The Main Character
I feel that often when I’m recapping SmackDown, I’m using the time to wax poetic about Sami Zayn. But he keeps inspiring me to do so. And tonight wasn’t much different.
While it was Gunther who opened the show, it was Sami who was the show. He interrupted the Ring General from the crowd to cut a long, passioned promo pretty much saying if he doesn’t get what’s owed to him (a WWE title rematch), no one will. It feels like we’ve officially reached the point where he’s truly off the deep end, but it’s so good. He’s a solid babyface promo but it’s rather generic – other things make him a good babyface. But he’s a strong heel promo. When his career is done, there could be an interesting discussion to be had when debating if he actually was a better babyface than he was a heel.
He’s still fully entrenched in the “I’m actually the good guy here” angle, which I feel really helps round out a good villain. His motives are understandable even if his actions are undesirable.
If the opening segment didn’t tell you the truth, the rest of the show did: Sami Zayn is the main character of SmackDown.
Not Cody Rhodes. Not CM Punk. Sami Zayn. The show revolves around him right now.
To demonstrate, CM Punk wanted to get his hands on Zayn so badly, he challenged the perpetually horizontal Johnny Gargano, even putting the title on the line. Apparently that challenge was the kiss that woke up Sleeping Beauty because Gargano rose up and accepted that match. Punk knew the Last Real Good Guy wouldn’t keep his nose out of that match – he’s too obsessed with the champ for that, which is why Punk made that play. A main event match that did not involve Sami Zayn was booked because of Sami Zayn.
Hopefully, this means the end of the planking Gargano bit. It never had a purpose and was kind of a waste of the man. Opinions on this website vastly differ on the value of Gargano (Geno would probably tell you there is none), but I’m one who thinks there could be a midcard spot where he can put good matches. (Though unfortunately, that’s not really valued in WWE. See: Carmelo Hayes.) Tonight may have been just because it was his hometown of Cleveland. We’ll see if he’s back to laying on crates next week.
Punk’s calculus was correct. Sami Zayn couldn’t stay away from the title match. His hatred of CM is too strong to stay away. Of course this brought out all the aggrieved parties from last week – Kevin Owens, Finn Bálor, and Gunther. All revolving around Sami Zayn.
The match itself was overbooked but enjoyable because the crowd was into their hometown boy and there were a few moments that you could allow yourself to get into the near fall, even though you knew full well Punk was kicking out before 3. Johnny Gargano is a good wrestler. Punk has proven to entertain in the ring at 47. That all made for a fun enough main event.
Despite all the shenanigans, of course Punk retained the title. He then insisted he get his hands on Sami, even if he has to put the championship on the line. And that’ll happen in Mexico City next week.
It’s all very wild and chaos can be enjoyable for a little while. And it still is overall. But eventually that chaos has to coalesce into something more concrete. I suspect next week’s title match will be as busy as this week’s. Hopefully it’s as fun.
As a Ride or Die for the Last Real Good Guy, and someone who appreciates this type of heel work, I’m glad SmackDown is the Zayn Show right now. It won’t be forever. But he’s good enough at what he’s doing that Sami Zayn playing the main character on Friday nights could be a fun hook.
Vexed Viper
I’ve actually quite liked the build to this Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton feud.
Last week, we saw Randy attempt to get Cody to snap by trash talking his mother, wife, and apparently alive dog for Cody to take a pretty mild shot at Orton’s dad, which set off the Viper. The Cowboy Bob Orton thing was a bit lost on me, but it was interesting to see Randy not have the control in that specific situation.
This week they set up a sit down interview between Cody and Corey Graves. But Orton immediately interrupted and made quite the salient point. The fact that Cody was able to stomach all of Randy’s vitriol without taking a shot at him was because he cared more about being the WWE golden boy than he did about his mom, wife, or still alive dog. And that makes him sicker than even Orton. It’s an argument I found interesting, especially because there’s some truth to it. Not that Cody actually values all that stuff over his family, but that it’s obvious how much pride he puts into being that face of the company. You don’t call yourself QB1 otherwise.
Cody quietly responded to Randy with the point that if he’s truly that sick, it’s gonna be a bad day for Randy on Sunday. That once again rattled the Viper, who is clearly struggling with the fact that can’t not seem to play the mind games that have served him so well. Maybe the student really has become the teacher? It’s a dynamic that really intrigues me.
We shouldn’t be surprised that these two guys who are in reality so close have put together a simple yet layered story. I’d argue that maybe they should add a retired punter to really spice things up, but this is quite good too.
An Obvious Outcome
SmackDown pretty much ran back the Chelsea Green/Nick Aldis “Will they strip her of the title?” segment from the other week, but this time with an awkward doctor in the ring, who agreed to clear her as long as she wore her facemask. (Didn’t she wrestle last week? She wasn’t already cleared?) I understand going back to this well again because Chelsea got a huge reaction fighting to not relinquish her championship the first time. But the doctor addition was just silly and they built to it in a way that the big payoff was a guy who we’ve never seen and can’t talk on the mic. Sometimes pro wrestling is unnecessary and dumb, albeit harmless, and that was this.
Because she’s cleared (if she wears the mask which feels like a significant plot point), she’ll defend title against Nia Jax next week. When Nia and Lash Legend tried to attack the champ, Tiffany Stratton made the save. This led to Jax vs. Stratton and of course Jax won.
Look, it’s painfully obviously where this is going. Stratton keeps getting burned because she’s helping Chelsea so she’s going to eventually turn heel and attack Green & challenge for the title as a heel. It’s so choreographed I just want them to get there because nothing about the journey or their supposedly on screen friendship is captivating.
Fatal Attraction > Jade & Baddies
Does Charlotte not watch the show or know what she’s doing? Fatal Influence was already in the ring for a match against Charlotte and Tatum Paxley. But right before prior to going out for said match, Flair thought she was tagging with Alexa and Bliss had to let her know that’s not the case. I mean there are monitors everywhere in Gorilla that Charlotte should have figured this out by now. Get your head in the game, Queen.
That foolishness aside, I’m overall impressed with how Charlotte has rehabbed her babyface image in the last year. Staying away from the WWE title scene was a big part, but she was overall entertaining with Alexa and is pretty funny when it comes to Tatum Paxley’s inclusion into the group.
Alexa set up this match to forge some unity between the unlikeliest of allies in Flair & Paxley ahead of their trios match against Jade & the Baddies Sunday.
It was a solid match and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen in the ring with Paxley so far. But I disagree with having such a ragtag team pick up a win over the tag champs. I honestly think Fatal Influence as a stable should be book stronger than Jade’s group and not serve as a tune up match before them. Jade is presented as a bigger deal than Jacey Jayne and that’s fine by me. But Michin & B-Fab are no more than henchwomen while Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid are the tag teams. That trio should be presented stronger as a unit than Jade and her backup.
Quick Hits
- Once again, Blake Monroe vs. Giulia didn’t happen. This time it’s because Giulia attacked Monroe backstage (serves her right) and then got the better of her in a brawl. I’ve appreciated they amped the intensity of this feud and even more that they’ve allowed Giulia to get really aggressive with it. She won’t win her match against a debuting Monroe whenever it happens, but I’m glad they didn’t just feed her to Blake either.
- Kyoki debuted alongside Shinsuke Nakamura in their tag team of Bakusai. They defeated the team of the Miz and Kit Wilson who are recovered from whatever Danhausen did to them. I didn’t watch of the former Hiromu Takahashi much in New Japan, but I can see why they think his vibe works with Nakamura. Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t really seem to give a shit about any of it. Now this was the second show of a back-to-back taping, but I swear you could hear a pin drop at one point.
- Paige went full mean girl in a backstage promo against Nikki accusing her to sleeping her way to the top (with Cena) and calling out her very short lived last relationship. Sometimes I’d roll my eyes at that, but it seems to fit the character of Paige… and it’s certainly not the worst thing she’s ever said to make a feud personal.
- Lil Yachty showed Trick Williams his training video from this week and it’s clear that the rapper-probably-not-turned-wrestler isn’t going to hold up his end of the bargain to help Trick Willie. OK, so he probably is going to last the five minutes but I’m not sure if their partnership is running out of juice.
- After a little time off from Danhausen, he’s shining again in more brief backstage segments against a good straight man – this time in Gooner Gunther.
Obvious, I enjoyed the Sami Zayn aspect of this show, which includes a lot of talented wrestlers and the WWE title, though it’s been a few weeks of treading water with that story. And the Cody/Orton stuff is working for me. But even with those, nothing on this show truly inspired me or had me excited to come here and tell all of you about what really captured my attention. SmackDown is missing a hot angle to help prop up the rest of the show and they also seem to be avoiding booking bigger matches (such as finally giving us that Charlotte/Jade one on one match instead of building to a somewhat random 6-woman).
So this was fine-ish. If you’re a Gargano fan, seeing him get a moment in front of his home fans was enjoyable, even if you did know the finish before the first bell rang. But they need to find something fans will want to really sink their teeth into.
Grade: C+
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