SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Before we get started, some notable updates to go over:
- After being written off TV on NXT, Rhea Ripley is confirmed to be out of action with a lingering orbital bone injury. Ripley was feuding with The Judgement Day at the time, and will likely return before WrestleMania to again challenge Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship. In the meantime, we wish Ripley a speedy recovery.
- Angel Garza and Karl Anderson recently confirmed their own injuries via social media. Garza recently underwent hand surgery and will be out several weeks, while Anderson underwent an undisclosed procedure and will return post-WrestleMania. Both wrestlers have been seen intermittently on WWE programming, and these injuries shed light on their stop-start booking. We wish both men a speedy recovery.
- WWE announced that Indi Hartwell, Tegan Nox, and Baron Corbin will be released from the company. All three had largely disappeared from programming in the past few months, either due to nagging injuries or rumored lack of creative plans. Despite the new administration’s more efficient use of their roster, certain wrestlers continue to fall through the cracks. Like many before them, all three have bright futures ahead of them and we look forward to seeing their next moves in the wrestling space.
Following WWE’s excursion to Saudi, things only look to get more intense on the road to Survivor Series. While the blue brand’s premier attraction remains the promise of a Bloodline vs. Bloodline WarGames match, Paul Levesque has cooked up a number of entertaining feuds to carry Smackdown through the winter.
Not to mention, a lil’ primetime special called Saturday Night’s Main Event lurks around the corner. And if rumors are true, this rendition of the ’80s wrestling staple looks to shake off the “house show” allegations and deliver a PPV-quality experience all on its own. With cross-brand Crown Jewel feuds in the rearview, it’s time for Smackdown to refocus on its biggest rivalries. The next few weeks should prove instrumental in establishing the marquee players’ roadmap to Survivor Series and eventually Wrestlemania 41.
There’s a lot of tension brewing for tonight’s episode, let’s go over where things stand:
CODY RHODES vs. GUNTHER
Latest Developments
Over the past few weeks, Gunther proclaimed he would embarrass WWE’s prodigal son Cody Rhodes in their match at Crown Jewel, calling him a poor excuse for a champion.
On the go-home episode of Smackdown, Rhodes and Gunther faced off in a tag match alongside their respective allies Randy Orton and Ludwig Kaiser. The short match largely consisted of Gunther mocking Rhodes’ attempts to face off with him one-on-one. Post-match, Kevin Owens beat down the babyfaces allowing Gunther to choke Rhodes out.
At Crown Jewel, the two put on a fantastic hard-hitting match that truly tested the iron wills of both men. After a hard-fought battle, Gunther let his ego take over allowing Rhodes to catch him with a quick pin for the win. On Raw the following night, Gunther graciously called Rhodes the better man.
Analysis
An explosive end to an undercooked feud. The Smackdown tag match was an incredibly smart booking decision, planting the seed for the PPV match structure: Gunther underestimating Rhodes’ underdog spirit. The ensuing PPV bout was phenomenal, mixing modern-day catch wrestling with the old-school showmanship of an 80s JCP main event. Rhodes has smartly utilized this feud as a way to flesh out the “American Nightmare” character to audiences, to great effect.
The match itself featured a surprising amount of crowd work, a testament to WWE’s popularity in Saudi Arabia. Letting the audience guide the match’s flow can always be risky, but doing so in a country whose values can sometimes vary from Westernized ideology was a hard ask. And both men delivered perfectly.
Moving forward, ending the feud so conclusively on Raw puts Rhodes in an odd place. Due to the booking somewhat removing him from the Smackdown ecosystem for several weeks, Rhodes doesn’t have a feud he can quickly slot into. And, given WWE likely wants him on the marquee for the winter PPVs, they’ll have to move quickly to find something for him to do, with Kevin Owens likely focusing on Randy Orton for the time being.
This highlights the biggest problem with Cody’s title reign: despite holding the title since Wrestlemania, his feuds have largely sidelined the championship in favor of character-based feuds. And that’s fine, but it also means it’s been harder to identify potential challengers for the belt. Rhodes is the champ, it should feel like everyone’s gunning for him. Right now, it feels more like no one’s paying attention.
Grade: A-
ANDRADE vs. CARMELO HAYES vs. LA KNIGHT
Latest Developments
For the past several months, Andrade and Carmelo Hayes engaged in an acclaimed best-of-seven series. After six matches, the two were tied at three wins apiece.
Meanwhile, LA Knight won the US Championship from Logan Paul at Summerslam, and eventually ran afoul of both men. Knight was the guest referee in Hayes and Andrade’s seventh match, eventually interfering and laying out both men mid-match. In retaliation, Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis made a triple threat US title match official for Crown Jewel.
At Crown Jewel, Hayes and Andrade largely focused on each other, at times working together to sideline Knight so they could continue their battle. But eventually, Knight caught Hayes with a sneaky reversal for a quick pin to retain the US Championship.
Analysis
The Crown Jewel plunder match essentially featured a typical triple threat setup, but almost had the principal wrestlers switching alignment. Hayes and Andrade have both been tweeners in the last few months, showing elements of heelishness depending on the ongoing story of their best-of-seven. Knight, meanwhile, has exemplified the “fighting babyface champion” for most of his title reign.
But, beginning with Knight’s interference in the Game 7 match, it feels like Knight has been working heel against both Hayes and Andrade, denying them the proper blowoff to their longstanding rivalry. Crown Jewel continued this slow change, with Hayes and Andrade thematically focusing on their own fight as Knight tried to sneak a win.
I’m more onboard with this direction because it feels intentional at this point, laying the seeds for a Knight heel turn. But conceptually, turning Knight heel doesn’t make much sense given his popularity with crowds. It feels like a heel Knight’s title reign is destined to be less unique, playing up his natural Rock-esque smarm for a more generic “I’m better than you, and you don’t deserve my title” that feels overdone in the Triple H era. Meanwhile, dragging out the Hayes-Andrade final plunder match yet again has drastically decreased the hype. At this point, I’d rather they take some time apart and focus on other feuds. And that’s a shame, given the eventual Game 7 match could have been a PPV-quality match if the hype had been capitalized on. Given the uniqueness of the Hayes-Andrade feud (being mostly in-ring), I hope each man can translate their popularity to a more WWE-esque rhythm moving forward.
Grade: C+
NIA JAX vs. TIFFANY STRATTON
Latest Developments
On the go-home episode of Smackdown, Ms. MITB Tiffany Stratton called out Liv Morgan mid-promo and teased a MITB cash-in before her match with Nia Jax. However, off their recent arguments, Stratton offhandedly mentioned to Jax she wasn’t safe either.
Later that night, Stratton lost a singles match to Morgan in a near-squash, forcing Jax to steal the MITB briefcase and use it to dispatch The Judgement Day.
At Crown Jewel, after a brief back-and-forth, Stratton appeared with the MITB briefcase and teased a cash-in. Jax tried ordering her to leave but Stratton resisted. In the ensuing chaos, Jax purposely attacked Stratton, which allowed Morgan to take advantage and win the Crown Jewel championship.
Analysis
Each week we grow closer to Tiffy Time, ladies and gents! Stratton’s slow progression from acceptance, to anger, to righteous fury at Jax’s continued belittling has been one of the most clear story arcs in WWE over the past month. And it’s all felt earned. As Stratton rose in prominence, Jax’s paranoia and jealousy continued to grow and she continued lashing out to keep Stratton in line. It’s a dynamic many of us have seen in real-life toxic relationships, and it worked to perfection here.
The MITB briefcase hasn’t been used this engagingly by a competitor in years. Hopefully WWE doesn’t overdo it with the teased cash-ins moving forward, as each fakeout so far has genuinely felt earned and played into the story. With Jax purposely attacking Stratton, it’s clear there’s no going back from this moment.
Tonight’s episode of Smackdown is a pivotal one for Stratton, as the right babyface promo could catapult her into the stratosphere. All of Jax’s incredible heel work over the past few months has made her a generational villain, and now it’s time for WWE to pull the trigger on building Stratton as the hero to slay the dragon.
Grade: A+
INDI HARTWELL’S FAREWELL
Latest Developments
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell were dragged into a feud with Bayley & Naomi thanks to LeRae stepping in for an ill Tiffany Stratton. Following a singles loss to Naomi, LeRae teamed up with Hartwell to take on Bayley & Naomi in a tag match on the go-home episode of Smackdown.
After a brief match, LeRae accidentally scored a pin on the wrong opponent, leading Naomi to pin her for a second babyface victory.
In real life, Hartwell was quietly released from her WWE contract, and this match likely served as her in-ring farewell.
Analysis
It’s hard to say much about this match, as Hartwell’s real-life release undoubtedly impacted any future creative plans for the team. It’s admirable that a simple storyline substitution was followed up on at all, with LaRae continuing to fight Bayley & Naomi independently. Pre-release, this definitely felt like a way to segue Bayley & Naomi out of Jax’s orbit moving into the winter, but now that could all be a moot point.
LaRae and Hartwell getting to show out is always a plus, as LeRae’s new heel character has a vicious edge to her not often seen in main roster characters. There’s an element of unhinged rudeness behind her moves that help her stand out from the competition.
And as for Indi Hartwell? Despite never hitting her stride on the main roster, fans of the NXT Black & Gold era fell in love with Hartwell as a lovable babyface who eventually found a family of her own. For any Thea Hail fans, go check out Hartwell’s work with “The Way” and the InDex love saga, you won’t be disappointed.
WWE has the option to continue LeRae as a solo act (likely continuing to spiral without her ally), and I hope they take advantage and don’t let another talented star fall through the cracks.
Grade: C
KEVIN OWENS vs. RANDY ORTON
Latest Developments
Following his anger at Cody Rhodes allying with Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens turned heel and attacked Rhodes. Rhodes’ ally Randy Orton diverted Owens’ attention, and two began feuding.
Eventually, after begging a reluctant Triple H, Orton got a match with Owens official at Crown Jewel. On the go-home episode of Smackdown, Owens cut a promo from his home (having been banned from WWE arenas due to his conduct), berating Orton for forcing him to hurt him. Later that night, Owens interfered in Orton’s match and beat him down.
At Crown Jewel, Owens attacked Orton before their match could begin. After a lengthy brawl, the match was called off and Owens went ballistic attacking everyone in sight. General managers Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis came out to quell the riot, but Pearce ate an RKO from a fiery Orton now craving blood of his own. Owens dispatched Orton with an elbow drop through tables to end the segment.
Analysis
A genuinely surprising PPV result, that set this blood feud immediately apart from anything else on the roster. In the Triple H era, “crash TV” segments only happen once in a blue moon, so they make a much bigger impact when they do. And having the gall to advertise a match then call it off for storyline purposes genuinely makes people sit up and take notice.
Owens finally came across as the bloodthirsty monster WWE has been portraying him as for the past few weeks, while the brawl allowed Orton to display some righteous anger in return. The surprise random RKOs never get old, and watching Pearce flail around like a fish was hilarious. The Saudi crowd was surprisingly hot for the chaos, and WWE did an incredible job at raising the hype for the pair’s eventual in-ring confrontation.
The context for Owens seemingly forgetting about Rhodes in favor of Orton is still a bit wonky, but let’s be honest: the rule of cool abides. And if WWE makes me want to tune in next week, they’ve done their job.
Grade: A
MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. A-TOWN DOWN UNDER
Latest Developments
On the go-home episode of Smackdown, new champions Motor City Machine Guns were offered the chance to go on “The Grayson Waller Effect” this week by A-Town Down Under. The new champions accepted.
Analysis
Not really that much to say for this one. A quick throwaway segment that will achieve two things: Give MCMG a longer promo segment to endear them to the WWE audience, and set up their 1st feud with A-Town Down Under. Despite seemingly holding off on the breakup storyline, A-Town Down Under has always shined brightest when their dysfunction is contrasted with a well-oiled partnership (ex: their brief DIY feud earlier this year). MCMG has been built as a team with decades of experience, and seeing them work smoothly to counter Theory and Waller’s bickering should be hilarious to watch.
Additionally, Sabin & Shelley have only been offered brief babyface “fighting spirit” promos over the past few weeks. This segment should offer both men a chance to flex their comedy promo skills and deepen their individual personas with the WWE audience. Like I said last week, the two men are largely blank slates coming into WWE, and this first feud will likely cement the characters MCMG will be using for at least the duration of their title reign.
A brief segment that made me very excited for the future.
Grade: A
BIANCA BELAIR & JADE CARGILL’S NEWEST CHALLENGERS
Latest Developments
Ever since winning the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill have been defending their titles across all three brands. Two weeks ago, Nick Aldis & Adam Pearce made a four-way match official at Crown Jewel: Belair & Cargill vs. Damage CTRL vs. Meta-Four vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven.
On the go-home Smackdown, Sky won a four-way singles match against Belair, Niven and Lash Legend, symbolizing her as the most dangerous threat to Belair & Cargill.
At Crown Jewel, Belair & Cargill retained their tag titles after Green & Niven were sidelined by interpersonal struggles mid-match.
Analysis
This match was phenomenal, with each team of women putting on a clinic that advanced their character dynamic while raising the prestige of the women’s tag belts. First off, it was amazing seeing this four-way get the time it deserved. It truly felt like a battle, with Belair & Cargill finally feeling like battle-worn champs rather than the untouchable gods they’ve been presented as for months. I’ve never felt more invested in their title reign, and their brief babyface promo beforehand about stepping up to challengers was some of Cargill’s most passionate work on the mic thus far.
Each team got the chance to shine. Off Sky’s win on the go-home episode, Damage CTRL was positioned as the most dangerous threat in the match, working stiff and vicious to annihilate the competition. This kept Sky and partner Kairi Sane looking strong as the linchpins of the Raw Women’s Tag division, and led to an amazing follow-up on Monday’s Raw where Sky got a singles title shot against champion Liv Morgan.
Newcomers Meta-Four looked strong as powerhouses, but were undone when more experienced participants were able to counter their tag moves. Simple but effective booking highlighting the team as monster powerhouses on the rise, but still lacking in comparison to the vets. The match’s producers could have easily allowed Meta-Four to look dumb in defeat, but instead went for a subtler approach that left them looking strong, but just a little unrefined.
Green & Niven got the comedy narrative, with Green losing her nerve and accidentally clashing with Niven multiple times. As always, the two have perfected the art of maximizing their minutes, with their mid-match pep talk being both hilarious and surprisingly wholesome. It’s always fun seeing heel teammates have each other’s back. WWE has the option to begin a breakup storyline off the pair’s performance, but even if they don’t, Green & Niven have one of the most entertaining dynamics in WWE, and continue to remain an asset to break up the monotony in multi-woman matches.
All in all, each team came out shining brighter, and I look forward to seeing what’s next.
Grade: A
THE BLOODLINE CIVIL WAR
Latest Developments
Over the past weeks, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso reunited to stand together against Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline. On the go-home episode of Smackdown, Jey and Roman Reigns finally hashed out their issues, setting aside their years of animosity to stand together (but this time on a more even footing). The Original Bloodline put their ones up in unity to end the episode.
Meanwhile, Jey’s ally Sami Zayn found himself unsure of Reigns, leading to a fallout with the Usos. On the go-home Raw before Crown Jewel, Zayn could be glimpsed speaking with Sikoa.
At Crown Jewel, the Original Bloodline faced off against Sikoa’s Bloodline. Following Jey and Reigns struggling to work together, Sikoa’s Bloodline (Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Jacob Fatu) were able to steal the win by pinning Reigns.
Post-match, Sami Zayn teased joining Sikoa, but turned on him to stand alongside the Original Bloodline. However, Zayn accidentally kicked Reigns, leading to the babyfaces arguing. On Raw the next night, Uso invited Zayn to come to Smackdown tonight to hash everything out.
Analysis
The Crown Jewel match, like most Bloodline matches, was a match in service of an angle. It existed to show the struggles of the OG Bloodline in working together as a real team, with Reigns used to leading the show and Jey rebelling this time around. And it did so to perfection, and the visual of Reigns getting pinned was genuinely unnerving, setting up the group’s emotional conflict in the lead-up to Survivor Series. However, it definitely feels like this plot point didn’t need a PPV stage to be explored, and the past few weeks felt rushed in order for a six-man match to be held at Crown Jewel. For story purposes, it would have felt much more impactful for the two Bloodlines to face each other for the first time at Survivor Series.
However, the Crown Jewel match allowed Sikoa’s Bloodline to shine as dominating villains. Tama Tonga, specifically, came off as a megastar. Credit to him, the dude got his random hyena noises over. For the first time, he feels like a genuine character than a loose collection of tics. Not a super three-dimensional character, but still a complete person. Fatu, as always, was a powerhouse and WWE smartly limits his one-on-one moments in the ring as his eventual singles debut could be used to great effect, given the buildup to his character.
The post-match segment (and Raw follow-up) didn’t hit as hard for me. The Zayn-Jey conflict feels like such a well-worn storyline at this point, it risks feeling redundant. The “accidental kick leading to an argument” trope is my least favorite in wrestling, and seeing Zayn rely on it so much is a little eye-rolling. But, as always, Zayn’s pathos elevates even the most boring of segments into something must-watch, and I have hope he’ll be able to do so again.
Grade: B
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