Welcome or welcome back to our weekly WWE SmackDown hits and misses series where we recap all the good and bad from the show.
Hit – Randy Orton disses John Cena
Pro wrestling can’t get any more wild. John Cena is a heel. Randy Orton is a face. The Viper almost let it all out in his promo. Orton thinks Cena has become Rock’s bottom by turning heel on Cody Rhodes and the fans. Plus, he plans to show the WWE Universe why Pat McAfee is the second-best punter. Orton versus Owens can’t come soon enough!
Miss – Tag team match on WWE SmackDown
The blue brand’s tag team division seems like a convoluted mess. Street Profits are the number one contenders. Pretty Deadly won a multi-man number-one contenders match this week. Ford and Dawkins are set to challenge for the titles next week. But why did they determine the contenders when they already had a team in the title picture?
Hit – Naomi did it…for Bianca
The Fatu family can’t escape the meme. Rikishi did it for The Rock. Naomi did it for Bianca Belair. Jokes aside, Naomi was brilliant in the segment on WWE SmackDown. The tears looked real. Bianca did a solid job but the star of the promo segment was clearly Naomi. It’s good to see Naomi getting a storyline fans seem to care about. This writer is looking forward to Naomi versus Jade Cargill.
Miss – Charlotte Flair’s attack on Tiffany Stratton
They continue to make Tiffany Stratton look weak despite her being the champion heading into WrestleMania 41. Tiffany should’ve, at least, got some momentum on Charlotte. Her title run has been lackluster due to WWE’s terrible booking. Let’s see if Tiffany gets back at Charlotte next week on WWE SmackDown in Barcelona.
Hit – Street Fight on WWE SmackDown
This writer loved Chelsea Green’s Cactus Jack tribute. The in-ring action was enjoyable as well. A street Fight is clearly Michin’s thing but she can’t seem to connect with the crowd beyond gimmick matches. Chelsea took a stiff kendo stick shot to the head. Alba Fyre’s run-in was a bit of a surprise. The destroyer on the steel chair looked like it knocked Michin’s lights out.
Miss – Drew McIntyre vs. Jimmy Uso
This was just a regular match, nothing special about it. This writer isn’t a fan of Drew McIntyre versus Damian Priest if that’s the direction they’ve in mind for WrestleMania. That said, we’re still a month away from the big PLE so the writer’s is still hoping we might get Drew McIntyre versus LA Knight for the United States Championship.
Hit – New champion crowned on WWE SmackDown
Speaking of LA Knight, the Megastar is once again your WWE United States Champion. Knight’s first reign ended on a lackluster note. Triple H has the opportunity to really help LA solidify his second run with some worthy opponents and good feuds. This writer already has a couple of opponents in mind for the champion but we’ll leave that for later.
Honorable Mention
- Cody Rhodes was all by himself on WWE SmackDown. Rhodes’ delivery, in most cases, has been great, and tonight was no exception. That said, WWE could’ve really given fans something like a pre-taped promo from The Rock or even Travis Scott. Not from John Cena though because I feel we really need to listen to what he has to say live.
READ MORE: Carmelo Hayes Discusses His Position On WWE Main Roster
How would you rate 3/7 WWE SmackDown on a scale of 1 to 10? Let us know in the comments!
