After an exhilarating season premiere last week, wwe SmackDown came from Sacramento, CA on the road to Bad Blood. LA Knight opened the show with a successful title defense Onto Andres, who rekindled his long-standing rivalry with Carmelo Hayes after brawling backstage. Confusion reigned as both Naomi and Bayley claimed victories over Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton, putting the two in a number one contender’s match on the following week’s show.
The night was all about Roman Reigns and Cody RhodesWho faced each other for ages at Georgia Tech Stadium. This is a ‘must watch’ campaign for the ages. The main event pitted Jacob Fatu and The Bloodline vs. Kevin Owens and The Street Profits (Bloodline KO’s original partners, after leaving DIY) in a no contest. It’s been quite a week for the Canadiens, as Kevin Owens has been at odds with the new-found partnership of Reigns and Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns
Eight minutes of awesomeness from the game’s biggest stars
WWE’s production values and storytelling have been described as “cinematic” in wrestling circles (especially when combined with Roman Reigns). This segment is must-see TV for anyone interested in WWE During this Renaissance period. A big-budget feel gave the whole promo a sense of occasion, with a fleet of SUVs, an empty football field under Georgia Tech floodlights, two of WWE’s biggest stars and a whole lot of excitement.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that such segments will be talked about for years. Roman Reigns shows an emotional range that ranks among his best work to date. This is not hyperbole. This is exceptional. Cody Rhodes proved his equal. Bragging without bravado, Cody had no problem letting Reigns know whose year it was and that Georgia was his man. WWE’s storytelling continues to plateau. It’s incredible to see.
LA Knight vs. Andrade
Promoting the United States Championship, one week at a time
LA Knight’s win over Logan Paul at SummerSlam seemed like a huge moment For Mega Star and the US Championship. After months of moaning about Logan’s inactivity when it came to defending the title, something had to give. The LA Knight has already successfully defended the United States Championship in 48 days more than the social media guru in 273 years. This really makes a difference to SmackDown’s mid-card as tonight’s opponents have something to chase with the looming figures of Andrade and Carmelo Hayes.
Andrade may be short, but her acting was great. It’s been a great summer to reclaim his reputation. El Idalo was greeted by Hayes in a backstage section and the pair brawled once again. With five matches already in a row, this could be considered overkill if it wasn’t so great. Is a best-of-seven series a real possibility?
Jacob Fatu and The Bloodline
A dominant night for Jacob Fatu and The Bloodline
In the absence of Solo Sequoia, Jacob Fatu was given the mantle on this week’s SmackDown. Alongside his bloodline brothers, Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga, Fatu took DIY out of action before starring in the main event against Kevin Owens and The Street Profits. His agility is mesmerizing, and he has the rare quality of seeming authentically unhinged.
It felt great to watch him with KO. He is yet to start in solo competition, but his solo run is going to be a spectacle worth waiting for. While Roman and Cody have to keep an eye on each other and half an eye on Kevin Owens before their match at Bad Blood, Solo Sequoia and The Bloodline are locked in on the same page.
Apollo Cruce and Giovanni Vinci
Where is this world going?
One of the most comforting things about Paul Levesque’s WWE is that even when things don’t seem like they’re going to happen, faith has been restored in the long run. It’s hard to believe what’s going on between the Apollo crew and Giovanni Vinci. After winning a stupid fight with Giovanni Vinci on Smackdown two weeks ago, it didn’t feel like a win that did anything for either side. A sneak win and loss felt isolated for the returning superstar.
With the crew winning this competition with a creative roll-up, once again, It’s hard to see what this is doing for either man. Vinci destroyed Apollo after the bell with a devastating brainbuster, but it felt like an awkward detour on an otherwise incredible Smackdown.
Bailey and Naomi
A winner but not a winner
The tag team match between Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton and Naomi and Bayley was felt Overcomplicated with unnecessarily complicated terms. Whoever gets the pin between Bayley and Naomi will get a shot at the WWE Women’s Championship but if either of them gets pinned they will have to leave SmackDown. Instead, both Naomi and Bayley claimed the win as the pair pinned Nia Jax at the same time. As such, Tanna Tanna is given a title shot and The pair will compete in a number one contender’s match on next week’s show
While Nia is a convincingly dominant champion and Tiffany’s Money in the Bank briefcase is a constant source of intrigue, The build-up around the Women’s Championship heading into Bad Blood has yet to fully ignite. There are two more SmackDown episodes between now and PLE They need to be counted.
- Jacob Fatou superkicking security next to the venue’s metal detector. I must be a nightmare at the airport.
- Roman Raines has 12 sacks and 90 tackles in 39 career games for Georgia Tech.
- The sound of Tama Tonga every child dreads hearing from under their bed.
- Huge pop for the guy in the front row shirt saying, Make Better Nia Jax shirt.
- Andre was the last United States Champion for 63 days after defeating Rey Mysterio for the title on December 26, 2019.
- Chelsea Green vs. Michin is a dumpster match confirmed for the October 4 episode of SmackDown. This is the first women’s dumpster match in WWE history.
- The last dumpster match in WWE was on August 1st, 2022 when The Street Profits defeated Alpha Academy.
- Kevin Owens and DIY did not tag along. Owens last tagged with Johnny Gargano in September 2022 to defeat Alpha Academy.
- Kevin Owens last worked as a heel on his program with Stone Cold Steve Austin in April 2022.