Professional wrestling contracts often hide crucial details. On the recent “SmackDown”, Paul Heyman, with the War Games contract in hand, emphasized to general manager Nick Aldis that the agreement allowed him to choose any member of the WWE roster, regardless of the brand, to complete Team Vision. This detail was key to the big reveal at the end of the show.
The appearance of Drew McIntyre, previously suspended, to align with Heyman and The Vision, made sense. Aldis couldn’t do anything about it. From a story perspective, I liked how Heyman convinced the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, to give Bronson Reed a title opportunity. However, the match became a mere narrative vehicle, detracting from the title’s importance, which wasn’t ideal.
“SmackDown” Results for Friday
- 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 defeating Bronson Reed by disqualification
Survivor Series: War Games Takes Shape
The match between Rhodes and Reed for the Undisputed WWE Championship seemed rushed, both in the segment and in its development. The title seemed secondary to the chaos that followed. The Vision fought against The Usos and Rhodes until McIntyre, suspended the previous week, returned and wreaked havoc. It seems that Reed, Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, and McIntyre will form the quartet, with one member to be confirmed, while Rhodes, Jimmy and Jey Uso, and CM Punk will face off on the other side.
The next few weeks will reveal the fifth member of each team, heading to the Survivor Series: War Games match. Currently, the prediction favors the villains, as the titles will not be on the line, which would allow them to obtain an important victory heading into future championship matches.
Other key points and story development
Zack Ryder’s (also known as Matt Cardona) return was notable. He had a great performance against LA Knight in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament, which was expected given his experience and current status in the independent scene. Ryder looked excellent, and only time will tell if this translates into a full-time return to WWE, but either way, he’s always “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 accused Ripley of being a “snake” and untrustworthy, which led to a conflict. I liked that the Flair-Ripley rivalry was addressed, which could be resolved before the match.I didn’t like that Tommaso Ciampa didn’t get a United States title opportunity simply for being an “idiot”, according to Ilja Dragunov. This situation is likely to drag on for a few more weeks, before becoming a filler match on “SmackDown”.The Dragunov vs. Axiom match for the United States Championship was incredible, demonstrating the success of the open challenge. Currently, the United States Championship is the title of the most technical and exciting wrestlers.Sami Zayn is medically cleared to compete, and his promo in the ring, interrupted by Solo Sikoa and the MFT, leads to a traditional 5-on-5 elimination match at Survivor Series on “SmackDown” on November 28, with Rey Fenix, AJ Styles, and the Motor City Machine Guns involved.Jade Cargill demonstrated her power by defeating B-Fab, showing total destruction, dominance, confidence and a spectacular pin, solidifying her path to stardom.
