WWE hit the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a pre-taped episode of SmackDown for the final stop before Survivor Series. CM Punk and Roman Reigns came face to face for the first time since Punk’s big return to the company. In a cinematic meeting, the two were tense and mistrusting of one another ahead of teaming up at Survivor Series, and a mystery favor was discussed by Punk for Paul Heyman. Solo Sikoa’s team will also have the advantage at WarGames, after Jacob Fatu pinned Jey Uso in SmackDown’s Main Event and his first singles match in WWE.
Elsewhere in the show, Michin became the third woman to qualify for the next round of the United States Championship tournament with victory over Piper Niven and Lash Legend, replacing the injured Jade Cargill. Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Andrade in a competitive encounter, before hitting LA Knight with black mist ahead of their US title match at Survivor Series. WWE Champion Cody Rhodes took more vicious verbal barbs from Kevin Owens, before defeating Carmelo Hayes in the evening’s other match-up.
CM Punk and Roman Reigns
Another Cinematic Promo Lands In Emphatic Fashion
It’s been an experimental year for those who pay attention to the presentation of professional wrestling in WWE. When Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns met on a football field in Atlanta, it felt bigger than just a great promo. WWE has changed the way feuds are presented, and it is a better product for it.
In a dimly lit room, Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns waited for CM Punk. It was exciting for newer fans who have been enraptured by the Bloodline storyline, and everyone dying to know what will happen when these men are face-to-face after years of animosity and unresolved issues. The result was a perfectly executed lesson in tension, that raised more questions than answers for Survivor Series and beyond with Heyman’s mystery favor to Punk. Punk, Roman, and Cody have all excelled in this format. If it becomes a more regular occurrence, it’s going to be great to see which of WWE’s mid-card and future stars will excel in these settings.
Jacob Fatu
The Samoan Werewolf Feels Undeniable
From his very first appearance, WWE has felt all in on Jacob Fatu. He has been sold as one of the most devastating and dominant forces in wrestling, and everything about Fatu’s booking seems destined for the top of the company. It seems crazy that he is only having his first singles match after over three months on the roster, but it hasn’t diminished his aura one bit. This win over a major player like Jey Uso will only further heighten his growing reputation.
For a man who has been making his name in NJPW, Jacob Fatu’s exaggerated mayhem is perfect for WWE. His willingness to deal with a quiet crowd by shouting and berating Uso made him feel like he’d been faced with this for years. “I love you, Solo” has been one of the wrestling catchphrases of the year. If Jacob Fatu has any weaknesses, we haven’t seen them yet.
The Heel Ladies
The Bad Girls Club Ran Riot On The Mic
Perhaps it says a lot about the world that it’s easier for people with hate in their hearts to get on the same page. Liv Morgan and a venomous-tongued Nia Jax verbally dismantled the vast majority of their opposing team, citing all the backstabbing and hatred between them over the years. Even Bayley seemed to smirk at being called a “big idiot” by The Queen.
It’s a strange set of circumstances for the talent involved in this match. A lot of issues among the ladies exist, but it doesn’t feel like there are any real stakes to winning and losing at Survivor Series beyond bragging rights. This coming directly after a feud for the inconsequential Crown Jewel title, it feels like the ladies have got the short end of the straw lately. Thankfully, the WarGames match is going to be fantastic and stories can resume once the contest is over.
Related
WWE’s 10 Most Recent Women’s World Title Reigns, Ranked
The history of the WWE World Women’s Championship (fka SmackDown Women’s Title) has had highs and lows in its lineage.
Michin
The Dark Horse For The US Title Advances
Over the past few months, Michin has been silently going about her business in an impressive fashion. She was the victor in a memorable Dumpster Match and feud with Chelsea Green, and her latest win over Piper Niven and Lash Legend only makes her star shine brighter. In truth, all three women put on a clinic that proved to be a terrific advert for the new United States Championship title.
The former Mia Yim was a standout performer in an era of NXT that largely didn’t have much to be excited about. Next to Bayley and even Chelsea Green, she is an underdog for this tournament but that in itself is even more reason for fans to rally behind her. In a Saturday Night’s Main Event set to be a real star-studded affair, Michin is one match away from being in one of December’s marquee matches.
Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens
Two Modern Giants Establishing One Of The Feuds Of The Year
It is understandable that a lot of the audience’s focus and attention is on The Bloodline story and title matches set for Survivor Series. Nevertheless, Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes are delivering a world-class story that is so compelling that it is still arguably the hottest thing in wrestling. Owens has planted a devious seed in the WWE’s soil that will be tough to remove. He says Cody is a two-faced politician with no sense of loyalty and, if they say the best insults are ones laced with truth, this one is a doozy, as it puts the spotlight on the most controversial aspects of Cody’s WWE Championship reign.
Kevin Owens’s promo was sensational. Using his long-term history with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline to make his point, painting Cody as a self-centered narcissist is genius. Rhodes trusts his fighting spirit and pure heart to speak for him, but when Carmelo Hayes threw gasoline on KO’s verbal fire before the match, it felt like it’s open season for the WWE Champion right now. His win over Hayes was great, as was the match, but this is a story that just keeps on giving.
Andrade
El Idolo’s Next Steps Are Absolutely Vital
Shinsuke Nakamura’s return, which saw him thrust straight into a US Championship match (at one of the traditional Big Four shows of the year, no less) has been a controversial move in the eyes of fans. Carmelo Hayes and Andrade have been the best thing on SmackDown’s mid-card all summer long and they’ve now been superseded. Hayes saw reward in a match with the WWE Champion, but this loss for Andrade cannot afford to matter.
Andrade’s run in AEW could be scrubbed from their history and not a single person would notice. His feud with Hayes has seen him and his reputation revitalized, so being fed to Nakamura feels unjust. Perhaps it’s nothing but a bump in his road to redemption, but with a whole roster to pick from, this result didn’t sit right at all.
- Everything in life should be as great as Iyo Sky’s facial mannerisms.
- Rhea Ripley brings an Exorcist voice to the party ahead of WarGames.
- Darth Nakamura’s new entrance and music fits his somber and sinister change of character immaculately.
- “At Saturday Night’s Main Event, the American Nightmare becomes the Canadian dream” is a fantastic line from Kevin Owens.
- Also, Kevin Is Right. He’s so, so right.
- Lash Legend’s Lash Extension on Piper Niven is the most impressive thing on WWE TV so far this week. WOW.
- Michin’s only two defeats since July have come against WWE Champion, Nia Jax, and Chelsea Green.
- Naomi vs Tiffany Stratton vs Elektra Lopez for the final semi-final spot in the Women’s United States Championship tournament is set for next week’s SmackDown.
- Piper Niven’s last win outside of tag team wrestling came on October 16th, 2023, against Natalya.
