We’re going to switch up the format for the recap of this week’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown
. Let me know in the comments below if you like it, Cagesiders.Let’s get into it:
Hour one
There’s something really disappointing about the way WWE books title matches they know aren’t going anywhere, at least as far as a clean finish is concerned.
They set up the Nia Jax & Lash Legend’s challenge of Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky’s tag team titles at the top of the show by having them argue with Tiffany Stratton, of all people.
It would have been entirely pointless were they not also trying to build to Elimination Chamber.
That’s part of the issue with the tag team titles more generally, though. The women’s division is such that it’s always obvious that they mean very little comparatively. The singles titles are what matter.
They only reinforce that point by booking a no contest here. What makes it that much more disappointing is the match was heating up to a boil right as they delivered such an uninteresting finish.
I’d love to see them run this back as though the titles are what matters, and give them enough time to cook up something special. It’s clear they are capable of doing just that.
Lesser championships were the theme of the opening hour, as the very next segment featured United States Champion Carmelo Hayes getting on the microphone to declare he will be qualifying for the Elimination Chamber match so he can book his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 42.
Progression is important, but doing it this way makes the U.S. title look second rate. Then, hilariously enough, instead of doing an open challenge like they have been, they had Solo Sikoa and his MFTs interrupt Ilja Dragunov, with guys like Matt Cardona, Apollo Crews, and Shinsuke Nakamura joining the party.
Right on cue, General Manager Nick Aldis arrived to say they were going to rain check Dragunov vs. Hayes and instead give the fans in Dallas an objectively worse 10-man tag team affair. I have no idea why any of them cheered.
The ensuing 10-man was predictably weak, though they did go back to teasing out Tama Tonga as a U.S. title challenger. But, again, remember, that title doesn’t matter very much anyway.
Hour two
Kit Wilson may very well be the best thing about WWE right now, and I absolutely mean that. This man somehow took a cameltoe joke on the chin, from R-Truth no less, and I still want to see him on TV more next week than anyone else.
If I’m alone in that, I don’t even care.
Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair are “Gal-entines,” still friends despite what happened between the two at Royal Rumble. Flair was right there to support her tag partner in the triple threat match against Giulia and Zelina, and Bliss emerged victorious after what was a mostly basic but fun match.
The women’s Chamber match is going to be absolutely loaded with talent.
It is unforgivable for WWE production to screw up so bad that Trick Williams’ entrance music was starting while they were still doing a backstage conversation between Rey Fenix and Sami Zayn. Wade Barrett played it off by saying Trick Willy was simply tired of the convo and that’s why the song came in early.
Either way, we can’t have that.
I also loved that Trick grabbed a microphone and did the old Booker T gimmick himself. Longtime NXT viewers had to have appreciated it. I know I sure did.
Meanwhile, Trick is rapidly improving on the microphone. He’s witty, he’s slick, and he commands the audience. Best of all, it feels authentic, like he’s simply turning himself up.
Fenix ultimately gave him a good match and then put him over clean. This feels like the early NXT days, when it was obvious he was the future and they were simply taking their time building him up to get there.
Hour three
When Jade Cargill and Jordynne Grace made their entrances for the women’s championship match, it felt like there wasn’t much live interest. Then Liv Morgan’s music hit and you could hear the life come into the building along with it.
There are talent, and then there are stars, and Liv is reaching a new level after winning the Royal Rumble. There is no world that exists where she should do anything other than close WrestleMania as champion.
Grace and Cargill actually had a decent match, with Jade going over via pinfall to retain her championship. She stepped to Morgan right after, and Liv blew her a dismissive kiss.
This isn’t the match and it must be clear to everyone by now, right?
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre made things interesting before the men’s triple threat Elimination Chamber qualifier by telling Sami Zayn he believes his time is coming and what’s more, he deserves it. He’s a genuinely good guy who deserves the success.
WWE storytelling has left something to be desired in the post-Bloodline era, but Zayn eventually climbing the mountain and finally winning the world championship should be a slam dunk. McIntyre’s motivations here are quite obviously less than honest but it still plays into the larger narrative.
It won’t be anytime soon, however, because once again he came up short when it mattered most. This despite receiving an assist from McIntyre, who screwed Jacob Fatu out of a surefire victory with a Claymore in the nick of time. Then he put Fatu through the announcer’s table before dropping Cody Rhodes with a Claymore and literally dragging Zayn over to him for a pinfall attempt.
Cody just kicked out of it.
Incredibly enough, Zayn then hit McIntyre with the Helluva Kick and was instantly hit with the Cross Rhodes. That was how he lost.
The whole thing worked to serve a few stories, and they had some great heat on the way to the finish.
Not a good first hour, but they bounced back in two and three.
Grade: B-
Your turn.
