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A few updates to go over before we get down to the analysis:
•WWE officially confirmed The Roast Of WrestleMania starring “Kill Tony” host Tony Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe recently made headlines for his largely racist “comedy” at the campaign rallies of President Donald Trump. With Netflix and the larger entertainment world beginning to embrace the President’s anti-diversity rhetoric, this move does not come as a surprise.
•Following a lengthy hiatus due to rumored injuries, sources claim The Wyatt Sicks are nearing a return to WWE. The act’s previous run fell flat with audiences due to a lack of consistent appearances. With fellow Wyatt-esque wrestler Alexa Bliss back in the fold, hopefully the group gets something more substantial to work with following WrestleMania 41.
•Since they now work together, this counts as WWE news: TNA recently let go of some of its longest-tenured staff including Gail Kim, Ariel Sherner, and Rob Kligman. Replacements include former ROH booker Hunter “Delirious” Johnson as head of creative, and Tommy Dreamer as head of talent. Much of the turnover was met with negative reception from wrestlers, who credited the fired employees as keys to TNA’s long-term success. Time will tell if the replacements are able to keep the promotion’s recent momentum going.
As WWE barrels down the road to WrestleMania 41, the most noticeable part of the build to WWE’s biggest event of the year are the crowds. More specifically, the international crowds. It’s no secret that some of WWE’s most passionate audiences tend to be abroad. But, more interestingly, the dynamics are also quite different, with international audiences popping for almost every big moment, despite the storyline ramifications.
Despite this year’s storytelling being on somewhat shakier ground than last year, WWE’s weekly programming has remained as electric as ever thanks to white-hot audiences. I don’t know whether WWE scheduled a European tour on purpose to elicit more hype for WrestleMania, but given they rarely run internationally this time of year it feels like a safe bet.
It’s also interesting to see which stories have begun to migrate over to the blue brand. With Reigns-Rollins-Punk and Cargill-Belair-Naomi both cementing themselves on Smackdown, it’s clear that Raw is clearing space to become the John Cena and Jey Uso show for the coming few weeks. And while both wrestlers are undeniably engaging, it’s interesting to see the more new-school multi-wrestler feuds on Smackdown while Raw gets longer promos and one-on-one feuds.
Quite a lot happened on last week’s episode of Smackdown, so let’s review…
THE GREEN REGIME TAKES ON ZELINA VEGA
Latest Developments:
Last year, Chelsea Green defeated Michin to become the inaugural WWE Women’s US Champion. Over time, Green took on a comedic political edge to her gimmick, recruiting Niven as her government protection. Later, Green recruited Alba Fyre into their alliance as “Slaygent A” of the The Green Regime.
Zelina Vega confronted the group after crossing paths with Green over the past few weeks. Vega wanted her shot at the Women’s US Championship, but Green said she’d have to go through Niven first.
Last week, Niven faced off against Vega. Despite being physically outmatched, Vega put up a valiant effort, even fighting off the rest of the Green Regime. However, Niven eventually sealed the win.
Analysis:
I wasn’t a huge fan of this booking. Ironically, I began this week’s column talking about the strength of the international crowds. But, in this case, they went absolutely silent, which completely put a damper on the match. I’m all for giving the women’s division longer matches, but a mid-show fifteen minute match largely consisting of holds didn’t do either woman any favor. While Vega undoubtedly shines as a babyface, she’s not at the Hogan level where crowds will eat up her simply struggling to escape a bigger opponent. Despite some really good in-ring storytelling that sold Niven as a true monster, the match just moved a little slow to engage.
This brings me to one of my biggest gripes with The Green Regime: they’re not allowed to be truly silly in-ring. There have been moments of absurdity, but in 2025’s more realistic WWE, it feels like the booking team is afraid to let the group be creative in their heat-seeking segments. As defined by last year’s Dumpster Match, the group shines brightest in interference-laden comedy matches. Get more out-of-the-box, like the Eddie Guerrero spots of old! Green, Niven, and Fyre are some of the few talents that can sell both absurdity and top-tier in-ring work, and they should be allowed to match their goofy promos with equally goofy wrestling.
I’m also curious where Vega’s booking goes from here. With a loss to Niven, her push feels oddly deflated during a time where every other story seems to be ramping up. There doesn’t seem to be a hot story ramping up for the women’s US title in time for Wrestlemania 41, which makes me believe the title is being iced for future PPVs. If that’s the case, it makes sense to keep Vega’s rematch simmering on the back burner, even if it ledto a slightly muted end to this week’s segment.
Grade: C+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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RANDY ORTON vs. KEVIN OWENS
Latest Developments:
After witnessing Cody Rhodes team with longtime enemy Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens turned heel and called out Rhodes for being a hypocrite. During a lengthy feud with Rhodes, mutual friend Randy Orton found himself the victim of a brutal beatdown from Owens, writing him off television.
Over the next few months, Owens’ violent crusade continued against Sami Zayn. Following a brutal unsanctioned match at Elimination Chamber, Orton made his return and violently beat down Owens as revenge.
With Orton hinting at a return to his more violent Viper persona, Owens began trying to mitigate the punishment he sensed was coming to him. After first saving Carmelo Hayes from Orton’s wrath, last week Owens tried to reason with Orton in-ring.
Owens claimed that his other foes deserved what they got, but apologized to Orton for his actions. He claimed Orton had grown, and shouldn’t return to his old violent self. He offered for the two of them to team up and fight at Wrestlemania 41 together. Orton appeared to ponder the decision, before laughing it off and viciously swearing to put Owens in the ground permanently.
Analysis:
This week’s booking marked a turning point in the feud, where Owens fully realized the monster he had fully unleashed. In a vacuum, last week’s segment functioned normally enough. A classic setup teasing an alternate plan just plausible enough for an audience to buy into, before the classic swerve solidifying the true narrative. Owens, to his credit, did a phenomenal job selling a more sympathetic version of his whiny heel character. Owens’ layered character work over the past few months have been his career-best work, and he managed to recast his villainy in a semi-understandable light. In fact, given Orton’s descent into insanity, WWE might actually have the ammunition to pull off a double turn. That’s a testament to both men’s work on the mic.
However, it does feel like we skipped a few steps to get here. Owens’ transition into a more fearful heel felt rushed and undercooked. We didn’t get that classic heel realization of “I’m so dead”, that traditionally provides a vehicle for heels to begin cowering. It felt like Owens just suddenly lost his nerve. And losing that character beat undercut much of last week’s segment. Any remorseful words from Owens were immediately laughed off by the antsy crowds just waiting for the punchline. And while said punchline got a huge pop, the majority of the segment felt like wheel-spinning.
Additionally, building the narrative around the punt kick’s return was a risky move due to WWE’s increased usage of deathmatch spots in recent months. It’s hard to buy into the punt kick being a deadly weapon when Owens recently bit Sami Zayn’s forehead or suplexed Cody Rhodes off a twenty-foot ladder. It’s a testament to the mythos of Randy Orton that audiences buy into the finisher’s mystique at all.
For me, it feels like Orton’s viciousness needs to be taken up a level to really sell Owens’ fear. But overall, this feud’s build has transcended its simple story to become one of the most effective this year. I can’t wait to see Owens get his head kicked in.
Grade: B+
CHARLOTTE FLAIR vs. TIFFANY STRATTON
Latest Developments:
Following her return from injury, Charlotte Flair won the women’s Royal Rumble and called out WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton. After some back-and-forth, the two were confirmed for a title match at Wrestlemania.
While Flair sparingly appeared on programming, Stratton continued warding off enemies like Nia Jax, Candice LeRae, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. Following a match, Flair appeared to beat down Stratton. Over the next few weeks, the two constantly brawled throughout the ring.
Last week, Flair and Stratton had a sit-down interview. At every turn, Stratton tried to speak but Flair steamrolled over her, calling her a “pick-me” and taking credit for inspiring Stratton’s pathetic attempt at legacy. Stratton tried to fire back, but Flair kept on invalidating her accomplishments. Eventually, Stratton fired up and warned Flair that the fans didn’t bow down to her anymore, and she would walk out of Wrestlemania 41 victorious.
Analysis:
I’m in two minds about last week’s segment. On one hand, it featured some of Flair’s most engaging heel work to date. Never known for her exceptional promos, Flair was cool and confident on the mic, snarkily belittling Stratton at every opportunity and toeing the line at kayfabe when pointing out Stratton’s rise being due to a dishonest cash-in. While harsh, it was a very-well written promo that felt genuinely uncomfortable to watch. Flair nailed the “mean girl” aesthetic, and relished cutting Stratton down to size. The heat was intense, I could feel my own hatred bubbling at Flair’s snide responses.
Unfortunately, the interview’s structure may have skewed a bit too far to favor Flair. Stratton came across a little too unconfident, vulnerable and weak. The segment’s closing lines fell a bit flat, with audiences not accustomed to Stratton getting fiery underdog moments. Therein lies the problem with the “cool heel”. Stratton hasn’t been getting those big underdog moments. Much of her presentation still feels heelish, so slotting her into the “bullied new girl” dynamic doesn’t ring as sympathetic as WWE intends.
The internet got riled up with this one, with rumors floating around of Flair shooting or going too far. I don’t really believe that, but I do believe that Stratton wasn’t able to sell the scorned young-gun persona that WWE wanted her to. I didn’t walk away from this feeling revved up for Stratton, I instead felt worried and unconfident.
All in all, by far the most clear-cut and engaging character work both wrestlers have done, and Flair is suitably built up as the mountain for the next generation to surpass. The only hurdle now is building Stratton into a babyface credible enough to climb that mountain.
Grade: B
DREW MCINTYRE VS DAMIAN PRIEST
Latest Developments:
Drew McIntyre recently developed a rivalry against Damian Priest following Priest eliminating him from both the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber, and pointing out the logical flaws in his quests for revenge over the last year.
Over the past few weeks, McIntyre and Priest continued attacking each other at every opportunity, and eventually began to interfere in each other’s matches.
McIntyre cut a lengthy promo indicating that Priest had benefited from his personal feuds, stealing the world championship from him and being the cause of his recent losses. Later that night, Priest had an impromptu match with Shinsuke Nakamura, which ended in DQ when McIntyre interfered and a brawl broke out.
This week, Priest teamed with Jimmy Uso to take on McIntyre and Nakamura in a tag match, which quickly devolved into chaos thanks to McIntyre’s obsession with Priest. Priest & Uso eventually snagged the win, causing McIntyre to snap and attack Priest. Post-match, McIntyre cut a promo about ending Priest once and for all.
Upon leaving the area, McIntyre ran into longtime enemy Seth Rollins.
Analysis:
Following some surprisingly effective promo work from McIntyre believably painting Priest as the man who benefited from his downfall more than anyone else, this week’s segment was largely lackluster, hiding the most engaging parts of this program (McIntyre’s obsession) in a tag match having to juggle heating up Jimmy Uso before he reunited with Jey over on Raw.
It just speaks to a general lack of care put into this program, seemingly letting McIntyre’s sensational mic work build a story that isn’t overly engaging. Even the post-match promo wasn’t anything special, especially in comparison to McIntyre’s programs with CM Punk or Seth Rollins. If anything, the more vague tone signifies the lack of history to work with.
The ensuing match will likely be a clinic, but these two have an uphill battle to climb to get any kind of investment in this program. Serviceable work, but it reeks of two wrestlers who could be somewhere more interesting.
Grade: B-
THE NEW BLOODLINE IS DISINTEGRATING
Latest Developments:
Following his loss to Roman Reigns and losing the “Tribal Chief” title, Solo Sikoa left WWE programming. In his absence, Jacob Fatu began to unofficially take over as The New Bloodline’s leader.
Upon his return, Sikoa had lost his confidence while Fatu had slowly begun to feel comfortable as the leader. Their dynamic began slowly shifting, with Fatu asserting his presence in the group’s promos while the once-domineering Sikoa began to take a backseat. In-ring, the two weren’t on the same page, leading to several inadvertent losses thanks to botched interference.
Last week, Sikoa accidentally cost Fatu a #1 contender’s match for the US title. Backstage, Fatu raged at him, insinuating Sikoa sabotaged him and warning him to stay out of his business.
Analysis:
I love the angle they’re taking with this breakup. It would have been easy to replicate the dynamic between Reigns & Sikoa last year, but doing so would have felt repetitive and wouldn’t have worked for Sikoa’s character. This time around, Fatu the usurper was more sympathetic in the audience’s eyes, both due to his valid points of Sikoa failing as a leader and his sheer cool factor. In any case, watching Sikoa cower against a more dangerous version of his old self is deliciously fun to watch. And the eventual blowoff should be a hoss match for the ages.
I’m curious as to where this feud blows off. More than any other, the Bloodline’s stories tend to take a slower and more measured pace. With Wrestlemania 41 just around the corner, it’s hard to see the story building to a climax so quickly. But I also don’t see Fatu being off Wrestlemania 41. The most likely option is to sneak both men into a multi-man match, allowing their personal narrative to develop within a larger group.
This week’s segment was short & simple, but effective in establishing the feud’s dynamic moving forward, and continuing to build investment in Fatu.
Grade: B+
TAG TEAM INSANITY
Latest Developments:
Following months of anarchy and intertwined in the Smackdown tag team division, Nick Aldis straightened things out by granting The Street Profits their long-awaited title shot against then-champs DIY. Meanwhile, Pretty Deadly were guaranteed the next title shot for sometime in the future.
The following week, after a hard-fought battle, The Street Profits defeated DIY in a fierce battle to become the new WWE Tag Team Champions.
Last week, The Profits’ celebratory speech was interrupted by Los Garzas and Pretty Deadly, each of whom were hungry for the belts. Montez Ford took the lead, showing respect to Pretty Deadly but craving an impromptu fight against Los Garzas, which The Profits then won.
Post-match, Pretty Deadly refused DIY’s offer to help them cheat, while MCMG mocked DIY’s efforts.
Analysis:
I won’t lie, I didn’t think seeing The Street Profits as champs would be this cathartic. But after years of iffy booking, the molten-hot crowd for the new champs felt truly well-earned, a testament to both wrestlers’ hustle. The celebratory speech was interesting, if only because it bucked the team’s usual dynamic and allowed Tez to take the lead. Dawkins mostly stood back while Tez did the talking, while also being noticeably more aggressive than usual. This could be planting seeds for a breakup and the long-awaited Tez singles push. And now is definitely the best time, especially with The Profits specifically saying they want a long reign (which often leads to the opposite).
Pretty Deadly continue to get over as babyfaces, and watching them deny DIY’s offer was a nice full-circle moment that paid off their feud. I love seeing specific rivalries continue to evolve amidst the multi-team anarchy that’s been overtaking the division. It never feels like a mountain of bodies. Each team still has a concrete backstory, clearly defined & unique relationships with other teams, and a fairly unique aura. Seeing the stark difference of Pretty Deadly riding momentum while DIY watch from the sidelines is such a fun inverse to a few months ago, and it’s a testament to the larger division that WWE can flip dynamics so effectively.
The road to Wrestlemania 41 has never looked murkier for the tag titles, but it definitely feels like a multi-man match is on the cards. The division certainly deserves it after holding up Smackdown’s less interesting main event scene for the past few weeks.
Grade: A+
BRAUN STROWMAN’S PATH TO GLORY
Latest Developments:
Last year, LA Knight lost the US title to Shinsuke Nakamura, vowing to one day reclaim his belt, but failing due to The Bloodline getting involved.
Meanwhile, Braun Strowman had been on the long list of babyfaces that had developed beef with The Bloodline’s constant heel presence on Smackdown. Following this, Strowman and Knight became situational allies.
Two weeks ago, Nick Aldis announced a 6-man single-elimination tournament to find the US title’s next contender. LA Knight secured the win against Fatu, and later defeated Nakamura to become a two-time US Champion.
Last week, Strowman faced Fatu in a #1 contender’s match for the title. Thanks to Solo Sikoa’s botched interference, Strowman won and punched his ticket to a title shot. Post-match, The Bloodline beat Strowman before Knight made the save. The two had a brief staredown to close the segment, remembering they were each other’s next opponents.
Analysis:
Not too much to say about this segment. Besides the Bloodline’s infighting, this match was strictly to establish Strowman as a US title contender. Strowman, despite being a half-step slower in the ring, can still put on entertaining hoss matches, which is a different dynamic for LA Knight.
The two have proved to have decent chemistry in their situational team-ups, and their brief staredown was pretty electric. Despite the size comparison, Knight stood his ground against Strowman, making me think Strowman will work heel situationally. In any case, the final match should give both competitors some decent shine. Will this make Wrestlemania? Probably not unless others get involved. In any case, I hope Knight makes it on Wrestlemania, he deserves a signature moment on the big stage.
Grade: B
JADE CARGILL vs. LIV MORGAN vs. NAOMI
Latest Developments:
Following her return from injury at the Elimination Chamber, Jade Cargill viciously attacked her former ally Naomi, leaving mutual friend Bianca Belair stunned.
The following week, Belair begged Naomi to say that she was innocent. But Naomi admitted to the crime, claiming she did it for herself and Belair to be champions together. Cargill arrived, laying out Naomi.
Last week, Cargill engaged in a sitdown interview, explaining what she remembered after the attack and condemning Naomi. Judgement Day (Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez) interrupted to whine about being blamed for the attack, leading Cargill to issue a challenge. Last week, Cargill defeated Morgan in a brutal one-sided match. Post-match, Naomi laid Cargill out.
Analysis:
Last week’s segment had one directive: get Jade Cargill over as a powerhouse. Did they succeed? Mostly. Working against bump machine Liv Morgan, Cargill looked nothing short of a superhero, scaling down the acrobatic moves in favor of a more simple brawler style that really worked in her favor. For those of you that don’t watch AEW, this feels like a presentation much closer to that incarnation of her. Nothing flashy, keeping it simple, letting the look do the talking.
The wider feud’s storytelling still stumbled a bit, with the crowd noticeably going quiet when Naomi laid Cargill out. It’s hard to justify Cargill being caught off guard with an ambush directly after watching her look like prime Goldberg in the ring.
The most interesting part of this feud is actually happening on Twitter, where Belair is noticeably showing her distress at Cargill and Naomi’s rift. This adds an interesting dimension to her babyface character, crumbling under the stress of her allies not getting along. While likely playing into Belair’s current feud, this could also be an indicator that both Cargill and Naomi still have issues to settle with the EST, which sets the stage for better things to come.
But for now? This segment was pretty standard, but dragged down by an audience that wasn’t quite invested enough to keep the energy high.
Grade: B-
ROMAN REIGNS VS. SETH ROLLINS VS. CM PUNK
Latest Developments:
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins reunited their long hatred for each other at Wrestlemania 40, where Reigns’ hatred of Rollins cost him the WWE Championship. In the aftermath, Rollins and CM Punk engaged in a lengthy feud while Reigns dealt with The New Bloodline.
Last year, at Survivor Series: Wargames, Punk joined Reigns’ team as a favor to mutual friend Paul Heyman. In return, Punk said Heyman owed him a mysterious favor. Throughout the match, Punk and Reigns were combative but seemed to find some measure of respect.
At the Royal Rumble, Punk eliminated Reigns and Rollins. Rollins went berserk and attacked both Punk and Reigns. In the following weeks, Rollins and Punk’s feud intensified, culminating in a cage match. Reigns interfered, laying both men out.
Last week, Reigns greeted the live crowd, daring his opponents to meet him in the ring. Rollins appeared, drawing on his history with Reigns. Punk joined in, claiming neither Reigns nor Rollins have ever beaten him alone, and throwing Reigns off his game by claiming that he was in cahoots with Heyman.
Before long, all three men pointed at the sign and began a violent brawl to close the show.
Analysis:
The intertwining history between these three men is too rich to even describe. While, admittedly, any combo of one-on-one feuds between them could have been a better canvas to expand on that history, there’s no denying that all three wrestlers are doing some of their best character work in this feud. The only weak link feels like Reigns and Punk’s dynamic, which feels like it’s been overemphasized to match the stakes of every other rivalry in this web. But that’s, ultimately, a minor nitpick.
The segment itself was largely carried by the wrestlers’ aura. Not much new was said before the brawl broke out, and the supposed declaration of a Mania match felt fairly uninspired (hell, it was downright laughable seeing all three of them pointing at the sign). However, the atmosphere really made this interaction feel like three titans of wrestling about to collide. The emotions were palpable, and it was impossible to not feel the hype. Every now and then, less is more.
The most interesting wrinkle was the Wiseman’s part to play. While it felt like Punk was making things up to get in Reigns’ head, the “favor” MacGuffin being constantly brought up proves Heyman still has a major part to play in this feud. And, as the ultimate snake in wrestling, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Heyman hitch his wagon to the next act guaranteed to make him money. And after five years with Roman Reigns, seeing Heyman with a fresh face would be a welcome change of pace.
All in all, an empty but incredibly enjoyable segment.
Grade: A-
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