WWE SmackDown Ratings Up with Roman Reigns, Bayley Promo, Firefly Funhouse, More
September 12, 2020
Friday night's episode of WWE SmackDown on Fox did big numbers and saw its viewership increase 6.2 percent compared to last week.
According to Showbuzz Daily, SmackDown averaged 2.261 million viewers and did a 0.6 rating in the 18-49-year-old demographic, which was No. 1 on the night.
The 2.261 million viewer average was SmackDown's highest number since drawing 2.317 million viewers on the post-WrestleMania episode April 10.
Friday's main event was a tag team match pitting universal champion Roman Reigns and his cousin Jey Uso against King Corbin and Sheamus. Reigns and Uso will face each other at Clash of Champions after Uso won a Fatal 4-Way for the No. 1 contendership last week, but he volunteered himself and Reigns to face Corbin and Sheamus.
Reigns didn't show up until the latter stages of the match and allowed Uso to get beaten down by Corbin and Sheamus. Once The Big Dog arrived, he tagged in with Jey seemingly in position to win the match on his own, hit one spear and picked up the win for his team. Uso wanted to celebrate, but Reigns didn't seem interested.
SmackDown also featured the first appearance by SmackDown women's champion Bayley since her brutal attack on Sasha Banks last week.
Bayley said that she turned on her best friend not only because Banks was using her, but because she was using Sasha as well and no longer needed to do so.
On the latest edition of the Firefly Funhouse, Bray Wyatt introduced a new character. Many expected it to be Alexa Bliss, but it was a puppet named Wobbly Walrus, who resembled and acted like Paul Heyman.
The introduction of Wobbly Walrus suggests Wyatt may have an eye toward challenging Reigns for the universal title if Reigns is successful against Uso at Clash of Champions.
Other key moments on SmackDown included Cross beating Bliss, Lacey Evans and Tamina in a Fatal 4-Way to become No. 1 contender for the SmackDown women's title and Sami Zayn interrupting the Intercontinental Championship match between Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles.
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