introduced some new faces to this week as GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser and Raquel Rodriguez all made their debuts.
The talented trio –, Marcel Barthel and Raquel Gonzalez – have made the jump from NXT 2.0 to the blue brand after WrestleMania as all three made their presence felt in various ways on Friday night.
First, it was Imperium’s moment as the duo – unfortunately without teammate Fabian Aichner – made an instant impression in a dominating appearance.
Ludwig Kaiser introduce the Ring General as he face off with poor Joe Alonzo in what amounted to a strong debut for the former NXT United Kingdom Champion, ending with some chops and a Powerbomb.
While – and a change in theme music – had people concerned, it appears WWE is ready to take the duo seriously and build GUNTHER into a real force to be reckoned with.
After that match, it was Raquel’s turn as the former NXT Women’s Champion made her first SmackDown appearance in a backstage segment.
Kayla Braxton introduced her, complete with the obligatory main roster name change, before Rodriguez insisted fans haven’t seen anyone like her before.
Los Lotharios tried their luck hitting on her, but the powerful star shrugged off their advances in a low key but successful introduction.
It wasn’t all about big debuts though, as SmackDown’s women’s division was also bolstered by the return of Lacey Evans in a powerful vignette.
The Sassy Southern Belle opened up on her childhood and the challenges of being around a father suffering from addiction, leading to a young Lacey and her mum leaving before they move around in campgrounds.
She went onto become a mother, a sister, a United States Marine and now a WWE superstar, noting her journey doesn’t make her ‘better than any other superstar’, but she notes: ‘They damn sure ain’t better than me.’
This was a great way to reintroduce Lacey and immediately endear her to fans, which is vital as the blue brand is desperately in need of top babyfaces given the reactions Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey get.
WWE SmackDown airs Friday nights at 1am on BT Sport 1.
