WWE SmackDown Viewership Drops Without The Rock, Peaks For Asuka Vs. IYO SKY

Asuka and IYO SKY provided a small help as "WWE SmackDown" went through a mild ratings withdrawal with no Rock or Roman Reigns.

Wrestlenomics is reporting that "SmackDown" dropped 13% in overall viewership this week, with 2,227,000 viewers tuning in, and 10% in the 18-49 demographic, with 822,000 viewers in that coveted demographic tuning in to see John Cena address the crowd, as well as Asuka's match with SKY. SKY's successful title defense against Asuka ended up being the highest-rated quarter-hour in the overall audience, with the highest-rated quarter-hour in the 18-49 demographic being the show closing confrontation between Solo Sikoa, Jimmy Uso, and Cena. The lowest-rated quarter-hour in the key demographic was the Street Profits' match against Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar, while the lowest-rated segment in overall viewership was Grayson Waller and Austin Theory's win over The Brawling Brutes in the middle of the show.

There was little the program could do to hold the ratings from last week, which featured the surprise return of Pat McAfee and former WWE Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, sending the "SmackDown" ratings to the higher end for the year. Despite heavily featuring Cena as a special attraction, the former WWE Champion has become more of a regular attraction to viewers in recent weeks, as seen by the double-digit drop in this week's viewership. WWE programming is also in a small rut on Monday nights, thanks to the NFL regular season competing with "WWE Raw."