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A few quick pieces of housekeeping before we get started:
• Contrary to prior statements, Michael Cole has reportedly signed a multi-year deal to continue leading the WWE commentary team. For many of us, Cole has become synonymous with the WWE product. And since Vince McMahon’s departure, he’s become so much more engaging and truly earned his spot as the voice of WWE. Long may it last.
• On a related note, former NFL announcer Joe Tessitore will begin his own WWE tenure on Raw this fall; he will switch places with Michael Cole in 2025 upon Raw’s move to Netflix.
• The Bloodline member Jacob Fatu was reportedly nursing an injury following Summerslam. It’s unclear whether or not said injury was a work, but fingers crossed the Samoan Werewolf reappears on screens soon.
The biggest party of the summer has come and gone, and WWE looks drastically different moving into the fall. With title changes and splashy returns abounding, Triple H has taken great pains to cement Summerslam as WWE’s #2 marquee event of the year. With the PLE scheduled to move to a 2-night format in 2026, we can look forward to even greater spectacle!
But in the meantime, the times they are a-changin. There’s a new set of tag champs, a new US champ (YEAH) and a tribal chief all descending on Smackdown tonight. Tonight’s episode could be a massive shakeup for the blue brand, if this Monday’s episode of Raw is anything to go by. We’ve got a lot to cover in the last week, so let’s get right down to it.
Note: This article was written before last night’s Smackdown.
Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline
Latest Developments:
On last week’s episode of Smackdown, Cody Rhodes agreed to Solo Sikoa’s challenge of a Bloodline Rules title match, despite knowing the odds would be stacked against him.
At Summerslam, Cody’s allies Kevin Owens and Randy Orton returned to stave off The Bloodline’s interference. And FINALLY, after months of hints, the original Tribal Chief Roman Reigns returned to WWE programming, attacking Solo so Cody could get the win. Cody and Roman shared a look of respect towards each other, as the event drew to a close.
Tonight, Cody is scheduled to make an appearance, likely to address the events of the PLE.
Analysis:
Despite the build being a bit repetitive, the go-home segment and ensuing match finished strong, painting Rhodes as a fiery underdog against The Bloodline’s all-encompassing villainy. This time around, there was an added hint of danger stacked against Cody. While I’ve been critical of the New Bloodline’s shallow character, it actually added to their unpredictability.
On the road to Wrestlemania, we knew The Bloodline so well that we had an idea of what to expect in Bloodline Rules. Here, there was no telling what The Tongans and Fatu could do when fully unrestrained. Little touches like the camera focusing on Jacob like a wolf licking his chops added so much to the dynamic.
The match itself was nothing special. Like most Bloodline, it was hard to get any investment into the story until the interference began 15 minutes in. This is where the new Bloodline could differentiate itself more, as the beat-for-beat match structure really highlights Solo’s poor in-ring presence compared to Roman Reigns.
With Orton now challenging Gunther on Raw, Cody and Kevin Owens can hopefully focus on other foes moving forward. Their work with the Bloodline may be engaging, but it feels like a waste of two bonafide main event babyfaces to be used on a single storyline like this.
Grade: A-
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Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa
Latest Developments:
At Summerslam, Roman Reigns finally made his return to WWE to an incredible pop. turned on Sikoa for stealing away control of The Bloodline, allowing his former rival Cody Rhodes to retain the WWE Championship.
Tonight, Reigns is scheduled to appear on Smackdown for the 1st time since March, likely to address The Bloodline.
Analysis:
Roman Reigns has aura unlike any other superstar. And he proved it last weekend, returning to a thunderous pop and betraying his former enforcer.
WWE has intentionally portrayed Sikoa as inferior to Reigns, and while audience’s clamor for Roman has reached fever pitch (turning the man babyface before he even reappeared), Solo’s character has suffered. He’s done his job a bit too well, and feels a little TOO unconvincing as a leader.
Moving forward, the story looks to heat up in preparation for a Bloodline Civil War. I’m curious to see how Reigns works in a babyface role. Jey Uso’s redemption arc took several months, and Reigns has proven much more evil than Uso ever was. It’s now on WWE to not repeat their old mistakes. Reigns’ charm came from his swagger, not his kayfabe strength. If they try and portray Reigns as strong enough to tackle the new Bloodline on his own, they risk neutralizing the aura of all parties involved. Many have pointed out Reigns only ambushed Sikoa after Orton and Owens had already taken out the entire Bloodline. Cody was well-equipped to snag the win on his own.
And yet, with Reigns scheduled to appear on the same brand as the Bloodline, it’s hard to see any other paths forward that don’t involve Reigns essentially begging for allies (which would similarly hurt him). Wasting their goodwill by turning Roman back into a bland one-man army would be extremely disappointing, but it’ll take a lot of storytelling legwork to buy anyone siding with Reigns after all his evil.
Grade: A-
Tiffany Stratton & Nia Jax vs. Bayley
Latest Developments:
On last week’s episode of Smackdown, Nia Jax gifted Tiffany Stratton her very own custom MITB briefcase, with the veiled promise not to cash in on her.
At Summerslam, Jax put up a barn burner of a match against Bayley, eventually snagging the win. Tiffany Stratton teased a mid-match cash-in, but Bayley neutralized her which allowed Jax to pick up the win.
Jax and Stratton celebrated in the ring while Bayley lay in pain on the floor.
Analysis:
The character dynamic of a protégé overtaking a master, and the master retaliating out of jealousy isn’t a new one in WWE. Triple H nearly perfected the storyline himself against Randy Orton back in Evolution. But Jax’s underrated comedy and Stratton’s phenomenal in-ring prowess have lifted this story to new levels.
Stratton being so talented that Jax is worried about her even before winning the title works on two levels: Jax becomes a more formidable heel by not even registering Bayley as a threat, while simultaneously putting over Stratton as the next big thing in the WWE Women’s division.
However, similar to Cody-Solo, Bayley-Jax has suffered by largely being more uninteresting than the promise of future storylines. This entire build felt ancillary to a Jax-Stratton feud, which was a major disservice to the already directionless Bayley title reign.
Following Wrestlemania, many expected Bayley to become the next torch-bearer for the women’s division, the main character that villainous stables could bounce off a la Cody vs Judgement Day. Turning her into a MacGuffin for Jax and Stratton has largely cooled her off with audiences. Hopefully, moving forward, Triple H puts some more care and attention into reigniting Bayley’s babyface fire.
Grade: B-
A-Town Down Under vs. Awesome Truth
Latest Developments:
Summerslam hosts The Miz & R-Truth were accosted by A-Town Down Under in the middle of the PLE, but were beat down thanks to the help of Summerslam musical guest Jelly Roll.
The following Monday on Raw, A-Town Down Under scored a tag team win over Awesome Truth thanks to R-Truth accidentally hitting his partner. Awesome Truth consoled each other, as Theory & Waller gloated.
Analysis:
A-Town Down Under reversed their losing streak by scoring a win over Awesome Truth. Despite winning, the differences between the tag dynamics were extremely apparent, drawing a parallel between Waller’s disgenuousness and Miz and Truth’s real friendship. The vets were annoyed following their loss, but consoled each other and had each other’s back. Despite Waller and Theory being the victors, their immaturity was on full display.
In continuing to sow seeds towards the Theory-Waller breakup, WWE is laying the groundwork for an Austin Theory babyface character evolution. Johnny Gargano previously stated how talented Theory was, he just needed to stop hanging around Waller. By showing “genuine” friendships around Theory, he grows closer to seeing the light of his own toxic situation. It’s nuanced, underplayed, and extremely relatable.
Oh, and R-Truth is hilarious as ever. A-Town Down Under as the modern-day Rock N’ Roll Express is a comparison I never would have expected, but is disturbingly accurate.
Grade: A-
L.A. Knight vs. Logan Paul
Latest Developments:
Last week on Smackdown, Logan Paul had a homecoming celebration his hometown Cleveland, complete with local government dignitaries. After insulting the crowd, Paul was interrupted by challenger LA Knight, who stole Paul’s PRIME-branded hummer and drove to the US Champion’s anger.
At Summerslam, the two faced off in a US title match. Paul nearly squeaked out a dirty win thanks to an assist from Machine Gun Kelly, but Knight outsmarted him for the pin, becoming the new US Champion.
Tonight, LA Knight is scheduled to make his first appearance as champion.
Analysis:
This feud has always had a campier flavor to it, more akin to a Ruthless Aggression-era feud complete with props and extras playing overly goofy parts (the Cleveland city council appearing on WWE is a hilarious concept). On purpose or otherwise, these tonal shifts are a great way of allowing an otherwise forgettable build to stick in the mind. With Knight being somewhat of a throwback himself, it’s fun to see these more relaxed goofy builds next to the nuanced “cinema” of the Bloodline. Credit to Triple H for making both angles feel tonally cohesive.
At Summerslam, Knight proved he truly belongs in the main event, transcending the catchphrases with some stellar in-ring work to put on an underrated classic. And after a long Logan Paul reign, seeing the belt around Knight’s waist is goddamn beautiful. I’ve never been a fan of garnering heat by not appearing on programming, but by god it worked with Paul. I was so frustrated every time he mentioned only having 2 defenses in 300 days.
With Knight already beefing with Santos Escobar, and Andrade eyeing the US belt, the Smackdown midcard title scene looks to receive a badly-needed jolt, which should anchor the non-Bloodline portions of Smackdown going into the fall.
YEAH!
Grade: A-
Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill vs. Unholy Union
Latest Developments:
Last week, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill faced off against The Unholy Union for the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles, after several weeks of buildup.
Thanks to an interference from Blair Davenport, the match ended with a DQ. Davenport aided the Unholy Union in laying out Belair & Cargill.
Analysis:
The Unholy Union finally getting to show out in a match soothes my soul. However, the match suffered from the same issue as the build: the champions being sidelined in favor of making the babyfaces look strong. Belair and Cargill dominated the majority of the build, with the Scottish Witches being little more than figureheads for them to glower at.
In the match itself, the champions got in little offense, with every kickout feeling like delaying the inevitable rather than any genuine momentum shift. There’s a difference between being booked strong, and being booked flawless. Belair & Cargill have recently been on the wrong side of that line, with WWE being allergic to them showing any weakness at all. And while Belair has the bonafides to pull that off, Cargill’s comparative botchiness can’t sell the same shtick effectively.
There’s a great story to be told there, with Cargill’s lack of ring IQ showing when a quick powerhouse squash doesn’t get the job done. But little nuances, present in many of the men’s storylines, seem conspicuously absent in favor of the Witches feeling like cannon fodder.
Davenport’s insertion into the feud felt like another way to unnecessarily protect the babyfaces, and given Naomi’s promo last week, this naturally leads to a 3-on-3 feud. On the plus side, this new trio continues an interesting trend of women’s trios across Raw & Smackdown, which give the women’s tag division a different flavor to the men’s (which is sorely needed). Now, if we could coalesce these teams into a convincing division, we’d be cooking. But right now, Papa H’s cooking stove seems dangerously heatless.
Grade: C-
DIY vs. The Bloodline
Latest Developments:
Last week on Smackdown, DIY received a thunderous hometown ovation while facing The Bloodline’s Tama Tonga & Jacob Fatu (subbing in for the injured Tonga Loa) for the WWE Tag Team titles. After an incredible match, Fatu brutalized Johnny Gargano enough to get the pin, making The Bloodline WWE Tag Team champs once again.
After the match, Solo Sikoa posed with both title belts over the fallen babyfaces.
Analysis:
While it was a mistake to push this match off Summerslam, DIY put a cracker of a match against The Bloodline with an electrifying hometown crowd on their side. With Jacob Fatu especially being booked as an Umaga-esque monster, this feud firmly re-established the Bloodline as WWE’s top heel faction but added an air of ruthlessness missing from the prior incarnations (Jimmy and Jey were always kinda lovable, even as heels).
In hindsight, DIY was always booked to lose, with a hometown crowd solidifying them as lovable underdogs. Despite a woefully short transitional run, WWE made DIY’s run feel earned and not obligatory.
The match itself was typically amazing, telling a start-to-finish story of two valiant warrior slowly succumbing to The Bloodline’s force. And, in an impressive bit of NXT Black & Gold continuity, Fatu continued hitting power moves over and over on Gargano before attempting a pin (a nod to the patented Gargano finisher kickout special from his NXT title run), which also continued putting Fatu over as the most scarily effortless big man on the roster.
Grade: A
Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes
Latest Developments:
Last week, Andrade defeated Hayes yet again, following Hayes’ repeated attempts to secure a rematch and prove himself as a serious threat to the roster. In a post-match promo, Andrade stated his intent to go after the US championship.
Analysis:
In previous eras, this feud would have been a meaningless best-of-7 (which I would have been perfectly fine with). But, to WWE’s credit, they’ve been telling two logical stories entirely in-ring: Andrade’s growing confidence in himself, and Hayes’ increasing desperation.
Andrade got off to a shaky start returning to the main roster, but by giving him consistent ring time, it’s allowed his “tranquilo” confidence to re-develop much more naturally than his subpar promos in the lead-up to MITB. Second time around with Carmelo, Andrade looked noticeably more in control, hyping himself up and essentially gaining the confidence to cement his place in the upper card. A post-match promo hinting at going for championship gold is a beautifully logical evolution to his character.
Meanwhile, Hayes’ increasing desperation with each loss has led to a growing obsession with Andrade. In last week’s match, Hayes was less in control, letting his desperation guide his strategy to terrible results. This same obsessive need to be seen as a threat led to Hayes turning on Trick in NXT, and watching the same thing play out on the main roster (yet not feel repetitive) makes for great TV.
Grade: A-
The Pretty Deadly Musical
Latest Developments:
Last week on Smackdown, LA Knight ran into Pretty Deadly, who attempted to tell him more about their self-styled musical.
Analysis:
On one hand, Pretty Deadly deserves more than a few brief comedy spots. Both Wilston & Prince are aces in-ring, and held up NXT UK during their stint there.
On the other hand, their comedic timing continues to be spot-on, and Triple H’s booking often slowly teases out character beats by first allowing the audience to get used to performers being on their TVs consistently. Pretty Deadly aren’t getting the Bobby Lashley treatment, which at least bodes well for their future.
Grade: B-
Baron Corbin & Apollo Crews vs. Legado Del Fantasma
Latest Developments:
Last week on Smackdown, Santos Escobar attempted to avenge his faction’s embarrassing defeat to Corbin & Crews in the recent WWE Tag Team gauntlet match, by going 1-on-1 against Crews. Thanks to LDF neutralizing Corbin ringside, Escobar picked up the win.
Analysis:
Nothing much to report here. Aside from an interesting plotline emerging where Santos is losing faith in his stablemates and increasingly taking matters into his own hands, this was a short match with little ramifications. Months ago, riding high as Smackdown’s next big heel, Escobar bet it all on bringing back Angel & Berto. Seeing them continually fail to deliver could lead to an interesting story, but we’re only at this point because there’s so little juice in the LDF left.
The Latino vortex is a real criticism, and Santos Escobar was probably the biggest casualty, going from raucous boos betraying Rey Mysterio to dead silence in a matter of months. Escobar can do so much better than a generic smarmy villain, but he’s been given nothing substantial to dig a character into.
Babyfaces Corbin & Crews haven’t fared much better despite a surprisingly crackling in-ring chemistry (damn, Corbin really CAN pair with anyone. REFORM THE WOLFDOGS, YOU COWARDS). Overall, everyone involved feels like they could be doing better things.
Grade: C+
RECOMMENDED NEXT: WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS (8/9): Keller’s report on Roman’s return, plus Cody, Styles, Knight appear, DIY vs. Pretty Deadly, Andrade vs. Escobar
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: WWE Friday Night Smackdown results (8/9): Powell’s review of Roman Reigns’ return, DIY vs. Pretty Deadly, The Street Profits vs. A-Town Down Under in tournament matches for a shot at the WWE Tag Team Titles
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