The latest episode of WWE SmackDown was filled with action, big names, and two championship matches. Sami Zayn defended his United States Title in an Open Challenge against Rey Fenix, while Tiffany Stratton once again faced Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship.
Brock Lesnar also opened the night with a fun segment alongside R-Truth, giving fans something entertaining to start the show. However, John Cena was missing just two weeks before Wrestlepalooza, which left many fans questioning WWE’s direction for his ongoing retirement story.
While the matches were strong, several booking choices raised eyebrows. Here’s a look at where WWE may have gone wrong on this week’s SmackDown.
4. Back-to-back matches with messy endings
Giulia was set to face B-Fab after a heated backstage confrontation, but the match never officially started. Kiana James got involved, leading to a brawl that spilled outside the ring. Michin eventually made the save, but fans were left confused.
Right after this, the WWE Women’s Championship match between Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill also ended without a clean finish. Both women ignored the referee’s count and were counted out. While it protected both stars, the timing felt odd. Nia Jax attacked after the decision, which could have easily been used as the disqualification instead.
With only four matches on the card, having two straight non-finishes hurt the overall flow of the show.
3. Rey Fenix loses momentum against Sami Zayn
Rey Fenix returned to SmackDown for the first time in weeks, and many expected him to pick up a big win. Instead, he fell short against Sami Zayn in the United States Title Open Challenge.
The match itself was exciting, but the result left fans divided. Zayn needed a win to continue his new reign, yet Fenix also needed momentum after his absence. This could have been the perfect chance for interference from Solo Sikoa, who appeared earlier in a promo, to protect both stars.
2. Women’s Title match loses spotlight
Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill was one of the most anticipated matches of the night. However, instead of main-eventing, it was placed in the middle of the show. This decision made it clear that a title change wasn’t going to happen.
Championship matches usually deserve the spotlight of closing the show, but WWE instead gave the main event slot to Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton, which was more about building Cody Rhodes’ return. Fans were disappointed, as the women delivered a match that could have easily closed SmackDown.
1. Main event pacing issues
The main event suffered from bad pacing. Drew McIntyre made his entrance with half an hour left in the show, but SmackDown went straight to a commercial break. Instead of returning to the action, viewers saw multiple backstage interviews with Rey and Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, and even Sami Zayn.
By the time Randy Orton came out, only a few minutes of in-ring action remained before another break interrupted the flow. The constant cuts made the match feel short and forgettable.
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