WWE SMACKDOWN HITS & MISSES (11/8): New U.S. Women’s Title, The OG Bloodline, The Return of the Prodigal Piledriver, Nia Jax-Jade Cargill tease, more

Smackdown was electric. I’m still crackling with its energy as I write. Did you predict the surprise KO had for Randy? Did you clock the turn in the Bloodline saga? It was a consequential show with very little, if anything, that didn’t work. My God, I love professional wrestling! As always, I’m Chris Adams, and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think I’ve missed!

HITS

The Return of the Prodigal Piledriver: In the year 2024, an ancient weapon of near unmatched power was uncovered and unleashed within the squared circle: the Piledriver! Out of nowhere, like lightning from a clear blue sky, Kevin Owens performed this classic maneuver with nearly fatal consequences for Randy Orton. We all saw it. We all thought KO was simply going to torture Orton’s back with a power bomb. But when the rotation never happened, my heart skipped a beat. This was an unbelievable sequence. It is certainly the most ferocious I have ever seen KO, as I wasn’t a viewer during his NXT days. The look on his face after he delivered it was horrifying. There was a realization that the worst part of himself had come back to life. And then it appeared as if he liked it. Professional wrestling is like a language, with promotions speaking different dialects. Something in one place has a different meaning in another, and it might carry more force there as well. The Piledriver is used less judiciously in other promotions, which has the effect of rendering it less damaging. But in WWE, it speaks with a different power, and as long as it is not abused, it can remain a powerful weapon. KO has descended into barbarism, and his use of this banned maneuver is proof. Simply incredible.

The U.S. Women’s Championship: I join the chorus of voices celebrating this revelation. It’s past time for women to have equal status in this industry While meaningful storytelling in wrestling doesn’t always have to revolve around championship gold, the presence of the gold suggests a certain level of investment in a division. The female wrestlers in WWE are often the first to be cut when there are time constraints in a show, making them feel less important than the men. That has been a consistent criticism of mine as well as many others. This championship by no means heals years of misogyny, but it does stand for something significant in the life of woman’s wrestling in this historic promotion. I do love that it is a championship historically associated with WCW for whom I have a personal soft spot. I imagine we will see something similar on Monday night with an Intercontinental Championship for women.

The OG Bloodline:  I knew this was coming, but I didn’t know how good it would feel when it the moment finally arrived. Four fingers to the sky, the true Bloodline reunited. They are different for sure. Everyone except Jimmy has suffered championship wins and losses since they split up. They have all been scarred by success and failure and bring with them their uniqueness and individuality in ways different from the past. There were so many incredible moments during this episode, but one of my favorites was Jey Uso standing up to Roman Reigns and not letting him have the final word. They continue to peel back layers of emotionality and pathos. These are, after all just personal, human stories played out on the largest stage possible. When they finally and fully came to one another’s help and joined their hands in the sky, I was nearly in tears. Admittedly, Sami’s embrace of Roman has happened too quickly as it was just a few weeks ago when he was confronting Jey. But stories happen at an accelerated pace in the world of wrestling, and so I’ll accept where this is headed and enjoy that we are getting once again this brotherhood on display.

MISSES

No Cody: There was simply not enough Cody Rhodes on this episode. What can I say? I am a huge fan! I understand why he was storyline-wise not on the show, but I just miss him when he’s not there!

Needed More Nia Jax-Jade Cargill: They teased this colossal confrontation, but they did not give me enough. I really hope they flesh this feud out!