Opinion
Levin’s SmackDown Live Review
Well, here we are again for another review of what was a mediocre SmackDown Live Tuesday night. Somehow, I feel like I am writing the same as last week about WWE. There were a few solid moments with the return of the shenanigans of Team Hell No and the build to Extreme Rules with the announcement of the United States Title Match between champion Jeff Hardy and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura is still on the mend, mind you, as a dog bite continues to keep him out of action. WWE will need to figure out what to do with this confrontation as the lack of in-ring promotion has hurt what should have been a Match of the Year candidate.
I will give the company credit by giving fans a good match between Hardy and The Miz, which ended with Hardy going over, but I am still waiting for the “Wow!” moment where I am begging for more, hoping the Extreme Rules pay-per-view knocks me over with a Shawn Michaels superkick.
Realistically, other than the Seth Rollins-Dolph Ziggler Iron Man Match for the Intercontinental Title, I don’t see that happening. The SmackDown Live brand has the potential to captivate the fans, but making them believe this is the best the blue team has to offer is stretching it a bit.
Here are a few thoughts on SmackDown Live…
Team Hell No vs. The Usos
I get WWE wants to create as much drama as possible with the reunion of Kane and Daniel Bryan, but the idea of the Usos as opponents in the main event did nothing for me. The match went as expected, with the former four-time tag champs putting up a fight but Bryan and Kane securing the win.
The fade at the end of the show with The Bludgeon Brothers coming out from the back was predictable (as was much of the night). If WWE is serious about Bryan and Kane going over at the pay-per-view, then the “Go Home” show next week had better have a bit more drama. This really was ill-conceived on WWE’s part.
Jeff Hardy Retains
Hardy once again had a United States Title open challenge, which was answered by The Miz. It was the best match of the night, but it did not hold up as well as Rollins and Ziggler.
The chemistry between both wrestlers could develop over time, but because of the announcement of Nakamura’s title shot, The Miz misses out on an opportunity to claim another title on his resume. I suspect he will interfere win the tag match, costing Bryan and Kane the titles, forcing a match with his rival at SummerSlam.
If booked properly, this could have been a 20-minute dance. It wasn’t as strong as expected.
Asuka vs. James Ellsworth
This one had nothing on Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs. It was a sad state, with Carmella joining in the action when both wrestlers were counted out and ran around the building only to reach the ring area again.
I’m not sure why this is even a “thing” as it has made Carmella’s reign look silly and has pushed the Empress of Tomorrow into a state of disbelief. The Lumberjack Match scheduled for next week should be equally as bad.
This might be one of those matches where a food or bathroom break is acceptable.
Becky Lynch vs. Peyton Royce
Lynch is in that kind of purgatory wrestlers speak about, but never want to stand in. Since Charlotte Flair left to have surgery, the notion of Lynch in a meaningful feud has been tossed out the window.
Shame on WWE, as Lynch deserves better than she is receiving. How the company plans to book her after Extreme Rules will determine if she can pull herself out of the quicksand she is firmly stuck in.
A.J. Styles vs. Aiden English (with Rusev interfering)
Did someone say predictable? Hmm. Styles wins the match and Rusev beats up his opponent in the moments following. It’s actually a good thing because the Bulgarian Brute is so well liked amongst the WWE fan base.
Rusev has been doing more of his own promo work, which is good and allows us to see him as a heel. The “Rusev Day” shtick is solid and fans love it, but WWE needs to promote him more as the villain in this confrontation. Hopefully, he is more sinister next week before the pay-per-view event.
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Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
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Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
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