SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Before we get started, a few notable updates to go over:
·•Some corrections to my Survivor Series injury recap from last week: WWE has confirmed Bronson Reed will be out indefinitely due to an ankle injury, missing WrestleMania 41. Reed recently underwent surgery. Tonga Loa is also out indefinitely due to a torn pec, and Jimmy Uso will be out due to a broken toe. All three men made a huge impact at Survivor Series, and we wish them all the best as they nurse their battle wounds.
•In a Twitter exclusive, Triple H and Cody Rhodes confirmed the re-introduction of the iconic “Winged Eagle” WWE Championship belt, to be debuted at SNME. Cody pledged to bring back the iconic design upon becoming champion, and longtime fans are sure to be delighted.
•Saturday Night’s Main Event hasn’t even come and gone, but WWE has already announced the second installment of the rebooted TV special to take place Jan. 25. Given the Royal Rumble’s tendency to contain smaller cards, SNME could provide the perfect opportunity for some spillover PPV-worthy matches to get a fresh spotlight.
Last week’s episode of Smackdown was an eventful one. With SNME set to premiere this Saturday on NBC, WWE made the interesting choice to throw some wild-card character interactions into the mix. With the “transfer window” looming on the horizon, last week’s episode definitely emphasized that the draft semi-shakeup could lead to far greater ramifications than originally thought. While similar plot devices (ex: “Wild Card” rule) have been used in the past, they felt like a necessity to orchestrate a single cross-brand feud. This time around, erratic cross-brand appearances abounded, truly making it seem like the GMs were cooking up a genuine shakeup behind the scenes.
While the “real sports feel” term has been thrown around by fans, little touches of chaos like this truly add to WWE’s presentation as a simulated sport. Seeing athletes from different spheres in the same space gets the fantasy-booking brain going, and adds intrigue in the same way a football transfer does in the NFL. It’s commendable to see a style tweak pulled off so seamlessly, to the point where it doesn’t clash as all with the product. We’ve come a long way from the sports entertainment days.
But Smackdown didn’t let the transfer window steal the show: the mid-card players got a chance to shine and fill the card with some phenomenal in-ring storytelling. We’ve finally got a DIY heel turn! After some booking hiccups across the tag division, we’ve finally established another major player and had a title change on free TV (more on that below). The Women’s U.S. Championship tournament continues to chug along, while the U.S. Title scene reaps its rewards after months of building up solo acts to fill the singles division.
And of course, Michael Cole getting humiliated. That’s just always funny.
There’s a lot to go over, so let’s not waste time.
WOMEN’S US CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT (MIA YIM vs. LASH LEGEND vs. PIPER NIVEN)
Latest Developments:
Last month, Nick Aldis announced a tournament to crown the first ever Women’s U.S. Champion.
In the quarterfinals, Bayley defeated Candice LeRae and B-Fab to earn the first spot in the semi-finals. The following week, Chelsea Green scored the second slot by pinning Blair Davenport, while Bianca Belair left the ring to attend to her injured tag partner Jade Cargill. Mia Yim earned the third spot in the semifinals, despite her old rival Chelsea Green trying to run interference mid-match.
Last week, Tiffany Stratton defeated Naomi and Elektra Lopez to complete the semifinal bracket. Tonight, the four women face off, and the winners fight for the Women’s U.S. Championship this Saturday at SNME.
Analysis:
Not a huge amount of surprising advancements this week. Last week’s quarterfinal prelim match had the most telegraphed winner yet in Tiffany Stratton. Despite the overly-slow MITB tease, it’s clear that WWE has a rocket strapped to Stratton. Not only does she exude charisma, but she continually proves herself to be an in-ring powerhouse. Very few execute gymnastics-inspired moves with the same stiffness and grit that Stratton executes. She follows through in her strikes, making them look incredibly brutal.
Of the four qualifying women, Stratton is least likely to advance to the finals. With a successful MITB cash-in looking increasingly likely to kickstart a Nia Jax singles feud for Wrestlemania, I doubt WWE would create a midcard championship only to crown a double champ. The US Championship’s intent was to juice the midcard, it doesn’t need to be an accessory for a world title feud right now. But overall, the tournament’s booking has been top-notch. Surprise winners that have already begun to elevate new players in the women’s division, but just enough in-ring storytelling that nothing feels implausible. In previous eras, there was such a huge gap between main-eventers and jobbers that advancing in stature always felt artificial. Nowadays, the booking supports a more gradual rise up the ranks.
Last week, we briefly went over the most likely winners of the tournament: Green to finally reward her for her hard work, or Yim to establish a fighting babyface in a heel-heavy title scene. Bayley, given her various auspices, would be the safest choice to establish the belt’s legitimacy. But, given her failed babyface run, it feels like Bayley should be putting people over at this point in her career. I’d much rather see Bayley sink her teeth into a new character or grudge feud than continue to float around the title scene as the “babyface for a charismatic heel to stomp”.
Grade: B
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BIANCA BELAIR IS ON THE HUNT
Latest Developments:
Tag partners Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill separately entered the Women’s US Championship tournament. During Belair’s championship match, a backstage camera discovered an unconscious Cargill laid out over a broken windshield. Shocked, Belair abandoned the match and went to the hospital alongside her partner.
Following the show, WWE’s Twitter listed Cargill’s numerous injuries and stated she would be out for the foreseeable future. Smackdown GM Nick Aldis questioned several wrestlers, all of whom swore they were not Cargill’s attacker.
Last week, Belair told her ally Naomi that her sole focus would be to find Cargill’s attacker. Following her own loss in the quarterfinals, Naomi later said she would join in. The two were accosted by a smug Piper Niven & Chelsea Green. Belair lashed out, but was overwhelmed by the heels. In a match later that night, Belair defeated Niven despite Green’s constant interferences.
Following the match, Belair and Naomi celebrated but backstage interviewer Byron Saxton had an alibi for Niven, putting Belair back to square one.
Analysis:
This column isn’t about fantasy-booking, but it’s impressive to see so many viable scenarios for potential stories (The Unholy Union continuing their kayfabe curse on the women’s tag titles, Bayley getting revenge for not being on the WarGames team, either of Jax’s cronies trying to impress her by taking out the competition for WarGames). Triple H often gets flack for his booking of the women’s division, but we’re starting to see the payoffs for his typical slow-burn style of intertwined feuds.
A whodunit wrestling feud moves at such a different rhythm to anything else on the show, and I love it. In most circumstances, the most obvious culprit would be Belair herself, but Belair has been one of the most reliable babyfaces in the women’s division and turning her feels so unlikely that it actually makes this storyline so much more unpredictable.
It’s so gratifying to finally see Belair shine in a non-title feud. Heel or face, she’s been so much more engaging in the brief moments she’s diverged from the happy-smiley chill gal persona. With a chip on her shoulder, her already boundless charisma took a huge step up last week. PLEASE, WWE, give us more of this Belair. And spinning off stories from the Women’s US Championship tournament is a great way to make the product feel seamless. Tournaments often feel separate from the rest of the product’s storyline-heavy programming, but Belair’s interaction with Green specifically addressing the tournament loss perfectly bridged the gap.
Speaking of, hoss fights are always engaging, and Belair vs. Niven was no exception. Nothing particularly noteworthy, but Niven looked like a killer in defeat. And building up Niven as a credible threat bodes well for Green to be the winner of the Women’s US Championship. Can’t have a heel champ without a killer hoss bodyguard!
Grade: A
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA’S NEW CHALLENGERS
Latest Developments:
Following a title defense, WWE US Champion LA Knight was laid out post-match by the returning Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura repeatedly claimed he would ruin everything Knight was so terrified to lose, laying him out repeatedly. On the go-home episode of Survivor Series, Nakamura stomped Andrade in a quick tune-up match.
At Survivor Series, in a shocking swerve Nakamura completely dominated Knight and put him away with another misting to become the new WWE United States Champion.
Last week, Nakamura made his entrance before Knight interrupted, vowing to reclaim his championship. Andrade joined in, claiming unfinished business with Nakamura. Following their own loss at Survivor Series, the new Bloodline then appeared and laid out the babyfaces. Nakamura stood defiantly, and the shaken Bloodline backed off.
Analysis:
Let’s get one thing out of the way: Shinsuke Nakamura’s still got it. Every time WWE reinvents his heel persona, they somehow make him even more badass. Upping the anime influences and trading his upbeat babyface theme for a sinister thump out of Demon Slayer, Nakamura looked like a world eater through sheer presence alone. I’m normally not a fan of WWE’s reliance on LED backboards (call me old-fashioned, a tactile set just looks better), but it gelled perfectly for Nak’s entrance on Smackdown. I didn’t think a 3rd US reign for Nakamura would wow me at this point, but this time around it feels like he’s truly elevating the title rather than sticking it on him because there’s no one more interesting around.
Knight’s promo was…. decent, but felt rushed and didn’t cover much beyond his usual shtick. Andrade’s weakest point continues to be his mic work, and his overall style just lends itself to a smarmy heel. I can’t put my finger on it, but he always looks too cocky to be truly endearing. But this segment was the product of slowly building the midcard during Knight’s reign. Both men feel like plausible contenders, despite their subpar promo work. The crowd was hot, and the segment somehow worked.
The Bloodline’s intrusion was unexpected, and it’s unclear exactly what they were going for. Following Survivor Series, the suggestion of going after a midcard title feels like an obvious time-killer on the road to Wrestlemania. It doesn’t add much to anyone in the faction to hold the US Championship at this point, so ending the segment with both babyfaces laid out felt like a waste. Sikoa’s promo honestly could have stood on its own and the segment would have felt more streamlined.
But it’s all worth it for the badass moment of Nakamura staring down the new Bloodline. Seeing JACOB FATU of all people be unnerved by Nak did wonders for his presentation, and completely saved the segment’s rushed finish. Wow. 2000s NJPW fans rejoice, Nakamura is back!
Grade: B+
THE NEW BLOODLINE’S MISSION
Latest Developments:
Following their violent dispatching of US title contenders LA Knight and Andrade, the remainder of The New Bloodline advanced on the defiant Shinsuke Nakamura, Knight and Andrade fought back, outnumbering the now-diminished New Bloodline following the injuries sustained to Tonga Loa & Bronson Reed at Survivor Series.
Solo Sikoa got on the mic, furiously stating his anger at losing two of his soldiers. He claimed The New Bloodline would not be taken as a joke, and they would destroy everyone in their path who refused to acknowledge HIM, the rightful Tribal Chief.
Analysis:
Audiences are finally realizing that Solo Sikoa can hang with main eventers on the mic. After two years of being shackled to a mute enforcer-role, Sikoa’s new role as faction leader has slowly but surely allowed him to turn on the ol’ Uso charm. We’ve seen glimpses of his smarmy humor in the past few months, but this brief promo felt like a defining moment. Fans of his brief run in NXT knew he had this in him, but everyone else found their new favorite hateable heel. Intense, charming, and emotional – Sikoa proved he was here to stay.
The rest of the Bloodline didn’t do much, sadly, but this segment was strictly to make sure The New Bloodline remains in people’s minds following their loss. Going off of the past, we’re probably due for a few weeks of filler before the Wrestlemania build begins in earnest, and I admire the restraint to keep the Bloodline segments so short and sweet. In the past, certain parts of the narrative dragged because Triple H insisted on the faction getting two segments each Smackdown when nothing of consequence happened. This is a much better balance: have them come in, wreck shop, be threatening, then leave.
Grade: A+
THE TRANSFER WINDOW
Latest Developments:
Raw and Smackdown GMs Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis introduced a “transfer window”, where certain superstars are due for a brand switch on the road to WWE’s first episode of Raw on Netflix in January.
Last week, American Made appeared on Smackdown confronting Cody Rhodes (more on that below). Leader Chad Gable claimed Nick Aldis wanted to see him in action. Later that night, Aldis was seen speaking to World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, hinting at bringing Gunther to Smackdown. Carmelo Hayes rolled up, threatening to go to Raw, but Aldis was unfazed.
Analysis:
A brief segment that continued to highlight the potential ramifications of the transfer window. Although definitely just a plot device to get some more high-profile superstars on Raw for the Netflix premiere, the ability to utilize said plot device to test the waters of future matchups is what elevates WWE’s storytelling above the rest of the pack.
With Cody Rhodes likely a lock to go to Raw, fellow world title holder Gunther makes sense to swap to Smackdown. Frankly, Gunther on the blue brand just feels right. Although, in a world of Smackdown factions, an already less-confident Gunther would be considerably more exposed without Imperium this time.
I love that we’re getting a few more random matchups as a result of this. Every now and then, a thrown-together match does wonders to break up the monotony of multiple slow-burn stories all happening at once. When controlled, a little randomness can be just what the doctor ordered to keep audiences entertained. Keep it going, WWE.
Grade: B
DIY vs. MCMG
Latest Developments:
Over the past few months, both DIY & The Street Profits have repeatedly tried to reclaim the WWE Tag Team Championships, but failed repeatedly.
While Johnny Gargano remained friends with champions Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin (MCMG), Tommaso Ciampa began to grow ruthless, telling Johnny they needed to remain focused on reclaiming their titles. When The Street Profits claimed a title shot before DIY, Ciampa snapped and unloaded on Gargano for being soft, telling him to pick a side.
Last week, The Street Profits were found laid out, and Gargano deviously offered to take their title shot. A skeptical MCMG agreed. During the match, DIY displayed considerably more brawling and low blows to fully turn heel together and capture the WWE Tag Team Championships for the second time.
Analysis:
The DIY heel turn is here, and the two rascals are just as hateable as their NXT glory days! But this time, they have main roster gold to match! Ciampa’s slow descent into title obsession was a beautiful callback to NXT, where his most famous heel turn revolved around his unending craving of the NXT Championship. I worried that WWE’s plan would be to run back a DIY feud, but turning Gargano instead was a much more engaging choice. Gargano, interestingly, feels more mischievous and overly smarmy than his previous heel incarnations. His cheeky kick to Sabin’s nether regions and innocent “what?” to the ref were gut-bustingly hilarious. That’s the kind of in-ring comedy that works – not overly setup comedy spots.
Motor City Machine Guns have officially completed their first reign. Their role was primarily to be gatekeepers, allowing other teams to work through their own issues while struggling to overcome one of the most dynamic tag teams in history. The two worked so well together, they make any other team look dysfunctional. Great for stories. But hopefully now we have the chance to delve into Sabin & Shelley’s personalities a little more beyond “affable guys who will take on any challenger”. Throughout their TNA careers, we’ve seen them cut arresting promos, and I’m curious to see what route WWE goes in building out their characters.
The in-ring work was phenomenal, as always with these two teams. Seeing DIY abandon their aerial offense for opportunistic heelish low blows was great subtle bit of storytelling, and proved an amazing counterpoint to their more PWG-inspired first match earlier this year. If DIY continue to be conniving, they could work in reverse to MCMG’s reign: be two mega-annoying heels that every team will look honorable next to.
I’m now also curious how The Street Profits will figure into the mix. This setup (it was obviously Gargano who laid out The Profits) feels tailor-made for Tez & Dawkins to return and swear revenge on the heels. However, they’ve been in the middle of a heel turn themselves. In order to not muddle the programming with two similar advances, I’d guess The Profits’ turn will be slightly retconned as them growing more of an edge, and they’ll develop into a more stripped-down version of themselves.
Grade: B-
CODY RHODES vs. KEVIN OWENS
Latest Developments:
Since turning heel, Kevin Owens set his sights on Cody Rhodes for his supposed hypocrisy in allying with The Bloodline. After several brawls that left a trail of destruction, Rhodes challenged Owens to a title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, while Owens was suspended from WWE due to excessive violence (having put Rhodes’ ally Randy Orton indefinitely on the shelf with a banned piledriver)
Last week, Rhodes was called out by American Made leader Chad Gable. Gable antagonized Rhodes, claiming that he deserved the beat down he had coming from Owens. Rhodes replied by calling out all of Gable’s faults, warning him that he had bloodlust on his mind thanks to his hatred for Owens. The two set a match for later in the night.
Meanwhile, Owens refused to enter the building for his planned interview with Michael Cole, instead ordering a freezing Cole to walk across the arena to his rental car. During the sitdown, Owens again listed every time The Bloodline attacked him, accusing Rhodes of only thinking about himself. Cole, in disgust, thought Owens was only being petty, so Owens then kicked him out of his car and drove off.
In the main event of Smackdown, Rhodes defeated Gable. Suddenly, Owens reappeared and tried to put Rhodes on the shelf. A brawl broke out, with numerous ringside officials tried to pull the two men apart as the show closed.
Analysis:
First off, it’s nice to see WWE realize that rehashing promos for this feud would have neutered it. The two said everything they had to each other two weeks ago, and in the past few weeks there’s been nothing else to do but wait for the fight. I would have preferred if they had held off on the confrontation until the go-home show for some better escalation. But in the age of streaming, where a go-home show doesn’t translate to as many last-minute PPV buys, perhaps WWE has decided that doesn’t matter to them.
Allowing Rhodes to get some reps in against midcarders has done wonders for him. It’s crazy how much faster Rhodes works when he isn’t worried about main event-style staredowns and posing like a valiant hero. Paired with Gable, Rhodes again displayed his newfound ferocity in advance of SNME by putting on a technical clinic against one of the best in the world. Side note, but I’ve become incredibly disappointed in WWE’s use of Gable. The last time these two faced off, it was the road to Wrestlemania 39. To see Gable in essentially the same role two years later feels like a colossal waste of the babyface fire he built up with the crowd throughout 2023.
Meanwhile, we got an Attitude Era-throwback with Michael Cole getting bullied. I know Bayley kept the tradition alive, but Owens’ sheer disrespect felt like a vintage The Rock clip from ’97. Contrasting that with yet another terrifyingly intense promo, Owens felt like a man gleefully freed from the shackles of being nice. His answers were calm and logical, but scarily obsessive and selfish. A textbook heel archetype, but done so well.
However, there was one detail I wasn’t a fan of: Owens mentioning Sami Zayn. Given Owens’ reason for turning on Rhodes, it wasn’t a far leap to imagine him eventually beefing with Zayn over the same reasons. However, planting that idea now feels like a tell that Owens will lose at SNME. I know Rhodes losing the belt was a long shot especially with the return of the Winged Eagle, but it would have been perfect heel heat and plausible enough for audiences to buy going into Wrestlemania. But hinting at a Zayn v. Owens feud (which doesn’t need a title at all) likely means Rhodes retains until mid-2025.
Overall, a pair of entertaining segments with a few minor details that somewhat muted the feud overall.
Grade: B
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(You can always reach PWTorch editor Wade Keller at kellerwade@gmail.com. You can also send live event results and news tips to pwtorch@gmail.com. Also, we’re always looking for volunteer contributors to help us round out of coverage of the pro wrestling scene.)
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