The tournaments to crown royalty have begun on the Season Premiere of WWE SmackDown. The October 8 edition of Friday Night SmackDown not only had the first matches of the King of the Ring tournament but also the first matches of the first-ever Queen's Crown tournament.

Everything was aiming toward Crown Jewel, including one of the biggest matches WWE SmackDown could put on the show. Becky Lynch put her SmackDown Women's Championship on the line against Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks. The three women would sign the contract for this match on SmackDown.

In the first matches of the Queen's Crown tournament, Liv Morgan looked to end her rivalry with Carmella and begin a journey toward her first major title. Zelina Vega looked to take down SmackDown newcomer Toni Storm in the tournament.

After repeatedly defeating Dominik Mysterio, Sami Zayn has attempted to turn Rey Mysterio's son against the luchador. The Master of the 619 looked to stop that and advance in the King of the Ring tournament on SmackDown. Finn Balor fought Cesaro in a battle of top competitors in need of a major title.

This show only had a few major promised moments, but with two tournaments and much to build before Crown Jewel, there was plenty to expect, especially considering Roman Reigns' status as the number one star on SmackDown following the WWE Draft.

Bianca Belair Lays Out Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch

Bianca Belair held the ring in her contract signing. Becky Lynch had her own table on the ramp. Sasha Banks stood confidently on the announce table. Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce tried to keep control, but the action broke down quickly.

The three women got in the ring to brawl. The EST threw The Legit Boss on the table then hit the KOD on The Man through Banks and the table.

Later in the night, Lynch finally signed the contract for her title match, though she was not happy about it.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This was short and to the point. All three women said their piece, and Belair got some measure of revenge against the women that laid her out in recent weeks. It was a good heater for the Crown Jewel match, which will possibly be the show-stealer.

Ultimately, everyone involved has already said what they need to when it comes to this match. It's hard to imagine there is much more that can be gained with segments like this. It's time to get to the action.

King of the Ring Quarterfinal: Rey Mysterio vs. Sami Zayn

Dominik Mysterio told Rey Mysterio that he would need to stay in the back. Sami Zayn told Dominik he was better than his father. As The Great Liberator beat down on The Master of the 619, Dominik finally headed out to ringside.

Rey hit a Code Red to get back into the action. As The Master of the 619 ran for his finisher, Zayn ducked it and hit the Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn pulled down the turnbuckle, causing Dominik to get involved to fix it.

In the chaos, Zayn threw Rey into Dominik then rolled up the legend for a three count.

Result

Zayn def. Mysterio by pinfall to advance to the semifinals of the King of the Ring tournament.

Grade

B

Analysis

This was a solid match, even though it moved slower than expected. Zayn has benefited from his own mind games, setting up Dominik to get in the way of his father's bid for the King of the Ring.

Since The Mysterios are soon heading to Raw in two weeks, it is important that this story reach a natural conclusion. It will be important for Dominik to find his way on his own and earn his father's respect beyond Zayn's influence.

The Great Liberator moves on to the semifinal of the King of the Ring tournament. He is unlikely to make the finals, but it would be exciting to see him finally get his due.

Queen's Crown Quarterfinal: Toni Storm vs. Zelina Vega

Before their match, Zelina Vega and Toni Storm promised they would win the Queen's Crown tournament.

This match was over not long after it began. As Storm went for a backslide that she had to shift into a Gory Bomb, Vega used the momentary shift to hit a Code Red for the win.

Result

Vega def. Storm by pinfall to advance to the semifinals of the Queen's Crown tournament.

Grade

D

Analysis

Storm and Vega have wrestled before, and none of their matches so far have accomplished much because of the time they have been given. Storm has all the talent in the world to have a competitive match against anyone, but she has not been able to show that at all.

Vega, meanwhile, is finally picking up wins after an embarrassing streak of losses upon her return to WWE. While she has been used regularly, SmackDown has not shown nearly enough trust in her to carry matches.

If this Queen's Crown tournament is going to be something, it is important that the match make an impact. Each women's match should get equal time to the men's.

Roman Reigns and The Bloodline Deliver a Message to Brock Lesnar

Roman Reigns praised Paul Heyman for getting The Usos to SmackDown. However, he wanted the truth out of his Special Counsel. Heyman twisted the narrative to explain that he believed in Reigns and knew he would defeat Brock Lesnar.

The Head of the Table demanded that Heyman tell The Beast Incarnate that he would lose. Heyman did just that, clearly telling Lesnar that he would fail in his challenge to the WWE universal champion.

Grade

A

Analysis

This was a fantastic promo, especially from Heyman. He has leaned into the cliches for a while as a speaker because it works to control the crowd. However, it can also take away from the weight of his words in the biggest moments.

Luckily, The Special Counsel is good enough to use his own cliches to his benefit. His message to Lesnar worked because it was clear how much he meant it. He gave Lesnar a message that could get him in serious trouble with The Beast Incarnate.

It should be interesting to see what the fallout is for this moment assuming Lesnar sees the message. 

Queen's Crown Quarterfinal: Liv Morgan vs. Carmella

Mace explained in an interview that he was ready to dominate anyone when he joined the blue brand alone.

Before the match, Carmella made sure her protective mask was applied to protect her moneymaker. Liv Morgan attacked The Most Beautiful Woman in the World at the bell, but Carmella caught her in the Code of Silence for a near tapout.

Morgan fired back with a single-knee facebuster that almost got the win, but Carmella got her foot on the rope. The Most Beautiful Woman in the World ended her match with a low superkick.

Result

Carmella def. Morgan by pinfall to advance to the semifinals of the Queen's Crown tournament.

Grade

D

Analysis

It is honestly infuriating how disrespectful SmackDown has been with its women's division outside the untouchable stars. It feels like we are verging on a "give women a chance" movement once again. This did not even last two minutes.

It was clear from the outset that the women were rushing given how quickly they went for their signature moves. However, it was even worse than expected. This possible feud-ender was short for no reason.

Morgan vs. Carmella has lost so much momentum quickly, and the main goal, putting over Morgan, has already failed. It would have made perfect sense for her to make a run in the Queen's Crown tournament. Instead, Carmella vs. Zelina Vega next week might go three minutes if they're lucky.

King of the Ring Quarterfinal: Cesaro vs. Finn Balor

Naomi questioned why she was not in the Queen's Crown tournament. Sonya Deville made clear she didn't feel Naomi was worthy. She booked The Glow for a match next week against herself.

Finn Balor came out aggressive, but Cesaro sent him reeling to the outside with a pop-up uppercut. The strength of The Swiss Cyborg continued to dominate the action until he took a vicious Slingblade.

The Prince went to the top rope for the double foot stomp, but Cesaro met him there. He lifted The Prince high for a superplex right into a crossface. Balor fought out and sent him shoulder-first into the post followed by a somersault plancha and corner dropkick to set up the Coup de Grace and the win.

Result

Balor def. Cesaro by pinfall to advance in the King of the Ring tournament.

Grade

B+

Analysis

As always, Balor and Cesaro deliver. Two of the best wrestlers in WWE right now, they brought it in a match that felt more like it would have been worthy of the finals, not a quarterfinal.

It is a shame that The Swiss Cyborg is out after one round. He is the perfect wrestler for the King of the Ring tournament with his endurance and unyielding strength. While it made sense for The Prince to win, Cesaro did not have to face Balor in round one.

Balor is likely to defeat Zayn as he has in the past, which makes The Prince the true front-runner to win the tournament at this point. It could be a good moment to heat Balor back up after his loss to Roman Reigns.

Edge Challenges Seth Rollins to a Hell in a Cell Match

Seth Rollins denied that he went too far in his actions with Edge. He demanded an answer to his challenge from The Rated-R Superstar. The Drip God told Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce that he would cause problems for SmackDown if Edge did not show up by the end of the night.

The Drip God taunted The Rated-R Superstar repeatedly, expecting he would not show up. However, the titantron showed Edge arriving, and he marched to the ring. He Speared Rollins repeatedly then went for the steel chair leg to choke out his rival.

Rollins ducked out for safety. Edge grabbed a microphone and named the stipulation for their final match: Hell in a Cell.

Grade

A

Analysis

Rollins vs. Edge has built to a fever pitch over the past month especially. This is as strong a story as WWE is telling at the moment. It is personal, and each match is better than the last. The two have been competing at the highest level to deliver the best product possible.

Hell in a Cell is meant for rivalries just like this. It will be fun to see what Rollins and Edge can do together in that structure. The Messiah has a rocky history in the Cell, but much of that has been out of his hands. This could be one of the best men's HIAC matches in years.