, this week's show was a clear reminder of the direction SmackDown is heading, with its biggest stars being established with new characters and fresh stories to come.

Becky Lynch Is Too Good to Be Booed No Matter How Cocky She Is

In the main event, general manager Paige awarded Lynch her newly customized SmackDown Women's Championship, and the champion called out Charlotte Flair to celebrate the moment.

Despite The Queen promising she would not get into a fight, she eventually snapped as her former best friend taunted her.

The two brawled over the announce table before The Irish Lass Kicker locked Charlotte in the Dis-arm-her.

This was a great end to the show with Lynch in top form as a heel the fans cannot help but love. Her teasing of The Queen was quality, showcasing the champion's effortless mic skills.

It is obvious WWE is trying to sell Becky Balboa as a dastardly heel, but she's just too much fun to watch. The cool heel who runs headfirst into a fight is not going to get boos especially played by one of the best in the business right now.

This feud is the greatest angle currently on SmackDown, with Lynch outshining just about every performer on either brand. There's real heat here and complete fan investment even if the reaction is not what the company was looking for.

It would be best to just embrace the idea that this newly confident Lass Kicker is too good not to cheer.

SmackDown's Transformation into The Daniel Bryan Show Is Rapidly Approaching

Credit: WWE.com

The Miz opened the show with Miz TV and special guest Maryse, who announced she would step away from in-ring action to be a great mother to her young daughter.

The A-Lister made his own announcement that Miz vs. Daniel Bryan at the Super Show-Down in Australia on October 6 would be a No. 1 Contender match for the WWE Championship.

After a few more insults of Brie Bella, Bryan came out to fight The Awesome One, sending him packing despite an attempt to play off The Beard injuring Miz's wife. This was a fine segment that primarily set the clear direction for all three performers going forward.

While the former Divas champion will take some time off for now, she'll likely lord her win over Brie until the two fight in a short clash at Evolution on October 28.

Meanwhile, The Beard has lost two straight matches to Miz and there's no way he loses a third, which means everything is set for Bryan to regain the WWE Championship.

Arguably, The "Yes" Man has already been treated as the top star on SmackDown for months. He has often main-evented over every champion on the brand, including world champion Styles, and he and Miz were the last SmackDown stars to compete at both SummerSlam and Hell in a Cell.

It is highly likely The Phenomenal One will remain WWE champion after Super Show-Down, and he should have a classic with Bryan. That said, it is hard to see the long-reigning champ getting past the true star of the blue brand.

WWE Cannot Let a Good Thing Stand with Latest Decision to Break Up Rusev Day

Credit: WWE.com

After blaming Aiden English for their loss on Sunday, Rusev told him not to be at ringside for his match. The Drama King went off on a backstage worker, saying Rusev Day was all thanks to him. Lana heard him, but The Bulgarian Brute did not and changed his mind at the last minute about English.

As The Super Athlete closed in on a win, English distracted Rusev by telling him to crush, and Nakamura rolled up his challenger for three to retain the United States Championship.

It was a great match, but the aftermath in which The Drama King attacked Rusev will be what most fans remember.

Rusev Day has been a fun team and angle for a long time, but it never led anywhere. The Drama King was a refreshing manager for Rusev especially as of late as he put everything into trying to help his friend win. They added an exciting element to the SmackDown tag team division.

With Lana entering the picture again, it was inevitable Rusev and English would break up. It's just a shame it happened so soon.

Now The Bulgarian Brute will remain in his midcard face role, while the former hype man will fall back down the ranks and be forgotten.

Andrade 'Cien' Almas Can Be Elite on Main Roster

In an incredible TV match, Styles and Almas went all-out to start the second hour of SmackDown. Cien got the upper hand early with a vicious surprise attack on the WWE champion, but The Phenomenal One refused to stay down.

He ended up barely escaping with the win thanks to an impressive counter into a Styles Clash before Samoa Joe arrived to assault his Super Show-Down opponent.

Although he lost once more, this was a huge match for El Idolo, who looked as good as he ever has.

He and Styles have chemistry to spare with some counters that you'd only see from veterans who have worked together countless time before. Zelina Vega's client looked like an absolute star.

If Cien can put on matches like this, working on the level of the best in the business, he deserves every opportunity to succeed. Vega can do the talking for him while he outwrestles just about anyone and raises the level of competition on an already stacked SmackDown roster.

NXT stars may often fail on the main roster, but it feels like Almas has a chance to buck that trend.