SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
A few updates to go over before we get down to the analysis:
Friday Night Smackdown debuted a new ring announcer last week: Mark Nash (real name Mark Shunock). Formerly an announcer for Top Rank Boxing and in-arena host for the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. Nash will take over weekly announcing duties from WWE legend Lilian Garcia, who will move to only announcing special events such as Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Following several weeks of vignettes, Rey Fenix has been announced to debut on Smackdown tonight. This confirms reports that Fenix will likely be pushed as a singles star rather than immediately teaming with his real-life brother Penta. Additionally, it was also confirmed that Fenix will keep the name “Rey Fenix,” which he used in AEW.
WWE announced that, like corporate partner UFC, they would begin to induct matches into the Hall Of Fame. The inaugural inductee at this year’s ceremony will be Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin from WrestleMania 13, featuring the famous double-turn that launched Austin into superstardom.
As I watched WWE programming this week, something very interesting caught my eye. While many called Wrestlemania 40 the end of an era due to the earth-shattering changes over the course of the show, Wrestlemania 41 has quietly begun to feel the same way. For all the chatter last year’s event had about the next generation of main-eventers taking the reigns, we’ve still got most of the same players at the top. And if anything, this feels like the last year that many of those main eventers will exist in their current form.
The biggest example is, of course, John Cena in his retirement year. But there’s other examples as well. Roman Reigns’ character has largely been unchanged, and most of his programs this year were built during the “Tribal Chief” run. With The New Bloodline in the rearview mirror, Cody Rhodes as an ally, and Seth Rollins’ rivalry peaking at this year’s event, there’s not much left for Reigns to do without a revamp of some sort.
Rhodes himself is another example. The man’s return promo in WWE was all about winning the WWE Championship. Now we’re at the tail end of a year-long reign, and it’s time to see if Rhodes chasing another belt will maintain fans’ investment (assuming Cena wins at Mania). Drew McIntyre, C.M. Punk, Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Gunther and many others have been running the same character since 2023 or earlier. In the age of long-term storytelling, there’s less gimmick changes in favor of character evolution that feels consistent. But still, the core of these characters haven’t changed face-heel alignment for a long while.
Combined with a miniscule (but growing) chatter about WWE resting on its own laurels, the time is ripe for a major shakeup, or at least the proper introduction to some new players at the main event stage. Certain wrestlers like Kevin Owens, Liv Morgan, and Chelsea Green have shined brightest in recent months because their personas have been allowed to change and grow. They feel fresh, and the time feels ripe for more of the roster to take their lead and try something new.
Last week’s episode of Smackdown in London was a fun one, shuffling many of our midcard players onto their paths to Wrestlemania 41. Let’s take a look:
NAOMI COMPLETELY LOSES IT…
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 multiple times over the next few weeks.
Last week, Naomi cut a promo, believing she did the right thing attacking Cargill, unable to understand why everyone called her the bad guy. After all, she was the one who had known Belair for years, and she deserved to be champion.
Later, Cargill got some words of support from Michin and B-Fab. As Michin later entered the ring for a match against Charlotte Flair, Naomi attacked her until Cargill chased her off.
Analysis:
This may have been Naomi’s strongest promo since returning to WWE. The deluded heel who believes they’re in the right isn’t a novel idea in WWE. While wrestlers like Kevin Owens have sold the logic and nuance of their characters more clearly, Naomi may be the first time a heel has genuinely come across as mentally unwell. There were subtle touches in Naomi’s promo that really made her seem unhinged. It was a good heel promo, elevated by a genuinely great acting performance.
The only interesting flaw were the London crowds cheering Naomi more than expected. Combined with the quieter reactions for Cargill recently, this may cause the storyline to be derailed. This entire narrative (at least this phase) is dependent on Cargill being over as a babyface. If audiences connect more with Naomi, both wrestlers’ character base is reframed. I’m curious to see if WWE will adapt to these reactions, if they continue to grow.
While the program itself still feels cold, Naomi’s character was levelled up with this promo, and for the first time she truly feels like a main-event heel. With Bianca Belair not likely to forget Naomi’s villainy, a future program between them could be one of the best non-tile storylines in the women’s division. But, for now, this tentatively bodes well for Wrestlemania.
Grade: A-
… AND CHARLOTTE FLAIR TAKES ADVANTAGE
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. Over the next few weeks, the two constantly brawled throughout the ring.
Flair returned to the ring for a tune-up match against B-Fab, where she cockily brutalized her more than necessary. In sit-down interviews against Stratton, Flair egotistically kept steamrolling Stratton and belittling her accomplishments as champion.
Last week, Flair’s next opponent was B-Fab’s ally Michin. Thanks to Naomi, Michin was badly hurt just before the match, but still willing to fight. The callous Flair gleefully defeated her in no time.
Later that night, Stratton cut a powerful promo vowing to crush Flair’s ego once and for all.
Analysis:
First off, I loved the structure of these two segments back-to-back. Naomi attacking Michin allowing Flair to get an easy win was the kind of logical interconnected booking that elevates the entire promotion. It made sense for all parties, sold the idea of the entire WWE roster truly existing at the same time, and furthered Flair’s heel character by letting her fuel her ego while even paying off mini-rivalries like B-Fab’s continuing grudge. Not to mention, Michin came off like a superstar so much more effectively than six months of matches against Chelsea Green. Absolutely stellar booking all-around, and for the first time Flair truly ascended from eye-rollingly annoying to intensely hateable. I can’t WAIT for this version of Flair to get her ass kicked at Wrestlemania.
Concurrently, Tiffany Stratton’s promo was a much more effective version of her muted one last week. The concept of “raise your enemy up, so you look stronger knocking them down” was in full effect, as Stratton simultaneously built Flair as a giant of professional wrestling and herself as the new-gen underdog poised to dismantle her legacy. After weeks of stilted promos and off chemistry, this week finally clicked all the pieces together. In-ring chemistry is still the wild card, but these two segments resonated ten times more than mindless pull-apart brawls.
I’m still not enthused about Stratton actually jousting with Flair on the mic, but for now I’m at least invested in seeing Stratton’s win.
Grade: B+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Smackdown: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
PRETTY DEADLY’S LONG-AWAITED TITLE SHOT
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 reclaimed the WWE Tag Team Championships. The Profits’ celebratory speech was interrupted by Pretty Deadly, who called their shot for the titles next. Backstage, Pretty Deadly refused DIY’s offer to help them cheat, mirroring Pretty Deadly’s original toxic relationship with DIY treating them poorly while dangling a title shot over them.
Last week, Pretty Deadly finally received their title match in front of a molten-hot home crowd in London. However, they were quickly outmatched and defeated by The Profits.
Analysis:
A very odd choice having Pretty Deadly lose their title shot this week, for multiple reasons. First off, the setting. It was London, for god’s sake, the duo’s home field. And they were molten-hot only to see their hometown guys get defeated fairly quickly, with no post-match follow up to let them end on a high. It felt Vince-ian, punking out an over act on their home turf.
Additionally, Pretty Deadly’s babyface turn was predicated on earning a title shot. They submitted themselves to DIY, endured verbal abuse and finally rebelled in order to earn their shot. It’s been a central thread to their motivation throughout the interconnected booking throughout the division. With that thoroughline gone, Pretty Deadly suddenly feels cut out of the division’s booking. Not to mention, their stock feels like it fell on the road to Wrestlemania. With a clean loss, it’ll take some serious work to make their inclusion in a future multi-man match feel plausible. They got their shot, and they lost. That should be it.
This was a baffling decision, that seemingly tamped down the division’s most over act, but not in a way that elevated anyone else. The Profits don’t seem to be trying to get heel heat, DIY looks to be focused more on MCMG, and everyone else is focused on the belt. Any forward progression for Pretty Deadly feels like it starts with them at the back of line, which isn’t where they should be after the momentum they garnered ever since the Royal Rumble.
Grade: C+
THE GREEN REGIME vs. 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, gunning for a shot at the Women’s US Championship. However, Vega lost to Piper Niven and thus Green denied her request for a chance at the belt.
Last week, The Green Regime swiftly beat Katana Chance & Kayden Carter,continuing to beat them down post-match. Vega arrived to make the save, but was overwhelmed by Alba Fyre. The heels stood tall to end the segment.
Analysis:
Yeah, nothing of consequence really happened this week. The Green Regime got to look strong in a glorified squash, against a team that’s gotten nothing to do in recent months.
After last week’s segment ended on a deflated note with Vega losing her chance at a title shot, this week decided to continue having her being overwhelmed against the stable. The Green Regime hasn’t been portrayed as a team of powerhouses, and they don’t need to be standing tall in segments week after week like The Bloodline. It’s boring booking that keeps Vega looking overly weak, to the point where it’s getting difficult to invest in her for when the feud eventually heats back up.
If WWE allowed Vega more time on the mic to let us sympathize with her character, this may be a different story. But right now, she just looks outmatched in every scenario, and I’m slowly beginning to check out.
Grade: D
CODY RHODES LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
Latest Developments:
After finding a new enemy in John Cena, Cody Rhodes addressed the Smackdown crowd and vowed to retain his title at Wrestlemania. Suddenly, old ally Randy Orton joined him, offering support and hinting at wanting a title shot of his own before Drew McIntyre interrupted.
McIntyre, hot from his current rivalry with Damian Priest, snidely flamed both Rhodes and Orton before siding with Orton’s current enemy Kevin Owens. A brawl threatened to break out, but McIntyre escaped.
Later that night, Orton lost to Orton in a singles match after Owens intervened. Post-match, Orton attempted to punt kick Owens (which he had sworn to do for the past few weeks) before Owens escaped.
Analysis:
Bit of a nothing-burger of a segment. It was fun to see some of Smackdown’s biggest faces interacting after weeks of being siloed in their own feuds. The most interesting thing was the tease of a few dream matches post-Wrestlemania, but I’m curious why focus on Rhodes’ post-Mania at this point. It feels like doing so is actively taking away from John Cena and The Rock as world-ending threats. The vibe felt a little too cavalier considering we’re only a few weeks out from the PPV.
And, frankly, this speaks to many people’s biggest issues with this year’s build. So much of it feels a half-step down in intensity. Rhodes and Cena have had little interaction, and the once-tight story feels like it’s being hacked up in favor of clip-worthy moments. There’s so many nuances of Cena’s heel character that feel muddled or don’t gel well, and Rhodes hasn’t quite shifted into that next gear of intensity that really makes his big-match programs pop.
Orton vs. McIntyre was solid, but even in WWE it felt like this was a dream match that could have been built to more (even if only for a week). The Owens segment was solid, laying the groundwork for a truly generational punt kick, but overall there wasn’t much added that we didn’t know.
Grade: B-
L.A. KNIGHT vs. BRAUN STROWMAN
Latest Developments:
Braun Strowman and LA Knight had both developed beef with The Bloodline’s constant heel presence on Smackdown. Following this, Strowman and Knight became situational allies.
Several 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 Jacob Fatu, and later defeated Nakamura to become a two-time US Champion.
The following week, Strowman faced Fatu in a #1 contender’s match for the title. Thanks to Solo Sikoa’s botched interference, Strowman won and earned to a title shot, staring down Knight as the show closed.
Last week, Strowman faced off against Knight for the US Championship, but the match ended in a DQ when a vengeful Fatu interfered.
Analysis:
While many expected that last week’s match would involve Bloodline interference, I wasn’t expecting Knight and Strowman to have such good chemistry. For two wrestlers not exactly known for being ring generals, the two put on an extremely well-paced short little match that really got the crowd invested. Despite little build, Strowman remains eminently over as a face, and Knight knew how to counter him without having to situationally play heel.
This match, while simple and bare-bones, built a decent amount of hype for Knight’s future title reign. Structurally, it’s felt that Knight exists as the champion for Jacob Fatu to eventually brutalize and ascend to the main event. Last week, it truly felt like there was still juice in a Knight title reign. Not bad.
Grade: B+
JACOB FATU vs. SOLO SIKOA
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.
After Sikoa accidentally cost Fatu a #1 contender’s match for the US title. Backstage, Fatu raged at him to stay out of his business. Last week, Sikoa admonished Fatu for interfering in the US title match without calling him. Fatu lost his temper, hinting he had lost faith in Sikoa and vowing to bring home gold with or without him.
Analysis:
We’re slowly getting closer to the first “I hate you Solo”, and the buildup has been amazing. Fatu’s promos have always hit another level of intensity, but last week’s hit especially hard. You could feel Fatu’s disappointment in the man he once idolized, and seeing him grow more angry and run rogue is both terrifying and exhilarating. He comes across as an uncaged animal, and watching him bulldoze through the main event will send shockwaves throughout the upper card.
It was so strange seeing Solo Sikoa shrinking in another wrestler’s presence, but it was such a good evolution of their relationship over the course of the past year. Eventually, WWE will have to decide who will turn babyface, but it’s fun to see the next Bloodline betrayal be telegraphed in such a different light than the Usos or Sami Zayn. This time, its an ineffectual leader unable to hold down the monster he created. I’m curious to see if Sikoa undergoes a redemption arc or if Fatu will take up all the space. In any case, the eventual feud will surely give birth to a new generational main eventer.
Grade: A
DREW MCINTYRE vs. “REAL GLASS”
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. McIntyre began targeting Priest as the man who benefitted most from his downfall and personal vendettas over the past 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.
Last week, following his match with Randy Orton, McIntyre showed a more genial tone as he called out Priest (next to singer Lewis Capaldi, sure why not). Priest ambushed him, throwing him into a glass windshield before walking off. The injured McIntyre clutched his eye in pain, swarmed by security as old enemy CM Punk walked by smirking.
Analysis:
Okay, that eye injury from glass had to be a work, right? Right? The parallels to CM Punk’s AEW backstage fight against Jack Perry were too perfect, all down to the “real glass” car windshield. Combined with Punk and McIntyre’s history, it played into McIntyre thematically being held back by the personal enemies he continued to make.
If this was an actual injury and Punk’s segment just happened to be next, that would be the most ironic unplanned moment in all of professional wrestling.
Aside from that, not much for McIntyre compared to last week. Priest continues to be the one standing tall, signifying that McIntyre may yet again be hobbled by his own hatred. Win or loss, the feud’s general themes seem to indicate a change in viewpoint from McIntyre moving forward, acknowledging that his inner anger has been the true reason for his downfall. Going off his more friendly and upbeat demeanor in his post-match promo, we could be slowly planting seeds for a face turn following Wrestlemania 41.
Grade: A+
THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN CUT FOR TIME
Latest Developments:
Several lower-card narratives have recently played out in Smackdown digital exclusives released on YouTube. The most prominent one contained Andrade resuming his feud with Legado Del Fantasma from earlier this year. LDF, who have been having a resurgence in the Smackdown tag team division, re-emphasized a narrative from last year where leader Santos Escobar became displeased with his lackeys for not winning more matches.
Following a few brief appearances, Andrade spoke to LDF in a digital exclusive, wondering why two wrestlers as talented as Angel and Berto were chafing under Escobar, before leaving LDF to stew.
Analysis:
Narrative beats should not be relegated to internet supplementary content. I understand additional promos expounding on character beats, or even interactions furthering a story. But full-on narrative beats not even making it to TV (even in a recap) feels like a disservice to all parties involved. It’s a shame, because Andrade has symbolically been a lone wolf-type in WWE. Barring Zelina Vega or Rey Mysterio (briefly), he didn’t often team up with others. So seeing him genuinely appeal to Angel & Berto could open up a whole new side to his character.
It’s a shame, then, that barely anyone will know about it. With Smackdown being three hours now, WWE should be able to find time for every lower-card feud on TV, even briefly. It says a lot to how top-heavy the card has become, and how glacially-paced the weekly shows have often felt in recent months.
Hell, even throw it on Evolve or Level Up, why not? Sunday Night Heat had its own storylines back in the day! Anything beyond this.
Grade: F-
IT’S TIME… FOR THE MAIN EVENT
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. The three set a triple threat for Wrestlemania 41.
Last week, they had a contract signing. Punk continued to needle Rollins, who called out both him and Reigns as pretenders. Reigns claimed he was responsible for bringing WWE to new heights. As the three signed the contract, Heyman supposedly revealed the favor: thanks to him, the match would main-event Wrestlemania 41.
Punk tearfully thanked Heyman & Reigns for making his dream come true, but shocked Reigns by revealing that that wasn’t the favor Heyman promised him, as the show ended on a cliffhanger.
Analysis:
It’s pretty uncommon that WWE ends on a plot-based cliffhanger. At least in Triple H’s WWE, shows often end on a decisive plot point. The hype lies in exploring the potential ramifications on following episodes. An out-and-out cliffhanger doesn’t happen, and it lent the closing segment of the show a different vibe.
The segment itself was some of the best work from Punk, who blended real-life heartfelt emotion with subtext to enrage Rollins at every opportunity. If Punk wasn’t adored as a legend by the fanbase, this could have been a great passive-aggressive heel promo. But as it stood, it was a great way for him to differentiate the relationship with both of his opponents. Lending Punk a genuine respect for Reigns while detesting Rollins is an interesting wrinkle that keeps the final match’s outcome more interesting.
Reigns, meanwhile, also dug into a more earnest side, and for the first time really began to grow from the Tribal Chief. While still based in ego, seeing him fight for the appreciation he deserves felt raw and honest beyond his usual grandstanding. We never truly got “Broken Roman” after his title loss, so seeing some actual babyface fire come out was a welcome change. Rollins, for his part, had little to do but glower, but he played that part perfectly.
Heyman continued to be caught between Punk and Reigns, and his relationship with each felt genuine but coded differently. Punk felt like an old friend, but Reigns felt like a son. A subtle difference, but exemplified perfectly in Heyman’s body language, tone and even side-eyes. Seeing his growing dismay at the favor still being up for grabs was interesting, as was Reigns’ genuine shock. It’s clear that the favor has a huge part to play, and may cause a divide between Heyman and Reigns, which could be the impetus to turn Punk heel for breaking them up. In any case, the possibilities feel endless, the match is hyped, and the show ended strong.
Grade: A
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