Aazima Basharat is an NFL Editor at EssentiallySports. She ‘coaches’ a group of writers and helps them curate their articles through stats, stories, and speculations. Alongside mentoring, her years of experience in the field of journalism through Asiana Times make her a vital contributor when it comes to covering live matches and breaking down post-match press conferences alongside prediction pieces . 
The versatility of the themes she has reported on including sports like golf, tennis, and the NFL has allowed her to develop a keen eye for detail and expand on a fan-centric stance. Further, beyond the realm of sports, Aazima dedicates her time to drafting recipes and learning new languages, all with a hot cup of tea by her side.

Last week’s Friday Night SmackDown was a rollercoaster ride for everyone. Fans saw stars such as Logan Paul, The Miz, Kevin Owens, Noami, Dominik Mysterio, and others battle it out for a spot at the 2024 Elimination Chamber. Apart from that, Roman Reigns and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made a special announcement. However, it looks like the Brahma Bull’s return has caused Triple H more harm than good. DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON WAS UNABLE TO SAVE SMACKDOWN In reports published online, this week’s Friday Night SmackDown saw a dip in numbers. The show performed really well in the numbers game last week. While in the 18-49 demographics, the show scored 0.75 this week and last week as well. It fell a little short when it comes to viewership. This week’s viewership clocked in at 2.555M viewers as opposed to last week’s which was, 2.578M viewers. As stated by Dave Meltzer, he believes that since the show had some competition last week, this might have caused a dip in numbers. Apart from that, it is still to be known where will the episode rank in terms of viewership. 

Looks like Dwayne Johnson's return to WWE has done more harm than good when it comes to the show's performance last week

Shaikh Aerajuddin is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master's in sports science, Aeraj is an expert at covering injury angles, be they kayfabe or otherwise.

On the lighter side of things, he also enjoys making sense of the unpredictability of storylines, backing his speculative pieces with facts and solid research. As a lifelong pro wrestling fan, Aeraj has gone from watching “Stone Cold” Steve Austin beat up his boss to Daniel Bryan fighting against The Authority. So it’s not surprising that he has all his facts straight when it comes to matches, past, present, and future, as well as anything related to the wrestling business. 
Keeping in line with his passion for writing, Aeraj also enjoys penning his thoughts down through poetry.

Shaikh Aerajuddin

Shaikh Aerajuddin is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master's in sports science, Aeraj is an expert at covering injury angles, be they kayfabe or otherwise. On the lighter side of things, he also enjoys making sense of the unpredictability of storylines, backing his speculative pieces with facts and solid research.

Shaikh Aerajuddin | WWE Writer at EssentiallySports

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Shaikh Aerajuddin is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master's in sports science, Aeraj is an expert at covering injury angles, be they kayfabe or otherwise. On the lighter side of things, he also enjoys making sense of the unpredictability of storylines, backing his speculative pieces with facts and solid research. As a lifelong pro wrestling fan, Aeraj has gone from watching “Stone Cold” Steve Austin beat up his boss to Daniel Bryan fighting against The Authority. So it’s not surprising that he has all his facts straight when it comes to matches, past, present, and future, as well as anything related to the wrestling business. Keeping in line with his passion for writing, Aeraj also enjoys penning his thoughts down through poetry.

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<h2>WWE SmackDown 2021: Latest News, WWE Rumors, Results</h2>
Probably the most popular brand in WWE right now, SmackDown has come a long way since it started off as a brand extension to Raw. The Blue brand has seen some of the best Superstars to ever step foot in the ring and continues to host the best fights in WWE.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://mms.businesswire.com/media/20190812005320/en/737919/5/SmackDown_Crowd.jpg" alt="WWE? and FOX Sports Celebrate SmackDown's 20th Anniversary on October 4 | Business Wire" data-noaft="1" />

The event may be your weekly Friday Night watch, but you may not know why it started in the first place.
<h2>History</h2>
SmackDown was initially introduced in 1999 to compete with WCW?s Thunder that aired on Thursdays. This sub-branch to Raw was going to be a second home for WWE Superstars.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmJiZWIxYzEtNGZlZS00YTBmLWExZGItYThlMzIxZjIwYjNlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTA0NzE2MzA@._V1_.jpg" alt="WWE Smackdown! (1999-)" data-noaft="1" />

The first episode of SmackDown took place in a Raw ring until it got its own theme.<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>

A young and fiery Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson was moved to SmackDown to hold up the flag for WWE. These were arguably his golden years, where his segments were going viral.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/gallery_img_l/public/all/2016/11/004_8.26.99-004--6a6f334bf95da505967bcce6c00db032.jpg" alt="100 Definitive Photos of The Rock | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

The Rock made SmackDown his own brand and even claimed that it was named after him. This was due to his previously introduced catchphrase ?Laying the Smackdown?.<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>
<h3>Victory over WCW</h3>
WCW Thunder could not compete with SmackDown at all and was forced to move to Wednesdays. Unlike the long and fierce battle between Raw and Nitro, SmackDown had won its side of the battle already.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/gallery_img_l/public/all/2017/10/006_WM16_04022000_0657b--4a46fccda63f677e23004a9dcbb0b13a.jpg" alt="Stephanie McMahon &amp; Triple H through the years: photos | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

Following WWE?s victory in the Monday Night Wars and the subsequent acquisition of WCW, SmackDown was moved to Friday nights in 2005. This was possible only because the popular show <em>Star Trek: Enterprise</em> had been canceled.

Taking its slot, WWE renamed SmackDown to Friday Night SmackDown to emphasize the change in airing day.

Since then, SmackDown has seen a steady rise in viewership. At its peak from 2002-2005, the show pulled in an average viewership of 5 million!

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20200617231732/undertaker-wrestlemania.png" alt="You Pushed the Limits Yesterday" data-noaft="1" />

This made it the second-highest-rated series behind America?s Next Top Model.

The SmackDown Logo has now permanently adopted a blue theme, which is reminiscent of the one it originally started off with in 1999.
<h3>Lockdown Success</h3>
During the pandemic, the brand has been able to somehow maintain pre- lockdown numbers and is doing steadily well. The impressive rise in numbers following the introduction of ThunderDome is commendable.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/og_image/public/2020/08/20200821_SD_Vid_Seg11_InterconAlt--37d932e39ba9504ebaad96e043156148.jpg" alt="Jeff Hardy vs. AJ Styles ? Intercontinental Championship Match: SmackDown, August 21, 2020 | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

SmackDown, once being the subsidiary of Raw, has taken over the main show and is now the leading brand in terms of viewership.

The two brands compete annually at Survivor Series in a massive SmackDown vs Raw showdown.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://www.wwe.com/f/styles/og_image/public/2020/05/20191011_Smackdown_TheFiend--273df341293e9636428bf3c0e3a9e9eb.jpg" alt="The Fiend? Bray Wyatt drags Seth Rollins to hell: SmackDown, Oct. 11, 2019 | WWE" data-noaft="1" />

The show is set to float through the pandemic in calm waters. If you ever need consistently good content every week, tune in to SmackDown every Friday Night.
<h2>WWE Smackdown Roster</h2>
The SmackDown roster has upheld its standards of having the best even today.

The WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is the dominant figure of the roster. His recent return has made him more popular than ever before.

<img class="n3VNCb" src="https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/883/705/5b312eb73369f7714ee448e39700122a_crop_exact.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=1200&amp;q=75" alt="Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Roman Reigns, Raw Creative and More | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights" data-noaft="1" />

The SmackDown Women?s Champion Sasha Banks is another prominent figure in the division. Her massive feud with Bayley shot up the ratings for SmackDown.

Intercontinental Champion Big E also makes the headlines for this roster.

<img class="n3VNCb alignnone" src="https://cdn.gouki.com/scoreboard-image-wwe/d41ebc72f13d43d4b046486869db5af9.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" data-iml="30489" />

Other big names from SmackDown include Bayley, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Rey Mysterio, and Bianca Belair.
<h2>Where to watch WWE Smackdown?</h2>
You can watch WWE SmackDown live every <strong>Friday Night at 7:30 PM E.T.</strong> on traditional Streaming platforms and exclusively on <strong>WWE Network</strong> and <strong>Fox Network</strong>.
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Created By</td>
<td valign="middle">Vince McMahon<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Country of Origin</td>
<td valign="middle">United States Of America</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Original Network<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
<td valign="middle">Fox (Present)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Distributor /<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>

Live Streaming</td>
<td valign="middle">WWE /<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span>

WWE Network, Fox Network<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">History</td>
<td valign="middle">1999- Present</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">First Event<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
<td valign="middle">April 29, 1999</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Date</td>
<td valign="middle">Friday nights at 7:30 PM E.T.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Location</td>
<td valign="middle">ThunderDome (Amway Centre), Orlando, Florida<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">Live Streaming</td>
<td valign="middle">WWE Network, Fox Network</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="middle">TV Channels</td>
<td valign="middle">Traditional Sports Streaming Channels<span class="Apple-converted-space">?</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

WWE SmackDown

WWE SmackDown 2021: Latest News, WWE Rumors, Results Probably the most popular brand in WWE right now, SmackDown has come a long way since it started off as a brand extension to Raw. The Blue brand has seen some of the best Superstars to ever step foot in the ring and continues to host the best fights in WWE. The event may be your weekly Friday Night watch, but you may not know why it started in the first place. History SmackDown was initially introduced in 1999 to compete with WCW?s Thunder that aired on Thursdays. This sub-branch to Raw was going to be a second home for WWE Superstars. The first episode of SmackDown took place in a Raw ring until it got its own theme.? A young and fiery Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson was moved to SmackDown to hold up the flag for WWE. These were arguably his golden years, where his segments were going viral. The Rock made SmackDown his own brand and even claimed that it was named after him. This was due to his previously introduced catchphrase ?Laying the Smackdown?.? Victory over WCW WCW Thunder could not compete with SmackDown at all and was forced to move to Wednesdays. Unlike the long and fierce battle between Raw and Nitro, SmackDown had won its side of the battle already. Following WWE?s victory in the Monday Night Wars and the subsequent acquisition of WCW, SmackDown was moved to Friday nights in 2005. This was possible only because the popular show Star Trek: Enterprise had been canceled. Taking its slot, WWE renamed SmackDown to Friday Night SmackDown to emphasize the change in airing day. Since then, SmackDown has seen a steady rise in viewership. At its peak from 2002-2005, the show pulled in an average viewership of 5 million! This made it the second-highest-rated series behind America?s Next Top Model. The SmackDown Logo has now permanently adopted a blue theme, which is reminiscent of the one it originally started off with in 1999. Lockdown Success During the pandemic, the brand has been able to somehow maintain pre- lockdown numbers and is doing steadily well. The impressive rise in numbers following the introduction of ThunderDome is commendable. SmackDown, once being the subsidiary of Raw, has taken over the main show and is now the leading brand in terms of viewership. The two brands compete annually at Survivor Series in a massive SmackDown vs Raw showdown. The show is set to float through the pandemic in calm waters. If you ever need consistently good content every week, tune in to SmackDown every Friday Night. WWE Smackdown Roster The SmackDown roster has upheld its standards of having the best even today. The WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is the dominant figure of the roster. His recent return has made him more popular than ever before. The SmackDown Women?s Champion Sasha Banks is another prominent figure in the division. Her massive feud with Bayley shot up the ratings for SmackDown. Intercontinental Champion Big E also makes the headlines for this roster. Other big names from SmackDown include Bayley, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Rey Mysterio, and Bianca Belair. Where to watch WWE Smackdown? You can watch WWE SmackDown live every Friday Night at 7:30 PM E.T. on traditional Streaming platforms and exclusively on WWE Network and Fox Network.  Created By Vince McMahon?  Country of Origin United States Of America  Original Network? Fox (Present)  Distributor /? Live Streaming WWE /? WWE Network, Fox Network?  History 1999- Present  First Event? April 29, 1999  Date Friday nights at 7:30 PM E.T.  Location ThunderDome (Amway Centre), Orlando, Florida?  Live Streaming WWE Network, Fox Network  TV Channels Traditional Sports Streaming Channels?

WWE SmackDown Archives

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Christopher Paul is a WWE reporter at EssentiallySports. With over eight years of experience as a writer and a childhood passion for pro wrestling, Chris is now a voice for kayfabe fans. He has a penchant for covering live events and enjoys breaking the latest developments in the WWE Universe. He’s also great at picking apart storylines with a keen attention to detail. That is, when he’s not marveling at the high-flying antics of wrestlers, like Jeff Hardy, launching off of tall structures. Apart from wrestling, he also enjoys gaming and, unsurprisingly, picking apart movies in his spare time.

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Christopher Paul

Shaikh Aerajuddin is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master's in
sports science, Aeraj is an expert at covering injury angles, be they kayfabe or
otherwise. On the lighter side of things, he also enjoys making sense of the
unpredictability of storylines, backing his speculative pieces with facts and
solid research. As a lifelong pro wrestling fan, Aeraj has gone from watching
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin beat up his boss to Daniel Bryan fighting against The
Authority. So it’s not surprising that he has all his facts straight when it
comes to matches, past, present, and future, as well as anything related to the
wrestling business. Keeping in line with his passion for writing, Aeraj also
enjoys penning his thoughts down through poetry.

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Despite Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Return WWE Smackdown Viewership Declines, Here’s Why

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Despite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Return WWE Smackdown Viewership Declines, Here’s Why

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