3 Issues We Hated And three Issues We Cherished

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.’s weekly evaluate of “WWE SmackDown,” the place the ultimate touches had been made for Saturday’s Survivor Collection: WarGames PLE. On the present, Paul Heyman needed to be the peacemaker between his former and present shoppers, CM Punk and Roman Reigns, hoping that they do not come to blows with one another. The present additionally noticed a powerful efficiency from the supremely-gifted Jacob Fatu, who gave his group the benefit heading into the lads’s WarGames match, whereas the opponents of the ladies’s WarGames match brawled it out after a disappointing section. WWE additionally continued to tease the breakup of a well-liked tag group on the present, which some consider is moderately predictable.

If you wish to know extra about what occurred on the 11/29/2024 version of “WWE SmackDown,” try our outcomes web page, however you may scroll down beneath to learn the views of WINC workers in regards to the present.

Shinsuke Nakamura has been poorly used the previous couple of years in WWE, however now that he is again I am hoping issues take a flip for the higher for him. I used to be slightly involved about this feud with United States Champion LA Knight, particularly when their Survivor Collection match bought randomly introduced on “WWE Uncooked” on Monday. However tonight made me really feel rather a lot higher about what’s to come back, particularly since I do not assume their match on Saturday goes to be their final. Fortunately, Nakamura had this match earlier than the Premium Dwell Occasion in opposition to an ideal dance companion in Andrade. 

It has been so lengthy since Nakamura has been on TV, so it was good to get him within the ring for a strong victory, for followers which can be perhaps simply getting again into the present earlier than Survivor Collection, and showcase that Nakamura remains to be round and that he is nonetheless bought it. Nakamura works so nicely as a heel when he is introduced like this as a extra menacing character, moderately than a foolish one who terrorizes babyfaces with video vignettes.

In fact, his victory over Andrade, who has been within the combine for america Championship for some time now, was to be anticipated, as was the interference from Knight. However I cherished how the interference occurred tonight. I do not know if it is how the digicam angle was arrange, however Knight appeared giddy and foolish (virtually to the purpose of silly) working all the way down to the ring, and it simply made me snigger to myself. Nakamura additionally did not have his again fully turned to Knight both, and he clearly noticed him coming, and spat the black mist in his eyes and everywhere in the higher a part of his physique. Knight offered it like a champ, and the best way Nakamura simply ever-so nonchalantly misted him and walked off appeared glorious.

Nakamura additionally has an ideal new look, regardless that the modifications are delicate, between his face paint and his ring gear, and the black mist throughout his mouth when he was standing on the ramp, to the tune of the darker tackle his theme music, which made for a superb picture to finish that section. Once more, I do not assume their Survivor Collection match goes to be their final, and that is going to arrange a collection the place hopefully Nakamura comes out as champion. I feel tonight did an ideal job of organising no matter comes subsequent.

Written by Daisy Ruth

The ladies’s WarGames match setup has been fairly lackluster main as much as Survivor Collection on Saturday, and tonight’s promo section and temporary brawl between the 2 groups did no favors to the match that is taking place type of “simply because.” The babyfaces opened up the present and the elephant within the room — the actual fact Jade Cargill was brutally laid out on high of a car final week, was simply type of glossed over. Positive, Bianca Belair, Naomi, and ultimately Liv Morgan, talked about it, however there wasn’t any actual motivation to seek out out simply who did it. You’ll assume Belair, as one-half of the WWE Girls’s Tag Staff Champions, could be slightly extra anxious to know, particularly if this results in the group being stripped of the titles down the road. WarGames comes first, regardless that there’s not a lot in it personally for Belair, I suppose.

Total, this speaking back-and-forth section, and the truth that each lady on every group wanted to get a phrase in, it doesn’t matter what, simply felt extraordinarily awkward, and was a really boring strategy to begin “WWE SmackDown.” Morgan and Nia Jax citing the variations and troubles between members of the babyface group did not assist this in any respect, as many individuals, together with me, are questioning why the heck Bayley needs to group with Belair, who hates her, and with IYO SKY, who betrayed her. I am hoping there’s some type of motivation there and a narrative that comes out in the course of the match.

I’ve little question in my thoughts that the WarGames match goes to be hearth tomorrow, however the construct to the match simply wasn’t there in any respect, and the match itself appears pointless with compelled groups. The writing of this section tonight did not do something to alter my thoughts about that, so these girls simply want to point out off within the ring for me to neglect that and benefit from the brutality of the match. There are positively some issues I am wanting ahead to in it, however none of that’s due to the writing, particularly tonight.

Written by Daisy Ruth

You possibly can have ranked me as one to have by no means envisioned that Roman Reigns and CM Punk could be teaming collectively, however such is the best way {of professional} wrestling and this week’s “WWE SmackDown” noticed them and Paul Heyman make sense of all of it. In a really cinema-coded vignette, the pair met for a sit-down assembly, desk and all, like a kingpin with a renegade outlaw to debate enterprise. Enterprise, on this case, could be Heyman’s grasp stroke to name upon one in all his guys, somebody out to get his personal in opposition to Solo Sikoa, a lot that he was keen to put private points apart by bringing within the “Second Metropolis Saint.”

Reigns was a tad extra emotional, as we’ve come to anticipate from “The Unique Tribal Chief” over time, exuding a way of jealousy and unease in the direction of the concept that his “Wiseman” had introduced Punk into the fold, making it clear he did not wish to group with him from the beginning. Punk performed the mature character in easing the meat (how very mature of him), reasoning this was merely a wedding of comfort and a favor-for-a-favor. Reigns, piqued by his unease, instantly questioned what Punk meant by favor; Punk instructed him that the favor was for Heyman, “Our Wiseman.” However not earlier than Reigns acquiesced to the thought of coping with the satan, declaring that for “one time” (Compulsory One’s Up) he would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

It was a loaded section, full of seeds sown for potential plots down the road, with Punk even at one level saying he and Reigns can reacquaint on totally different phrases sooner or later, ought to Reigns have a difficulty. Now, permit me to get forward of everyone else, however that looks as if it may flip into a possible battle of allegiances for Heyman, as was the central theme of the section as a complete. The place do his allegiances really lie? Not even Reigns may get that reply out of this section, with Punk having dropped the bomb that he was claiming shared custody of the “Wiseman.” 

It was only a actually enjoyable, layered section that established the bottom guidelines for this sudden situationship between two individuals who have by no means actually had a form phrase for each other, rolled in with a brand new subplot into their dynamic because it pertains to Heyman, and it is an ideal hook for the following chapter.

Written by Max Everett

It is inevitable that each tag group in skilled wrestling will break up and go their separate methods sooner or later, whether or not or not it’s amicable to pursue singles careers, a betrayal of 1 member of the group by the opposite, or coming again collectively to reunite sooner or later later down the road. #DIY are positively no strangers to the idea of the tag group breakup and reunion, however there additionally comes a degree the place the cycle turns into performed out and that is the way it’s beginning to really feel like with Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

I’m way more of a fan of heel Ciampa than babyface Ciampa, however he is already betrayed Gargano a handful of occasions throughout “WWE NXT” and the principle roster. WWE is reusing that very same method as soon as once more, and it is made the storyline means too predictable. It does not take a die-hard skilled wrestling fan to see that Ciampa shall be turning his again on Gargano sooner moderately than later, which is made all of the extra disappointing when you think about that there are higher choices, reminiscent of having Gargano be the one to show heel or turning each members of #DIY heel out of frustration of not with the ability to dethrone Motor Metropolis Machine Weapons as WWE Tag Staff Champions and do a storyline with them (mini shout out to each Max and Sam for these concepts).

Moreover, dragging issues out between Gargano and Ciampa is doing no favors for the breakup, and airing backstage segments just like the one tonight, by which they had been arguing with each other about their distinction in attitudes, makes it really feel as if it has been pulled out for so long as potential when that is the very last thing that it wants.

Written by Olivia Quinlan

I at all times admire when WWE provides an “Everyone seems to be Barred From Ringside” stipulation, just like the Males’s WarGames Benefit Match between Jey Uso and Jacob Fatu, by which there are various folks concerned and issues are greater than more likely to finish in a disqualification of some kind as a result of outdoors interference. Nonetheless, when you may have one thing as large because the Bloodline vs. Bloodline WarGames match and select to not have some type of large post-match brawl as one final means of making hype for the match, then it feels slightly bit disappointing.

“SmackDown” ought to’ve had at the very least one final large, memorable second left within the minds of followers forward of the present. As a substitute, all that occurred was the WarGames Benefit match and a video of a tense confrontation between Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Paul Heyman. Whereas the video was positively a spotlight of tonight’s present, it did not change the truth that key members of the storyline, reminiscent of Sami Zayn, Jimmy Uso, Bronson Reed, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa, all felt like a little bit of an afterthought. 

None of them did very a lot other than making temporary appearances to help their WarGames teammates, additional contributing to the sensation of disappointment.

Written by Olivia Quinlan

With the WarGames benefit on the road, Jacob Fatu shined in his first televised singles match since becoming a member of the promotion in June. Fatu had beforehand confronted Cody Rhodes in a Philly Road Struggle, his different singles bout, however that was a darkish match.

Whereas it was just about a on condition that Fatu would win to provide the brand new Bloodline the benefit — particularly with the babyfaces getting the benefit for the ladies’s WarGames match — the match was nonetheless superior. Jey Uso introduced his greatest in opposition to the WWE rookie, however Fatu appeared to have a solution each time. He impressed with a standing moonsault and a Samoan Drop, after which on the surface, hit Uso with a Superkick, a transfer The Usos use often, earlier than hitting a Samoan Splash on the announce desk.

“The Samoan Werewolf” had made an impression on the indies for his unimaginable in-ring capacity, however followers in WWE had solely gotten to see flashes of it in multi-man matches till this match in opposition to Jey. I’ve lengthy thought that he could be the one to take over the brand new Bloodline from Solo Sikoa and this match was simply another excuse to again that thought. There may be loads of expertise in each variations of the Bloodline, with a number of different Anoaʻi members of the family ready within the wings to impress, however Fatu is establishing himself because the one to be careful for. In his brief time in WWE, Fatu has already had tag group success with Tama Tonga, and after seeing him in singles motion, it is clear that he’ll maintain singles gold sooner moderately than later.

Written by Samantha Schipman