Drew McIntyre returns to SmackDown: The Vision at WarGames!

Professional wrestling contracts, and their fine print, always give something to talk about. In the recent “SmackDown”, Paul Heyman emphasized to general manager Nick Aldis, with the War Games contract in hand, that he could choose any member of the WWE roster, from all brands, to form Team Vision. The final revelation was the highlight of the show. Drew McIntyre’s appearance at the end of “SmackDown”, aligning with Heyman and The Vision, made sense. Aldis couldn’t do anything about it. Also, from a storyline perspective, I liked that Heyman convinced the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, to give Bronson Reed a title opportunity. What I didn’t like is that the match was a mere vehicle for the narrative, taking a backseat, which shouldn’t be the case.

Friday “SmackDown” Results

• Jey Uso defeated The Miz.
• Ilja Dragunov retained the United States Championship by defeating Axiom.
• LA Knight defeated Zack Ryder in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament.
• Jade Cargill defeated B-Fab in a non-title match.
• Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship by disqualification against Bronson Reed.

Survivor Series: War Games in Development

The match between Rhodes and Reed for the Undisputed WWE Championship seemed rushed, both in the segment and in the storyline. The title took a backseat to the subsequent chaos. The Vision fought against the Usos and Rhodes until McIntyre, suspended last week, returned to wreak havoc. It seems that Reed, Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, and McIntyre will form a team, with one spot left to fill, while Rhodes, Jimmy and Jey Uso, and CM Punk will face off on the other side. The next two weeks will reveal the fifth member of each team, heading towards the Survivor Series: War Games match.

At this moment, I am inclined to think that the villains will be victorious, as the titles will not be on the line. Letting them get a significant victory before future title matches would be key.

Other key points and arguments

Welcome back, Zack Ryder (also known as Matt Cardona)! He had a great performance against LA Knight at the “Last Time Is Now” tournament, something expected given that he is a talented veteran and current king of the independent scene. Ryder looked great. Only time will tell if this translates into a full-time return to WWE for Ryder, but either way, he’s not hard to find because he is… “Alwayz Ready”.

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky discussed their upcoming Survivor Series: War Games match, and Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss were invited to the ring. Flair addressed Ripley, saying she believes Ripley is a traitor and can’t be trusted (and that Ripley probably feels the same way about her), so she can’t team with her. I liked that Flair addressed the past conflict with Ripley. Sometimes, when teams like this are formed, we tend to forget about that and focus on the present, but I appreciate it becoming part of the story leading up to Survivor Series. The Flair-Ripley rivalry wasn’t resolved on Friday, but I hope it will be before the match and that Flair rejoins the team before WAR GAMES.

I’m not a fan of Tommaso Ciampa not getting a United States title match because he’s “an idiot”, which seems to be the only reason champion Ilja Dragunov doesn’t want to face him. Other wrestlers in the same situation as Ciampa would have punched Dragunov in the face, which would have led to a match, and they wouldn’t have left. This back-and-forth is likely to drag on for a few more weeks before turning into a throwaway title match on “SmackDown”, never to be mentioned again. I wouldn’t mind Ciampa having a United States title reign, but Dragunov is on a great run.

Dragunov vs. Axiom for the United States Championship was incredible. It was another example of the great success of the open challenge. There was a time when the Intercontinental Championship was known as the “worker’s title”, the one used by the best technical wrestlers or the most exciting competitors in the ring, such as Randy Savage, Mr. Perfect, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, etc. That label can now be said about the United States Championship.

Sami Zayn is medically cleared to compete, and his promo in the ring, which was interrupted by Solo Sikoa and the MFT, is leading to a traditional 5-on-5 elimination match at Survivor Series on “SmackDown” on November 28, as Rey Fenix, AJ Styles, and the Motor City Machine Guns also participated in the action.

Jade Cargill destroyed B-Fab in the exact type of match you want to see from a heel Jade Cargill. Total, dominant, and powerful destruction, arrogant pin, exuding confidence. That’s what will further propel Cargill to stardom.