WWE SmackDown Results: SmackDown Soars Ahead of PPV and Biggest Takeaways

Five days from Hell in a Cell, SmackDown Live put the final touches on its top rivalries with another in a long line of quality telecasts.

AJ Styles sent one final message to Samoa Joe ahead of their WWE Championship bout, Becky Lynch attacked Charlotte Flair and sent a message to the second-generation star, and The New Day witnessed their next challengers crowned, all as part of the night's festivities.

On a night when the blue brand was tasked with providing the final hype for Sunday's pay-per-view, relive Tuesday's USA Network presentation with these biggest takeaways.

SmackDown Delivers Another Strong Show

To say Raw has been an inconsistently—at times incoherently—booked show in the weeks after SummerSlam would be an understatement. SmackDown, on the other hand, has been consistently strong thanks to engaging stories and strong performances from its central figures.

Tuesday was no different.

On a night when WWE desperately needed to put an exclamation point on its hype for Sunday's pay-per-view, the blue brand delivered.

As it typically does.

A match between The Bar and Rusev Day brought the in-ring content, while AJ Styles and Samoa Joe delivered passionate promos ahead of their WWE Championship match. Becky Lynch attacked Charlotte Flair in a red-hot angle, and Randy Orton interrupted Jeff Hardy's attempt to regain the United States Championship just days before their date inside Hell in a Cell.

Everything on the show had to do with promoting Sunday's show, with the exception of R-Truth vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas and even that helped promote the upcoming Mixed Match Challenge.

Whereas Raw provided a show where things often felt like they happened for the sake of them happening, SmackDown has been a more focused, coherent and simply better show. 

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Could Steal the Show Sunday Night

When looking at the card for Hell in a Cell, one match jumps out as a potential dark-horse candidate for Match of the Night: the SmackDown Women's Championship bout between Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

Tuesday night, Lynch attacked Flair, emerging from the crowd in a disguise to leave her former friend lying.

It was the latest angle in a program that has featured passionate performances from the previously underutilized Lynch. The Irish Lass Kicker has seized the opportunity presented to her and made the most of it, turning in the best promos of her career.

Tuesday's angle allowed her to show off the intensity that will help make her match with The Queen one of the most anticipated on the Hell in a Cell card, even if WWE will be more interested in hyping the Raw bout between Ronda Rousey and Alexa Bliss instead.

Do not be surprised Sunday if, when Hell in a Cell fades to black and fans are left to weight the best matches of the night, Lynch vs. Charlotte stands out among its peers.

Thanks in large part to the emotion built in angles such as the one we were treated to on this week's show.

Samoa Joe Finally Establishes Himself as a Top Star in WWE

After weeks of escalation, Samoa Joe delivered what might be his most unnerving performance to date, reading a story to the WWE Universe entitled Night, Night, AJ.

The story, which heavily played up Joe's targeting of AJ Styles' family, was his latest attempt at frustrating and infuriating the WWE champion ahead of their clash at Hell in a Cell.

The Samoan Submission Specialist disturbingly read from the storybook, a sense of danger in his voice as he mentioned the names of Styles' wife and children.

The exclamation point came in the form of an illustrated picture at the end of the book depicting Joe, the WWE title over his shoulder, side-by-side with Styles' wife and daughter.

To this point, the No. 1 contender has hit every note to perfection, all the while benefiting from creative that has allowed him to make that all-important emotional connection with the audience. Without it, he was an imposing force in the ring who was believable enough to stand across the ring from guys such as Roman Reigns but never credible enough with the audience at large to actually win.

That is no longer the case on SmackDown, where Joe has become a genuine villain, the like of which fans want to see get his comeuppance.

He will Sunday night.

Jeff Hardy Should Have Been Better Protected

Not creatively, but physically.

Hardy has been dealing with injuries, bumps and bruises since his return to the squared circle in April. Just days before what is sure to be a grueling Hell in a Cell match against Randy Orton, he was booked in a multi-segment match with United States champion Shinsuke Nakamura.

Instead of booking him to go so long in the match, why not move up the Orton interference that ultimately led to the disqualification finish?

Save Hardy some bumps, reduce the toll on his body and ensure he is at his best physically for Sunday's pay-per-view.

It felt like a booking decision that was ignorant to the beaten and battered body of Hardy before one of the marquee bouts of the PPV.