Best & worst of SmackDown (July 5, 2024): Roman Reigns exiled; WWE star removed from Money in the Bank?

The final SmackDown before Money in the Bank had all the WWE ladder match competitors riled up. The show kicked off with Jey Uso, followed by his opponents this weekend. Drew McIntyre came out and roasted every participant before a fight broke out among all 6 of them.

Let's take a look at the best and worst highlights from the latest edition of SmackDown:

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Best: New WWE Tag Team Champions on SmackDown

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller won the WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 40. The two bonded over as heels and rose rapidly in the tag ranks to hold gold.

The month after their 'Mania win witnessed tension. The Aussie Icon would often boast about how he was the main one holding the team together and was the star of the two.

Austin Theory and DIY go way back, starting with their history from NXT days when they were a part of The Way. Over the past few weeks, Johnny Gargano, a member of the same group, approached Theory, hinting at a potential reunion.

DIY reunited on the main roster in 2022 but their engagement with fans took a lot of time to build. Eventually, the duo began to grow on the WWE Universe leading to their tag team title match on WWE SmackDown. This marks their first title win on the main roster, and hopefully, they continue to sustain momentum in their reign.

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Worst: Bayley's current title reign seems to have lost charm

Bayley was one of the lucky few to walk out of WrestleMania 40 as champion. Since then, she has put the title on the line against Naomi, Tiffany Stratton and most recently Piper Niven.

Despite being a defending champion on all premium live events since the win, Bayley's position as WWE Women's Champion needs to further cement itself. The Role Model had a run-in with Chelsea Green backstage on SmackDown. Green cited she would be taking the championship off Bayley before Piper Niven attacked her, leading to a singles match between to two.

The champion won the match, which featured distraction from women's MITB ladder match participants - Tiffany Stratton, Naomi, Zoey Stark, IYO SKY, Chelsea Green, and Lyra Valkyria. Nia Jax then pounced on an unsuspecting Bayley as she celebrated victory. Jax won Queen of the Ring last month to earn a title shot at WWE SummerSlam.

Bayley needs more time in the limelight as the WWE Women's Champion. WWE could consider her being more involved in feuds and backstage segments rather than one-time, randomly put together matches and appearances.

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Best: Solo Sikoa unleashes war on Roman Reigns

The new Bloodline led by Solo Sikoa has been running things on the blue brand,causing terror to their opponents. Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu will face Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens at Money in the Bank. This leaves Tonga Loa, who would have made his Money in the Bank debut. However, it goes without saying that with The Bloodline's history, Loa could make his presence known at the premium live event.

The Undisputed WWE Champion and his tag team partners addressed their upcoming match on SmackDown. Owens talked about his absence from WWE events because of his mother's recent ill-health. He added how his parents supported him in his dream of joining the wrestling industry.

The Bloodline were not present on SmackDown following their attack on Paul Heyman last week. However, at the show's conclusion, Solo Sikoa appeared in a vignette, issuing Roman Reigns a warning that he has been replaced as Tribal Chief and must get used to it. He also stated that he was going after Cody Rhodes' title, whether Reigns saw fit or not.