The shift to ESPN for WWE hasn’t started smoothly. This week’s “SmackDown,” held in Orlando, Florida, further established the groundwork for what appears to be a questionable Crown Jewel event in Perth.
Not so pretty
As a Tiffany Stratton supporter, I believe she hasn’t been presented with a fair opportunity during her time as WWE Women’s Champion. The company has let her down with repetitive booking, and her most recent defense in a triple-threat match against Jade Cargill and Nia Jax didn’t end well, despite the trio’s strong initial efforts.
Jax’s character has leaned too heavily into being a troll, which has affected her in-ring performance and diminished the value of matches. The pace was intended to be fast, but the moves felt slow. Cargill suffered a severe cut above her eyebrow after a botched toss into the steel steps at the match’s conclusion.
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The injury seemed to cause a late change of plans, as the camera moved away to allow Cargill to receive medical attention. Jax and the referee then missed a kickout after a drop kick from Stratton. The resulting confusion was obvious and couldn’t be concealed. Stratton won with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever.
Unfortunate.
Adding to the issues surrounding this title reign and main event match, Stratton is now set to face the new Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer at Crown Jewel, where her chances of winning are slim. However, they should still deliver a strong match. Her booking, however, has been less than stellar.
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The men’s and women’s Crown Jewel championships seem unimportant, making this feel pointless, since promotional tactics are being prioritized over compelling storytelling.
🥴 Memory Wipe of the Night
WWE wants viewers to disregard the Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar feud from 2023. The one where Rhodes defeated Lesnar twice in their three encounters. This was apparent in Rhodes’ segment with Paul Heyman, as the Universal WWE Champion shouldn’t exhibit the level of fear towards Lesnar that Heyman and WWE are trying to create.
Rhodes questioning Heyman’s current connection with Lesnar was a good story beat, considering Heyman’s mention of him, despite his association with The Vision. It seems likely that another Rhodes vs. Lesnar match is coming before the year ends, possibly with an illogical interference to help Seth Rollins win at Crown Jewel.
The “SmackDown” intro segment ended with the Brons ambushing Rhodes before the champion pointed out Heyman’s lack of loyalty. Rhodes, in full babyface champ mode, took on both simultaneously before being overwhelmed, leading to Randy Orton’s rescue.
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Rhodes’ interaction with The Vision was a nice touch, as the faction seemed to have dissolved after Becky Lynch’s on-screen alliance with Rollins. The Brons should be pursuing tag-team titles.
Additionally, Heyman’s reference to “WWE Unreal” and the Gorilla position felt out of place in the script.
💔 Breakup of the Night
I’m unsure why the Street Profits and The Wyatt Sicks are involved in these ongoing maneuvers, but the former champs have another title shot. This opportunity arose after they beat Melo Don’t Miz, due to a mid-match split.
The Profits double-teamed Miz while Hayes watched and chose not to intervene.
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This could lead to the long-awaited Hayes push, but seeing him join the Profits could also be interesting. They work well together as opponents, but the three together could refresh the tag division.
😮 Return of the Night
WWE’s moments of self-awareness are always peculiar, and it highlighted a point I made previously.
Drew McIntyre limped to the ring wearing a walking boot, and stated environmental attacks never lead to DQs. He questioned why the referee stopped him in his Rhodes match from performing the Claymore Kick into the announce table. There wasn’t a valid justification.
McIntyre went down a conspiracy theorist path, with numerous complaints and excuses, prompting “SmackDown” general manager Nick Aldis to interrupt and confront him. For a moment, it seemed like we might be getting that Aldis in-ring WWE debut. Instead, Jacob Fatu returned and stood tall during his brief exchange with McIntyre.
I’m uncertain about face Fatu, but it’s good to see him back.
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👍 FRIDAY NIGHT FIRE 👍
Zaria and Sol Ruca confronted Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair backstage. It was random, but I want more matches between any of them.
👎 DOWN & OUT 👎
1. Booker T was on main roster commentary again, which is always a negative.
2. Giulia and Kiana James (deservedly) defeated Michin and B-Fab after Giulia performed a Northern Lights Bomb on Michin. I was worried James would be pinned, keeping this “feud” alive. I’m glad James didn’t look like a complete fool, but the match was bad. Giulia’s opponents couldn’t match her skill, highlighting how she was leagues above them and deserved better.
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Michin almost broke herself in half at one point.
3. CM Punk and AJ Lee are absent and unmentioned after their win over Rollins and Lynch at Wrestlepalooza. It doesn’t make sense.
👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑
On Friday, this award will be renamed the “U.S. Title Match of the Night,” or something similar, because Sami Zayn’s U.S. title open challenge continues to be impressive. This week, NXT’s Je’Von Evans made a surprise appearance, and although his chances of winning were non-existent, the match was very entertaining.
Evans’ aerial abilities are remarkable. I’ve never seen anyone move like he can in a wrestling ring. It’s almost unbelievable. Despite some missteps, he ultimately lost after Zayn hit the Helluva Kick into a Blue Thunder Bomb. This was exceptional, and Evans needs to be on the main roster as soon as possible.
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👑 The Zayn match was the only part of this “SmackDown” worth watching. I give this show a Crown score of: 2/10. 👑
