Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s account analysis of "WWE SmackDown," the appearance area Roman Reigns was declared to be actuality but, uh, again aback was not.
It's awe-inspiring how abundant your absence that guy back he's gone which is absolutely one affair we're activity to allocution about in the assessment cavalcade this week! While you can consistently get the bald basic facts of the adventure from our "SmackDown" after-effects page, this is the abode area the WINC agents comes to accurate our arch absolute and abrogating animosity about what we aloof watched, and we're talking about appealing abundant aggregate this week. The alone articulation we don't blow on is the one area Andrade invades Carmelo Hayes' barbershop, which, frankly, we don't absolutely affliction how we get to the abutting Hayes vs. Andrade match, we're aloof blessed to be accepting there!
Anyway, did the United States Championship bout draw our derision this week, or our cheers? How about the hardly awkward consummate of the Guerrillas of Destiny? And best importantly, can Kevin Owens apprentice to be affectionate to his friends, apparently by afterward the archetype of Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax? Actuality are three things we hated and three things we admired about the 8/23/24 adventure of "WWE SmackDown."
Loved: Any accustomed Knight
For added than a year now, I've been an acclaimed detractor of LA Knight and granted, I absolutely still anticipate he's an appealing abhorrent promo who has somehow assertive WWE admirers he can allocution through some array of aphotic sorcery. That accepting been said, I absolutely enjoyed his US appellation bout with Santos Escobar this week, and I've begun myself consistently adequate his in-ring assignment added and added back his easygoing alarming bout with AJ Styles at WrestleMania.
It additionally helps that admitting my adamant affirmation that his bank gimmick and catchphrases wouldn't accept blockage power, it turns out they absolutely do, because this is 2024 and angry admirers save their criticism for the promotions they don't watch. That ability complete cynical, but I accept to accept it's easier to absorb LA Knight as an almost high-level Midgard act back the army is still accepting so abundant fun.
This is all aural way too abundant like anathema with aside praise. Knight and Escobar had a bout that I absolutely enjoyed, is what I'm aggravating to say. They had absolutely acceptable chemistry, the pre-match advance on Knight gave the affair some anecdotal anatomy after interfering in the absolute accomplishment at all, and Knight accurately afraid me with that little springboard bend bead he pulled off against the end.
Kudos to both guys for an affection performance, and as for Knight, I'm still activity to accuse whenever he grabs a microphone, but I accept to accept that in appealing abundant every added area, he's proving me amiss anniversary by week.
Hated: Not the Tribal Chief on the mic
Back aback I was auspicious adamantine for Cody Rhodes to "finish the story" about WrestleMania 40, I never anticipation I'd be sitting actuality adulatory to see Roman Reigns on my television. But, wow, do I absence Reigns as the Tribal Chief on "SmackDown," because Solo Siko aloof isn't acid it for me. I went into this week's appearance actually assured to artlessly abhorrence the actuality Reigns had been pulled, because I actually anticipate he needs to get aback on the microphone.
I'm dying for Reigns to actually attenuate Siko on the mic, and the actuality he was laid out by the Bloodline after most anniversary makes me charge that alike added for this story. Appropriate now, Reigns looks appealing anemic (and additionally after any friends), but maybe the admiral that be aural WWE apprehend how anemic Siko is on the mic, and that's why they're befitting Reigns abroad from speaking appropriate now? To abide to body Siko up to maybe one day be a believable Tribal Chief? Outside of Reigns added than acceptable alive on a lighter schedule, the actuality he would breach afar his accessory in a promo is my alone assumption as to why he's not about and active his mouth. My additional assumption would be the actuality that they're boring this out until Survivor Series: War Games, which is still appealing far out, and the actuality we've been ambidextrous with the Bloodline adventure for four-Ish years now makes it feel like an alike best wait.
Sikora's promo felt appealing flat. As I was sitting actuality transcribing it as fast as I could while he was talking live, he stumbled over his words a few times, and a few $.25 didn't accomplish sense. I don't accountability Siko as a being here, of course, but I anticipate with as acceptable as Reigns was as the Tribal Chief and how he batten in promos makes it added abundantly accessible the abilities and allure that Siko lacks, abnormally because he spent his absolute time in the Bloodline with Reigns as the "Head of the Table" as a bashful enforcer, accustomed no promo time to alike activate to hone his abilities afore accepting advance into a beyond role like this. Aback Siko, possibly out of nerves, again, I don't accountability the guy, said, "I am activity to accompany aback the Undisputed appellation aback to my ancestors and I am activity to accompany aback that appellation to me," I aloof had to cackle a bit.
Reigns is so eloquent, and don't alike get me started about how Paul Heyman speaks and his own acting abilities, that this aloof makes Siko assume not believable as Tribal Chief. Reigns needs to not aloof appear aback to put a affliction on the Bloodline physically, he needs a microphone in hand, Heyman with him or not, to beating them bottomward a peg or to, artlessly with his words.
Hated: A new best is (technically) crowned
Every copy of account able angry shows is activity to accept at atomic one affair that's not actual agreeable to watch or feels like a decay of time. Accepting Solo Siko achieve Jacob Fatu alteration his WWE Tag Team Championship belt to Tonga Loa in adjustment to become his Apache acquainted like the exact analogue of such.
I accept what WWE is aggravating to achieve by accepting Fatu abandon the appellation and duke it over to Loa in adjustment to advance him as Sikora's enforcer, but it aloof seems absolutely accidental abnormally afore an appellation aegis adjoins The Street Profits. While Fatu was technically the best with Tama Tonga, the Freebird Rule could've actual calmly been allowable rather than dedicating several accounts of "SmackDown" to this absurd segment.
There was no acumen for this to alike be a thing, abnormally back there are easier means to accumulate Fatu from overextending himself as he continues to alleviate from his injury. It was a bad attending for The Bloodline, and fabricated the accumulation feel weaker which is article that's not acceptable because that they're declared to be accomplishing the exact adverse and cementing themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
Hated: The women's tag analysis stares additionally into you
Before "SmackDown," Nick Aldis appear on amusing media that Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill are arduous Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn for the women's tag titles at Bash in Berlin. I assumption assault Accident CTRL and Pure Fusion Collective in that amateur blackmail on Monday agency the "Raw" teams are aloof out of contention? I anticipate a lot of us were assured a three-way or alike a four-way women's tag appellation bout at Bash, and who knows maybe article will appear amid now and the 31st and added teams will get added (that could absolutely appear on Monday). But as it stands now, it's two-on-two, and that agency Bianca and Jade are absolutely acceptable right? And if Bianca and Jade are acceptable the titles back, what the hell accept we been accomplishing for the aftermost three months?
I like Dawn and Fyre. They're altogether cromulent, reasonable women's tag aggregation champions who would account from actuality acclimated added often, but who about authority up their end of the arrangement in whatever bout or promo articulation they're in. But the booking hasn't been there for them, and if they lose the titles aback to Cargill and Belair afterwards what's been an abundantly characterless appellation run, they'll appear out attractive like flash-in-the-pan nobodies who alone got an appellation administration because WWE ran an appearance in their home country. I don't apperceive how abundant the titles would be animated if their administration were to continue, but I anticipate they could do an acceptable job of anchoring the analysis about a brace of abiding champions (for once).
On the added hand, Cargill and Belair badly charge to get out of the tag aggregation division. Making them the champions seemed like an acceptable abstraction at the time because they were superstars who could animated the titles, but again their administration concluded abnormally and abruptly, and they basically haven't been accustomed annihilation of agenda to do since.
At this point, WWE is risking abiding accident to the brilliant ability of two women who should be aggressive for singles titles, and I don't apperceive that alteration advance and giving them a do-over on the tag appellation run is activity to advice things. Jade and Bianca charge to be taken off the back burner and confused up advanced as bound as humanly possible, and I'm afraid that WWE doesn't see things the aforementioned way.
Loved: Queen Nia's court
I will be the aboriginal to accept that I haven't consistently been the better Nia Jax fan aback it comes to her character. However, already she won the Queen of the Arena clash and captured the WWE Women's Championship from Bayley at Summer Slam, I've actually done a 180, because she's accomplishing some of the best appearance assignment of her career in such a abbreviate time, in my apprehensive opinion.
After most week's achievement anniversary area, she came bottomward to the arena on a head was iconic; she looked actually absurd and every bit a queen and best as she should, 10 out of 10, no notes. Her activating with absolute abutting acquaintance Tiffany Stratton is great, with Stratton's Money in the Bank arrangement looming over Jax. Tonight's articulation was abundant altered than aftermost week, however, but Jax was still abundantly able and frankly, this week, she was appealing abuse terrifying.
Michin comatose Stratton's broken-down blush anniversary for Jax aftermost week, advancing in kendo sticks blazing, earning herself an befalling at the WWE Women's appellation abutting anniversary on "SmackDown" in a artery fight, a bender I cannot delay to see. Tonight's backstage articulation saw Jax "not in the mood" for funny business, with Stratton and Appealing Deadly aggravating in arrogant to fix the acme Michin destroyed after most anniversary (though this one looked like some cardboard Mache replica, which was affectionate of funny.)
With Stratton and Appealing Deadly, Jax was speaking quietly about menacing, article I don't anticipate we've anytime apparent from her before. I anticipation it was absurd and aloof how Jax should be acting at this point. It was alike added effective, not alone because she played her allotment so well, but because she was abutting amid the applesauce of Stratton and Appealing Deadly. It aloof formed SO well. Jax should appear off as a appalling champion, and about-face on this menacing, alarming ancillary aback it's needed.
After they scampered off, Jax aerial Chelsea Green and Piper Niven talking smack, and she ducked into a bend to accept for a bit, afore against them both. Maybe Green knew Jax was there, maybe not, but she absolutely connected to bulb the berry of Stratton axis on Jax to banknote in that MITB arrangement and ache her acquaintance in the back, and that could be appropriate afterwards abutting Friday's match.
This is absolutely the headspace I appetite to see Jax in afore an abandoned artery fight. She's scary, cold, p***** off, and accessible to go. The accomplished few weeks, Jax has started to accomplish a fan out of me, and I'm assertive that will abide through abutting week's bender with Michin, which should be a fun match, and absolutely through this activating with Stratton. And, of course, it's consistently nice to see the Appealing Deadly boys on TV for some much-needed banana relief.
Loved: Kevin Owens, just in general
Kevin Owens is the best. Any time he's on the screen, the appearance is better. Friday night, we got both a promo and a bout from "The Prizefighter." During the A-Town Down Under articulation with Cody Rhodes, they aired a video of all the times that Owens had angry on his accompany and partners; KO responded that in his defense, anybody adapted it except Kofi Kingston, whom he apologized to again. After acceptable Rhodes he'd never about-face on him. KO proceeded to alarm Nick Aldis out to accomplish the assured tag bout official. Aldis accepted them the capital accident spot, and additionally gave Owens permission to bite the heels in the face if he did it quickly.
During the capital event, the best and his acquaintance best up the victory. Following the match, Rhodes was debris talking his opponents and had his aback to Owens. KO had the apple title, and for a moment, it seemed like he was activity to alive up to his acceptability and about-face on Rhodes. Instead, he shoved it at Rhodes' chest and marched over to the ropes to baste Theory and Waller. Rhodes looked abashed and couldn't acquaint if he should absolutely assurance his friend, but Owens captivated Rhodes' duke in the air and afresh hugged him afore captivation his duke up again.
The fake-out atom was masterful, and it plants added seeds to adumbrate an abeyant about-face at Bash in Berlin. Perhaps Owens advised application that appellation on Rhodes for bisected an additional afore alteration his mind. Maybe what we saw was advance from Owens, who accomplished that his accord with Rhodes is added important than any appellation could anytime be.
