Evans steals the show; Vaquer-Stratton set for Crown Jewel

"SmackDown" set up a major match for the Crown Jewel event Oct. 11 in Perth, Australia. Tiffany Stratton retained her WWE Women's Championship on Friday, keeping her undefeated year intact. "SmackDown" ended with the two women's world champs, Stratton and Stephanie Vaquer, eyeing each other's titles as they will meet for the WWE Women's Crown Jewel Championship. But the story of Friday night was a save, a surprise and an incredible showing by one of the most talented wrestlers in the roster.

Sept. 26 "SmackDown" results

• Street Profits def. Melo Don't Miz

• Women's U.S. champ Giulia and Kiana James def. B-Fab and Michin

• Men's U.S. champ Sami Zayn def. Je'Von Evans

• Women's champion Tiffany Stratton def. Nia Jax and Jade Cargill

The night belonged to Je'Von Evans

No one flies like Je'Von!! 🙌@WWEJeVonEvans pic.twitter.com/5UN3VxLFic

There were big plot points from "SmackDown." Randy Orton saved Cody Rhodes from a Vision double-team beatdown, and Jacob Fatu confronted Drew McIntyre. But I will address those two points below because the biggest takeaway from this episode of "SmackDown," by a Greensboro mile, was the fantastic showing of NXT's Je'Von Evans, who faced Sami Zayn in the U.S. Title Open Challenge.

Evans is a star in the making, a future world champion who more than held his own against Zayn. If he's been wrestling since 2018 and he's 21 years old, imagine what he will look like at 25, at 30. Take a bow, Je'Von.

This is also the beauty of the U.S. Title Open Challenge. Zayn is the kind of wrestler who can have terrific matches with everyone on the WWE roster and carry this open challenge to a long and fruitful run, making his opponents look fantastic in the process -- and ultimately winning via the increasingly destructive Blue Thunder Bomb. So far, Zayn's U.S. Title Open Challenge has been an incredible success and it's one of the best things about WWE right now.

Other takeaways, storylines

• Orton came to Rhodes' aid to stave off The Vision. It still feels like we will get a Rhodes vs. Orton match down the line (which would be their first since the King of the Ring final in June), but with Survivor Series happening on Nov. 29, it's more likely we will see the former Legacy stablemates continue to team up.

• The ending of the women's triple threat match caused confusion. Stratton covered Jax, leading to referee Daphanie LaShaunn to start her count to three before abruptly pausing at two after Jax's shoulders were still on the mat. Stratton then quickly hit an elbow then followed it up with a Prettiest Moonsault Ever to get the three count. As former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas would always tell me, no matter where you are in the match, as the referee if you are making the count and the shoulders stay down, you count to three.

• Melo Don't Miz and Street Profits have had their share of miscommunication and fracture, and it looks like Melo Don't Miz could soon become Melo Won't Miz, after Carmelo Hayes refused to break up a pin on The Miz following an exchange between the two. The Street Profits now have a tag team title match against the Wyatt Sicks, who were watching closely from behind the announcer's table, but they could also implode during the title match(or soon after).

Great to have you at SmackDown, @LylesNoah! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/SRd3cdBiVt

• If I had multiple Olympic medals, I'd wear them like Noah Lyles too.

• Jacob Fatu appeared on "SmackDown" to confront McIntyre, and after a great exchange, flattened The Scottish Warrior. A match between the two would be terrific.

• Damian Priest took a kick to the face on his birthday. As is pro wrestling tradition.