Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File
WWE SmackDown drew its highest
television ratings of 2021 on Friday night as the build toward a
SummerSlam match between John Cena and Roman Reigns continued to take
center stage.
Spoiler TV reported SmackDown brought in an
average of 2.499 million viewers across the two-hour broadcast on Fox
and its 0.6 rating in the 18-to-49 demographic topped all prime-time
shows on network TV.
The number of viewers marked the show’s
highest total since the Christmas night episode last December, which
tallied 3.303 million, per Joshua Gagnon of Wrestling Inc.
Friday’s telecast kicked off with a
lengthy promo showdown between Cena and Reigns that included some
personal barbs to help blur the lines between work and reality.
Cena’s return from Hollywood to work a
SummerSlam program with Reigns, who’s emerged as the company’s most
marketable Superstar since the 16-time WWE champion’s departure from
a full-time wrestling role, has provided a significant boost to
SmackDown.
Reigns discussed the differences
between himself and Cena during an appearance Wednesday on the Pat
McAfee Show:
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow
“You see me every Friday night. I have to dull this shit down..<br><br>I come out in sweatpants & some J’s. I don’t have to throw on the crazy colors, wear wristbands all over my body..<br><br>I don’t have to make myself something that I’m not” ~ <a href=”https://twitter.com/WWERomanReigns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@WWERomanReigns</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/PatMcAfeeShowLIVE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE</a> <a href=”https://t.co/V8CtumCWt0″>pic.twitter.com/V8CtumCWt0</a>
Meanwhile, the show also featured a
contract signing between SmackDown women’s champion Bianca Belair and
Sasha Banks, who received some assistance from Carmella and Zelina
Vega to attack the titleholder ahead of their SummerSlam matchup.
Other highlights included Shinsuke
Nakamura defeating Apollo Crews to win the Intercontinental
Championship for a second time and Seth Rollins cutting a promo on
Edge as they also gear toward a high-profile clash at next weekend’s pay-per-view.
Next Friday’s episode of SmackDown will
serve as the go-home show before SummerSlam takes place Saturday at Allegiant
Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
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