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Before we get started, a few notable updates to go over:
· Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair have both been rumored to make their long-awaited return on Raw On Netflix in January. This lends more credence to WWE positioning the premiere as a WrestleMania-adjacent event (in the words of Director Of Creative Development Rob Fee). The event takes place in my hometown of Los Angeles, Calif., so believe me when I say that WWE’s local marketing blitz has rivaled that of WrestleMania 39.
· Additionally, vignettes have begun airing on Raw teasing the arrival of free agent Penta El Zero Miedo, likely at Raw On Netflix. I won’t even pretend to be surprised. Not only has Penta’s star grown during his tenure in AEW, but the former AAA and Lucha Underground wrestler made his U.S. name in the Los Angeles area and debuting him here feels tailor-made for an earth-shattering pop.
This week’s column might be a little bit shorter than usual because… well, not much happened last week. As is typical for the holiday season, WWE taped last week’s episode of Smackdown. However, thanks to the pesky timing of Saturday Night’s Main Event the week prior, that essentially meant they couldn’t give away anything that would spoil SNME for the fans in attendance.
Last week, we basically got WWE’s version of a filler episode. And that’s not a bad thing! Filler episodes allow us to spend more time with the mid-card feuds that can sometimes be lost in the shuffle, mix up the programming, and they tend to be a breezier watch because the talent can have a little fun with things. And, boy, we saw that last week (more on that below).
It’s also really interesting to me that, despite being only days away from 2025, we’ve seen little buildup for the Royal Rumble. Keep in mind, this time last year Cody Rhodes had already declared for the men’s Rumble. With Raw On Netflix pushed as the next big PPV-level event, there’s been barely a whisper of Royal Rumble. On the negative side, this is what happens when you have so many huge events one after another. They can sometimes get cluttered. Hell, there’s even a second Saturday Night’s Main Event in the works in January!
But to be more charitable, it also signifies that we’re truly in the beginning of a new era. In the buildup to WrestleMania 40, it truly felt like everything was building to Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns II. You could see the seeds being planted nearly six months out. But this time around? Things feel open-ended and exciting. We’ve got two men’s world champs with not clear adversary, not to mention an extremely exciting women’s division with two new mid-card belts.
While WrestleMania 41 isn’t destined to feel as earth-shattering as its predecessor last year, the sheer possibilities in play more than make up for it. So where do things stand after last week? Let’s review:
THE INAUGURAL WOMEN’S U.S. CHAMPION
Latest Developments:
Last month, Nick Aldis announced a single-elimination tournament to crown the first ever Women’s US Champion. Across Smackdown, the women’s division competed to make it to the finals, but the most prominent rivalry was the continued beef between Chelsea Green & Piper Niven and Michin. The two made it to the finals, facing each other at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
At Saturday Night’s Main Event, after a quick match, Chelsea Green (with some assistance from Piper Niven) defeated Michin to become the inaugural Women’s US Champion!
Last week, Green cut a backstage promo egotistically bragging about her skills, claiming she had earned her spot in the history books.
Analysis:
Hallelujah! In an era where WWE (and seemingly every other promotion) waits far too long to pull the trigger on an over wrestler, they noticed fans’ continued support for Chelsea Green and finally gave her a midcard belt. Green’s character work has been head and shoulders above her peers since her 2023 return, and she’s epitomized the creed “maximize your minutes”. Even as the loser of numerous squashes, Green got not only herself but her tag team partner and opponent mega-over. That takes a special skill, which can only be amplified now that she can serve as Smackdown’s gatekeeper. Green tweeted out that she was already the “longest-reigning Women’s US Champion of all time”. Given Green’s penchant for goofy diva-esque comedy, one can only imagine the hilarity of her as a midcard champion. Phenomenal booking.
Last week’s segment was brief, but did wonders to keep Green in the mind of audiences. In an episode heavy on the hijinks, Green still managed to stand out by hilariously botching Byron Saxton’s name and making him hold her used chewing gum. It’s a testament to Green’s skill that she can be so obviously rude, yet still cut a promo that feels heartfelt and appreciative of her career. Because, at the end of this day, last week’s promo was a victory lap for the woman behind the wrestler Chelsea Green. A thank you to the fans, a reminder of her comedic talent, and an implied promise that soon we’ll see Green out in full force.
While I had concerns that Green’s heel character would lean too close to Liv Morgan or Tiffany Stratton, WWE has clearly taken great pains to make each of them feel distinct by giving them a unique character dynamic. While Green serves as a heel gatekeeper, Morgan takes on a sneakier chickensh*t vibe, and Stratton has effectively begun a face turn. Keeping these three wrestlers’ character arcs in alignment with each other ensures that there’s never a week where audiences have the potential to get mixed up between them. A small touch that does wonders for long-term booking.
Grade: A
BIANCA BELAIR’S NEW PARTNER
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.
Naomi suggested she take over as the other half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions. After some convincing, Nick Aldis agreed. Last week, the two displayed fantastic chemistry while successfully defending against Nia Jax & Candice LeRae. In a backstage interview, the two continued to show confidence and expressed excitement at teaming together.
Analysis:
By fleshing out Belair & Naomi’s relationship as co-champs, this narrative continues to become more intriguing. What struck me immediately was how seamlessly Belair & Naomi bounced off each other backstage. While they’ve been allies in the past, it’s curious how quickly Naomi replaced Cargill – and how Belair seems to be going along with it.
As I rewatched the past few episodes of Smackdown, Naomi’s behavior began to feel a little too enthusiastic. I spoke last week about how Naomi’s insertion into this title reign is a massive step-up in her booking. Previously, she mostly existed to lose against Nia Jax’s crew. In kayfabe, could Naomi have been resentful and schemed a way to take over Cargill’s reign?
I know that may seem like a far leap, but Naomi showed she could add a more brutal edge to her wrestling during her run in TNA. Given Triple H’s penchant for covering up Cargill’s in-ring capabilities, keeping her encircled with Naomi (a frequent dance partner) would be another way to keep Cargill looking good and hiding her weaknesses. Additionally, casting Naomi as the heel also lends itself to some fascinating dynamics for Belair. Right now, she seems to be going along with everything. When Cargill returns, we could conceivably see Belair caught in the middle and have to choose between her allies.
I’ve stated many times before that Belair feels pigeonholed by having to be confident and happy-go-lucky so often. I’m not one of those critics insisting she should go heel (I doubt she’s turning heel anytime soon, guys, not while she does so much work outside the company), but Belair has always been most engaging when conflicted or backed against a wall. Allowing her to be betrayed by a heel would open up some really engaging character work.
If WWE can continue maintaining intrigue and build to a turn, this could be a dark-horse storyline going into Wrestlemania 41.
Grade: A-
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TIFFANY STRATTON HAS BEEN REPLACED
Latest Developments:
Ever since Candice LaRae managed to worm her way into Nia Jax’s inner circle, she began deepening the divide between the egotistical WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax and her mentee Ms. MITB Tiffany Stratton fueled by Jax’s callousness and paranoia over Stratton cashing in on her world championship.
Following Survivor Series, Stratton focused on winning the Women’s US Championship, but lost out in the semifinals while LeRae took the opportunity to continually put her down for it.
Last week, LeRae professed she would bring more gold to the stable where Stratton had failed, snidely telling Stratton to stay backstage while she and Jax challenged the Women’s Tag Champions Bianca Belair & Naomi. However, LeRae was pinned thanks to Jax getting distracted by Stratton, losing the match.
Analysis:
First off, can we get a dang name for this stable already? I’m so tired of calling them “Nia Jax’s team” or “Nia Jax’s crew”. She’s still the Queen Of The Ring, they could have been the Queen’s Court or something. That just somehow feels like a missed opportunity.
But on a more positive note, LeRae becoming the MVP of this storyline was unexpected but extremely gratifying. The dynamic between Stratton growing more confident and Jax growing more paranoid had definitely begun to grow stale on the road to Survivor Series. Given Triple H’s penchant for long-term feud buildup, it doesn’t feel like Stratton is due to cash in the MITB briefcase before Wrestlemania. In the meantime, the feud needed a new wrinkle. Enter Candice LeRae. Her snide mean-girl bullying is equal parts hilarious and infuriating, and introduced a whole new layer to Stratton’s face turn beyond simply growing disillusioned with Jax.
Even simple segments like last week’s, which didn’t advance the characters in any meaningful way, felt elevated because LeRae continued to steal the show with her heel antics. The main event match, while nothing spectacular, highlighted the deficiencies in Jax’s stable, as each member is still jockeying for individual glory. While Stratton is clearly due to split from the group, it would also be in character for Jax to turn on LeRae as well for her supposed weaknesses. A three-way feud is notoriously tricky to pull off, but WWE has all the tools to set up a triangle of character dynamics if they play their cards right.
A perfunctory segment that was still enjoyable and laid some interesting grounds for the future.
Grade: B-
DIY’S NEXT MOVE
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. Gargano eventually joined Ciampa, as they laid out The Profits and claimed their title shot, becoming WWE Tag Team Championships a second time.
Last week, the newly-heel Gargano took on Alex Shelley in a singles match, which Gargano easily won and proclaimed that he was no longer the student but the teacher.
Analysis:
Last week’s promo felt like it was made to elevate one man only: Johnny Gargano. With DIY’s new championship reign off to the races, Gargano definitely needed some juicing up in comparison to his more violent bald partner. Gargano’s geniality as a face made his heel promo less convincing than Ciampa’s, so letting him get some solo reps in to showcase his own trademark sneakiness was a good move.
Additionally, this was the first time Shelley and Sabin were separate for an appreciable length of time, which did wonders for them as characters. The two were brought in as a package deal, and during their reign had little character-based growth beyond their veteran status. Even for just a match, separating the two allowed Shelley to grow independently from Sabin. It’s a small detail, but does wonders ofr casual audiences trying to keep the two straight. And the brief student-turned-mentor angle was a great way to put over MCMG’s experience. Gargano’s no rookie in WWE, so seeing him paint himself as the student to MCMG really put in perspective just how long they’ve been around. And the match itself, was of course amazing.
It feels like MCMG’s work in this story is done. They’ve successfully raised the profile of the WWE Tag Team Championships, elevated both Ciampa and Gargano individually, and put on some banger matches. I don’t see what another rematch would prove in an ecosystem where tag team wrestling already fights for limited space, so I’d wager a guess that DIY will set their attention on the wider Smackdown tag team division while MCMG finds a new goal.
An amazingly worked athletic match that was a beautiful segue away from this feud.
Grade: B+
THE NEW BLOODLINE vs. LA KNIGHT & FRIENDS
Latest Developments:
Following their violent dispatching of US title contenders LA Knight and Andrade, the remainder of The New Bloodline advanced on the defiant US Champion 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.
Last week, Knight, Andrade and their ally Apollo Crews took on the New Bloodline in a six-man tag team match, but lost following Nakamura ambushing former opponent Knight mid-match.
Analysis:
This match’s booking confused me. On paper, The New Bloodline ambushed Knight and Andrade to make a statement they were no longer holding back. Naturally, that would seem like a good lead-in to Knight/Andrade/Crews vs. The New Bloodline for the next month leading into Royal Rumble. But Nakamura interfering and continuing to target Knight throws a wrench into the mix.
Last week, I discussed Knight’s booking following his loss of the US title. Given his reluctance to get involved in Bloodline business several months ago, introducing him as the newest babyface to lead the torch against the Bloodline felt like an odd choice. But if the long term plan was to continue his feud with Nakamura, what was the point of this match? Will Andrade and Crews remain involved with The Bloodline? Unlike Knight, they have no history with the stable and are ice-cold as babyfaces. Overall, this felt like the only match on the card to really emphasize “filler”. It felt like it wasn’t leading anywhere, it didn’t progress any storylines for The New Bloodline, and the in-ring work wasn’t even at a quality high enough to excuse the storytelling issues.
It sounds like I’m being harsh on a simple filler segment, and honestly I might be. But in an era where even side-tracked fun matches seem to serve a purpose, this felt really oddly structured.
Grade: D
ROMAN REIGNS vs. SOLO SIKOA vs. ….. DREW MCINTYRE???
Latest Developments:
Roman Reigns cut a promo vowing to take back the ula fala and the title of Tribal Chief, challenging Sikoa to Tribal Combat on the Raw Netflix premiere next month. Last week, Sikoa cut a furious promo in response, vowing to not back down and ending Reigns once and for all.
Drew McIntyre interrupted, vowing to end The Bloodline piece by piece due to what they did to him. He offered to continue taking out the OG Bloodline following his beatdown of Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso in recent weeks, and offered to face Sikoa in the ring once and for all. Before Sikoa could respond, the still-injured Jimmy Uso attacked McIntyre and beat him with his crutch.
Analysis:
The singles match is on, ladies and gentlemen! Following Wargames, all eyes were on Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa’s rivalry. Following his promo several weeks ago about refusing to accept disrespect, it was obvious that Sikoa was on a collision course with Reigns. We’ve seen Sikoa become the most dangerous version of himself on the mic and in the ring, yet Reigns has often felt hampered by the mental baggage of his time as WWE’s top heel. When the two meet in singles competition, there’ll be nowhere to hide, and Reigns will have to go up against the enforcer at his most invulnerable. I’m curious to see whether we finally see Reigns show some vulnerability and drop the “boss in control” façade. After all, even during his historic reign, Reigns showed contrition when Sikoa showed hints at getting mad. Seeing him quiver at Sikoa would be a huge moment for the unshakeable OTC. Regardless, it definitely feels like this singles match will be the impetus to set up Reigns’ character base going into Wrestlemania.
Meanwhile, Sikoa’s promo work continues to grow by leaps and bounds. We’ve seen him turn on the charm in the past few months, but he felt truly vicious last week. While his ascent to the throne has largely felt tactical, last week finally let forth the sheer disrespect Sikoa has for Reigns and his behavior following his loss of the championship.
A quick promo, but superbly done. Consider me hyped.
Meanwhile, McIntyre’s inclusion adds a nice little wrinkle into the storyline. McIntyre essentially serves as a wildcard, hating Reigns & Solo equally. While currently occupied against Jimmy Uso (giving the latter his most engaging babyface work in years), introducing McIntrye back into the Bloodline’s orbit at this time doesn’t feel accidental. With a marquee singles match on the horizon, it wouldn’t be out of the question for McIntyre to interfere and cause the match to end in a no-contest. After all, there’s a lot of meat on the bone in the Bloodline Civil War. McIntrye’s interference would simultaneously be a well-executed callback to Clash At The Castle where McIntyre was on the losing end of an interference, while also saving a clean pin for Wrestlemania 41.
In any case, Drew McIntrye: Bloodline Hunter has a hell of a ring to it.
Grade: A+
BRAUN STROWMAN vs. CARMELO HAYES
Latest Developments:
Several weeks ago, with the transfer window looming, Carmelo Hayes tried to threaten Nick Aldis for better opportunities by claiming he’d jump ship to Raw. Aldis called his bluff, claiming he had a special opponent in mind for him.
Hayes’ opponent was revealed to be a returning Braun Strowman, who quickly and brutally stomped Hayes into another dimension. Last week, Hayes interrupted Strowman’s appearance on The Grayson Waller Effect. The two had an impromptu match which Hayes won by countout. The enraged Strowman responded by chasing Hayes throughout the arena.
Analysis:
Following the Last Monster Standing match’s cartoonish name, we should have guessed that Strowman’s push would be closer to his most iconic run in 2017 (how did WWE never make “I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!” merch back in the day?). In past issues, I’ve often spoke about the importance of tonal breaks on Smackdown. Having a feud more comically inclined can be a nice break from the more soapy intense narratives carrying the main quarter-hours.
While not strictly comedy, the sheer David v Goliath energy of Hayes and Strowman lends itself to a more cartoonish air. Combined with some truly wacky imagery of Strowman dressed as Santa Claus being mocked by Grayson Waller, this felt like a fun gap between Smackdown’s more dramatic fare that continues to elevate Strowman as a gentle giant who is still eager to crush his enemies. Ending with a Benny Hill chase around the arena made it even better. Could Hayes be doing better than a goofy feud like this? Maybe, but this keeps him on TV and allows him to continue emphasizing the weaselly qualities of his heel character (which wound up being the most engaging part of his character work, as per the Andrade feud earlier this year).
Grade: B+
SMACKDOWN’S TAG TEAM DIVISION
Latest Developments:
Last week on The Grayson Waller Effect, A-Town Down Under pitched Braun Strowman to join them, claiming they could be the brains to his…. well, brawn. Strowman rebuffed them before tearing up the set.
Later, Strowman barreled past Legado Del Fantasma and Pretty Deadly while chasing Carmelo Hayes. Neither team had seen him, so Strowman ignored their blathering and stormed off.
Analysis:
Yes, these midcard teams have been criminally underused. LDF’s overarching story about Escobar slowly losing faith in his team seems to have gone cold, while Pretty Deadly’s continued references to their musical were once amusing but now feel played-out. Even A-Town Down Under, despite getting considerably more spotlight, don’t feel like they’ve got much character left. It’s essentially Waller’s solo shtick with Theory attached.
While I’m not an Attitude Era fanboy, these segments highlight the stark difference between now and that era. Everyone got a brief distinct moment to shine, acts never felt stalled to the extent that they do now. This is where long-term booking has its drawbacks. If you don’t fit into the major narratives of Smackdown, you could be waiting in catering for months and months until an opportunity comes along.
That being said, highlighting all three of these teams at once didn’t feel like an accident. With DIY as the workhorse heel champs, it could be time to start building up some new challengers. Perhaps a gauntlet match in the works?
Grade: D
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).
At Saturday Night’s Main Event, Rhodes walked out with the famed “Winged Eagle” championship belt as an ode to the retro presentation. Despite ekeing out a win, Rhodes was brutally attacked by Owens post-match and forced out of action.
Last week, an injured Rhodes was home while Owens stole the Winged Eagle belt and proclaimed himself the true champion, refusing to return it until he got what he wanted.
Analysis:
Last week’s promo was effectively a placeholder, with Rhodes taking a well-deserved week off while Owens essentially gets to run a “Real World’s Champion” angle until Rhodes reclaims the belt in a rematch likely at the Royal Rumble. I’m torn on this: while this allows Owens to essentially run rampant over the roster with Rhodes out of action, it still feels slightly out of character for this heel persona.
I touched on this last week, but Owens’ heel character was built on logic. He was the only one who didn’t forget years of Roman Reigns’ treachery and couldn’t let go. In a sense, he was “the rational one” that was infuriated with everyone else. But post-SNME, Owens’ pivot to caring only about the Winged Eagle feels like the character tipped a little too far into delusion. If Owens had been allowed a few months to develop his righteous anger until it gave way to delusion, that’d be one thing. After all, it’s common in real life for the “winner” of an argument to get carried away until they themselves become wrong. But this happened too fast, to the point where it semi-flanderized the Owens character into just a deluded heel.
I understand why the shift happened: to place more emphasis on the WWE Championship itself going into Wrestlemania season. A common issue with Cody Rhodes’ reign in 2024 is that very few of his feuds have felt related to the title. Outside of his incredible run against AJ Styles, Rhodes often felt tied up in Bloodline shenanigans rather than focusing on his belt. With the Royal Rumble coming up, re-emphasizing the belt itself is necessary to maintain the prestige of earning a title shot at Wrestlemania.
If I was a betting man, I’d guess Rhodes will return on Raw On Netflix, keeping him and Owens apart until the Royal Rumble so Owens can continue milking this storyline without Rhodes getting in the way each week.
Grade: C+
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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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