Roman Reigns Suddenly Interesting Again and More WWE SmackDown Fallout

The July 30 episode of WWE SmackDown Live did not just continue building toward matches already announced for the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view, it also added one and laid the groundwork for another, thanks in large part to a quality cliffhanger to close out the broadcast.

Roman Reigns was headed toward Kayla Braxton for an interview in which he was going to issue a challenge for SummerSlam when a forklift carrying heavy material appeared and nearly ran him down, dropping the equipment on him in the process.

The Big Dog escaped injury, but it begged the question: Who tried to do harm to WWE's top star?

The whodunnit sparked interest in Reigns' character, while a superb video package enhanced the feud between WWE champion Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton. The announcement of Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair in a dream match at SummerSlam also elevated the card for August 11.

WWE Reignites Interest in Roman Reigns with Show-Closing Cliffhanger

Since returning from his leukemia diagnosis prior to WrestleMania 35, Roman Reigns has been a part of some relatively uninteresting storylines that featured repetitive matches with Drew McIntyre and uninspired interactions with Shane McMahon.

His work has not suffered but fan interest in The Big Dog has.

Thanks to a show-closing angle, though—a good, old-fashioned whodunnit—WWE Creative has sparked intrigue in the company's franchise player and his SummerSlam program.

Reigns was expected to issue a challenge for SummerSlam Tuesday night when someone drove a forklift with heavy equipment right at him. He escaped injury but was left asking who was behind the wheel.

So is the rest of the WWE Universe.

One of the elements routinely missing from WWE programming is a reason to come back next week. Somewhere along the line, Vince McMahon and the crack writing staff behind Raw and SmackDown forgot how to hook the audience and make them want to come back.

Instead of creating genuine interest in the following week's show, the creative staff simply announced a handful of matches, hoping fans would return because of the stars advertised rather than any story the company may have been telling.

Tuesday night, they reintroduced legitimate storytelling elements, and both SmackDown and Reigns will benefit because of it.

Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton Is WWE's Best Feud

A single moment in time has fueled the best rivalry in all of WWE.

This week's SmackDown Live included a video package featuring Randy Orton, who took us on a journey through both his and Kofi Kingston's individual histories, their previous rivalry and the moment he stunted the current WWE champion's push following a poorly timed RKO spot in 2009.

From there, he warned Kingston that challenging him to a match at SummerSlam and putting his WWE Championship on the line was "stupid, stupid, stupid" because the fairy tale will come to an end in Toronto.

The production team hit the ball out of the park with the video package itself, but enough cannot be said about Orton's performance and how invested he appears to be in this program.

The third-generation Superstar rediscovered some of the unabashed arrogance that once made him such a detestable villain while retaining a tinge of the danger that makes him one of the most unpredictable competitors in the company.

That the program is based on real-life tension, and one of the more notorious on-screen moments in modern WWE history, only elevates its seriousness and helps fans invest in it even more than they may already have.

Born in reality, bred through strong promos and great productions, the feud rolls into Toronto as, arguably, the hottest in the company and the best story WWE has told in quite some time.

Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair Provides SummerSlam with Real Dream Match

In an era when dream matches are becoming increasingly scarce, SummerSlam will provide fans one in the form of Trish Stratus vs. Charlotte Flair, a bout made official in a strong promo segment on this week's show.

Flair questioned Stratus' willingness to step away from being a mom and fight her on August 11, then conceded that it's probably because the Hall of Famer knows she can't hang with The Queen.

Stratus called the second-generation competitor a "bitch" and accepted her challenge, popping a Memphis crowd that was uncharacteristically quiet for most of the night.

The match features the face of WWE's golden era of women's wrestling squaring off with the face of its current women's revolution. Two of the most influential women the industry has produced competing for nothing more than bragging rights.

It is an easy story to tell, one that was executed to perfection this week and should provide the upcoming pay-per-view with a red-hot addition to its card.

That is, as long as the Toronto fans are the same vocal, energetic and passionate bunch they always have been.