WWE SMACKDOWN HITS & MISSES (4/11): Charlotte and Tiffany changes direction, LA Knight comes to life, McIntyre’s final form,

As with most things during this build toward WrestleMania 41, this show suffered from a constant interplay between brilliance and boredom. What makes the inconsistency of Smackdown so difficult to swallow is how absolutely stacked the roster is. There should never be boring segments on a show that has Montez Ford on its roster, and yet the word is that the Street Profits aren’t even getting a WrestleMania match. Something strange is afoot at the Circle K, as my friends Bill and Ted once said. Something strange seems to be afoot at TKO, and it makes me worried about what’s going to happen next weekend. As always, I’m Chris Adams and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think I’ve Missed.

HITS

THE DEVIL INSIDE NICK ALDIS: Last night, I offered my prayers to the wrestling gods, hoping that Nick Aldis would indeed lace up his boots to tear the house down with Randy Orton next weekend in Las Vegas. They might just be teasing us, dropping little nuggets to build our excitement for Randy Orton’s match. I hope they come to fruition because that would be a wonderful and fabulous fight. Nick Aldis’s face alone was a cavern of deep emotion yet to be explored in the WWE. He is singularly unique in how he speaks and carries himself, and it would be foolish not to utilize him further in the ring.

L.A. KNIGHT COMES TO LIFE: It was as if he were lost in the wilderness after losing his first U.S. Championship. However, it seems that L.A. Knight has remembered who he is. He came out with bravado and gusto, delivering a killer promo that felt natural and spontaneous yet forcefully antagonistic. This is the version of him we need to see week in and week out: broad-chested, full of hot air, and brimming with piss and vinegar. L.A. Knight can be a nod to the Attitude Era’s hypermasculinity without resorting to the problematic stereotypes and behaviors that defined that period. He is not a sanitized version of Stone Cold or The Rock; rather, he embodies what Stone Cold could have been had he emerged in a time when punching down on the vulnerable was less prevalent. It appears that Jacob Fatu will soon strip L.A. Knight of his gold. When that inevitable outcome occurs, which I will cheer for, I hope he does not find himself lost in the wilderness again.

DREW MCINTYRE’S FINAL FORM: The nature of professional wrestling means we should never see someone’s final form. It is always evolving and changing, and both the character and performer must progress to remain alive and relevant. I know that Drew McIntyre still has years of character development ahead, but there is something about his performance now that feels particularly refined, sharp, and evolved. The promo he delivered tonight was the most loose and organic he has felt since leaving the feud with C.M. Punk. In fact, this may be the most raw and authentic promo I have heard from McIntyre in the last year. It’s hard to express why I feel such a connection to it, but the fury, the way he carried his body, and his facial expressions revealed a man at the height of his craft.

LUCHADORES, TAKE FLIGHT: Understandably, the spotlight is on Ray Fenix. His arrival was met with anticipation, much like that of his brother Penta. I believe everyone will be talking about Ray Fenix. However, I want to focus on Berto. While he may not be as flashy as Fenix, his moves are no less impressive. In fact, I find his fluidity and precision more consistent than Fenix’s, though that may be simply due to Fenix not yet adjusting to the WWE ring and work style. Even still, I find Berto’s work more inspiring because he continues to give his all at a high level to a company that is not setting him up for success. There are hints of a face turn, yet I hope that does not mean he will join Ray Fenix to simply feud against Legado del Fantasma. I’m tired of the claims being validated that Triple H doesn’t know how to book luchadores beyond “Latino versus Latino.” All of these performers deserve better than that, especially Berto, who’s doing incredible work and simply will not receive the recognition he deserves.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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MISSES

TAG GAUNTLET GONE WRONG: In no way am I attempting to take away from the incredible work done by Lyra Valkyria and Bailey. That is a feat I could not accomplish at the peak of my physical abilities. Their performance in all of their matches was frankly astounding, even when there was a degree of sloppiness due to the immense memorization and ring awareness needed to perform at that level. I am criticizing the booking. With many of the teams feeling hastily constructed for throwaway matches aimed simply at advancing a storyline between Lyra and Bailey, this feels like an inappropriate use of the talents of all the other women in these gauntlet matches. Other stories seem to be emerging, as evidenced during the match with Natalya and Maxine Dupre. However, I believe the booking of this gauntlet achieved two outcomes that Triple H would likely resist. First, not having the first woman’s Intercontinental Champion defend her title at WrestleMania undermines that title’s value. Secondly, having her pursue a set of tag titles that have become a laughingstock diminishes both her stature as champion and the tag division’s integrity as a whole. What a phenomenally strange decision.

NO PROFITS AT MANIA: Part of me understands the necessity of holding significant matches on SmackDown before WrestleMania. However, featuring the World Tag Team Championship without showcasing the WWE Tag Team Champions feels like an imbalance that should be addressed. The Street Profits deserve far more than what they have received.

TIFFANY AND CHARLOTTE NEED RE-DIRECTION: An absolute mess of a build that promises something explosive at WrestleMania. No matter how these women work together behind the scenes, I imagine that what we will see in Las Vegas will be fueled by primal rage. However, the payoff will certainly not defend the abysmal build that has yet to produce anything progressive and fruitful for these two women. This feels indicative of the entire buildup towards WrestleMania: uneven and unpredictable in the wrong way, uninspired even. I remain hopeful that we will all be surprised by what happens in Sin City. I just wish I didn’t have to rely on hope. I wish I could be certain. But that’s the nature of anything. Certainty is an illusion. I’m hoping, still hoping, that Mania 41 will leave us breathless. I need it. Don’t you?