SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Only one update this week, but it’s something I want to briefly talk about:
•Sheamus joins other WWE wrestlers (C.M. Punk, Drew McIntyre, Tiffany Stratton, Liv Morgan, etc.) in signing with Paradigm Talent Agency. This may seem minor, but major Hollywood agencies beginning to take notice of professional wrestling (historically regarded as the red-headed stepchild of scripted entertainment) is a big deal. It signifies, more than the record gates, that mainstream media is acknowledging the medium of pro wrestling as a storytelling method. Alongside major motion pictures like “The Iron Claw” or the upcoming “Queen Of The Ring,” this could be an underrated aspect of mainstream culture taking notice of pro wrestling again.
Well, after a rocky start (ba-dum chhhh), it’s safe to the hype train is rolling on the road to WrestleMania. Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in over two decades, John Cena has turned heel. Frankly, I didn’t think it would happen during the retirement run, as there were so many missed opportunities for a heel Cena over the years that the time had truly passed.
But WWE took the plunge, and now we have Cena mirroring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s heel turn in the early aughts, even down to his motivation to win at all costs mirroring the Texas Rattlesnake’s back in the day. Cena, in real life, is known for going full-speed into anything he does, so I have no doubt we’re in store for some life-changing Cena heel promos. And with a more competent booking team behind him, there could be some really interesting thought-out stories to be had. I’m curious to see if crowds will continue to boo Cena, or if a generation raised on Cena’s superhero-level booking will be too ensconced with history to get on board. Regardless, with the majority of Cena’s dates still to come, WWE has the opportunity to create something special if they continue this momentum (*cough* The New Day *cough*).
But, there’s another aspect of this PPV I want to address: Wrestling vs. Aura. While I don’t have anything else to offer the “in-ring storytelling vs. cinema” internet argument dominating the IWC, it’s fair to say that a match needs to stand on its own as a piece of storytelling, regardless of the promos around it. And WWE has found itself increasingly focusing less on the in-ring match work. The Men’s Elimination Chamber match specifically focused more on posing the wrestlers for facial reactions than any semblance of a match flow or structure. For a fan of “wrestling” compared to “sports entertainment,” WWE finds itself offering less and less to keep me entertained.
I know I’m an anomaly. WWE’s style is much more attainable to people, appeals to a wider audience and is breaking new ground in storytelling. But it’s still an observation to notice the gap between WWE and the rest of the wrestling world rapidly widening.
WE GOT HEEL CENA BEFORE GTA 6
Latest Developments:
Since turning heel and feuding with Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania XL, The Rock seemingly reconciled with Rhodes the following week, teased a future championship match, and departed WWE programming.
In January, The Rock returned and faced off with Rhodes in-ring, wanting Rhodes to be his corporate champion. Last week, Rhodes was gifted numerous items by The Rock, including a custom car and a private dressing room. After getting advice from various wrestlers like Seth Rollins and CM Punk, Rhodes made his decision at Elimination Chamber, telling The Rock to go f**k himself.
Meanwhile, John Cena stated his intentions to retire at the end of 2025. After losing the Royal Rumble, a more serious Cena stated his intent to win the Elimination Chamber at all costs. After doing so, Cena turned heel (!!!) and joined The Rock, alongside rapper Travis Scott. The two left Rhodes bloodied and beaten before leaving the ring.
Analysis:
I criticized the beginning of this story at length, and I stand by that. It was an attempt to not just ignore, but deny the Rock’s kayfabe-breaking promos and abrupt switches between character. But, now that we’ve settled into a dynamic, this story’s begun to really cook.
Logically? Extremely flawed. Much of what happened last week relied on The Rock’s still-murky motivations about what being a “corporate champion” really is, Cena being the one to win the Elimination Chamber, Rhodes denying The Rock’s request, etc. But I can forgive all that under the pretense that Cena and Rock’s alliance would have organically happened under different circumstances. The story is currently holding up largely due to Cena.
Cena’s booking since returning has beautifully laid the groundwork for a heel turn, from his post-fight interviews slowly growing more serious, his losing streak over the past year, and even his more brutal demeanor within the Chamber match. But we never saw it coming because a Cena heel turn felt so unthinkable. The Rock’s inclusion currently feels like the weakest part of the narrative (which is insane to say), but he still adds a level of menace to heel Cena due to the kayfabe-bending authority we know The Rock holds to exert chaos in the world of WWE. Even Travis Scott, who didn’t need to be there at all, somehow added to the act. The Hollywood Two Man Power Trip would likely hobnob with big celebs, and having Travis Scott as their weird henchman somehow kind of works.
My one personal gripe is that I don’t like Rhodes being involved with part-timers at Wrestlemania twice in a row. I know it’s The Rock and Cena, but it still feels disconnected to much of the show and I’d rather see Rhodes feuding with another full-time star who could carry the belt full-time following his reign. And if Cena wins the belt at Mania, who logically takes it off him besides Rhodes? If WWE isn’t careful, they could end up with another situation where most wrestlers on Smackdown don’t have a top prize to fight for because the feud is so focused on part-timers.
Overall, a huge amount of promise and momentum going into Mania season.
Grade: B
U.S. CHAMPION CONTENDER SERIES
Latest Developments:
Last year, LA Knight lost the US title to Shinsuke Nakamura (who, side note, has done little to nothing with the belt ever since). Since then, Knight repeatedly vowed to reclaim his belt.
Last week, Nick Aldis announced a 6-man single-elimination tournament to find the title’s next contender. Jacob Fatu won that night against Andrade, following a scary bump that nearly left Andrade injured. Knight similarly won against longtime enemy Escobar, who repeatedly mocked Knight’s catchphrase. Hayes secured the third spot in the finals by stealing a win against Braun Strowman using the ol’ Eddie Guerrero routine.
In the main event that night, Knight cleanly secured the win against Hayes and Fatu, earning another shot for the title against Nakamura.
Analysis:
I absolutely love when episodes have a show-long arc, and the U.S. Title contender tournament was a surprisingly in-ring heavy way to build a story. Each of the three participants earned their victory in a different way. Fatu, the brawler, simply steamrolled his opponent. Knight, the perennial underdog, got a flash pin against an opponent who repeatedly mocked him during their match and laid down the pressure. And Hayes, the weasel, managed to squirm away from a fight using dishonorable trickery. Simple storytelling, but extremely effective as a way to build to the main event’s triple threat match. Even a newbie to WWE immediately knew what all three men were about, and all without a single promo. WWE, my workrate smark heart applauds you.
I’ve stated many times that Knight’s previous reign underperformed due to a lack of long-term feuds, in-ring prowess and limited mic time. In short, a reign that played to the opposite of Knight’s strengths. Seeing him get back some of that crucial babyface fire was so gratifying to see. Despite Nakamura doing little with the belt, WWE still managed to build him as an end boss for Knight thanks to their semi-squash when Knight lost the belt.
With Wrestlemania seven weeks away, one would assume that’s the end goal here. That gives us ample time for Knight to at least cut promos on Nakamura, but now with an established face-heel history that he can work off of. The longer build will do wonders to build hype for the rematch, and Knight will likely get his crowning moment at Wrestlemania 41. I’m curious to see if Nakamura will continue to be positioned above Knight in the coming weeks, as Knight has never been dominated by anyone quite like Nakamura. Doing so would give Knight’s shtick much more fire if WWE’s still committing to Nakamura watching from the shadows.
Overall, a great show-long story, and a build with enough intrigue to keep me invested.
Grade: A-
CHELSEA GREEN vs. TIFFANY STRATTON
Latest Developments:
Following a failed entry into Elimination Chamber, US Champion Chelsea Green was forced to be in action against a mystery opponent on the Elimination Chamber go-home show.
Last fall, Tiffany Stratton turned on her abusive mentor Nia Jax and won the WWE Women’s Championship off her via MITB cash-in. Jax and her stooge Candice LeRae continued feuding with Stratton over the next few months. At the Royal Rumble, WWE Legend Trish Stratus made her return to WWE, eliminating LeRae. Several weeks ago, Jax and LeRae continued antagonizing Stratton until Stratus made the save, setting up a tag match for the PPV.
Last week, Stratus and Stratton were interrupted by Green and Piper Niven. Stratton then challenged her to a match. Green nervously attempted to back out, but Nick Aldis greenlit the match to her anger. After a brutal start, Nia Jax & Candice LeRae interfered causing Stratton to win via DQ. In the ensuing beatdown, Jax took a moonsault for LeRae.
At Elimination Chamber, Stratus and Stratton defeated Jax and LeRae in a one-sided squash match.
Analysis:
This segment felt overly long and meandering, offering little forward momentum to any parties involved. Firstly, Green’s inclusion served no purpose beyond getting punked out in her own hometown. While Green and Niven’s vaguely presidential gimmick is good for a few laughs, it’s beginning to lean a little too buffoonish for a midcard champion. I understand the impetus behind pairing Green with Stratton. Stratton has to look strong, and Green can make any babyface shine. But Green’s also got a belt, and there’s plenty of low-card heels that could have filled that role. Green should be elevating talent at the midcard, not being a bump guy for Stratton.
Additionally, the plunder match at Elimination Chamber was an incredibly anti-climactic way to end the Stratton vs. Jax feud. With the heels standing tall on the go-home show, we expect the babyfaces to ultimately walk away as the winners. But the final match was short, offered nothing special in-ring, and essentially booked Jax into oblivion. Nothing worth watching, no one was elevated, Stratus’ inclusion felt unnecessary with her contributing nothing of value beyond a hometown pop. This match could have been used to give Stratton a defining moment on the road to Wrestlemania, cementing her as the new star of women’s wrestling. But it all felt so underwhelming that my hype for Wrestlemania is almost waning.
For a match card with only four matches, it wouldn’t have been hard to at least give Stratus a few decent “hero” moments in the ring. Instead, the match rushed so quickly to a finish it never even got a chance to leave the first gear. This entire feud felt like a loose end dragged out unnecessarily. Frankly, I almost wonder if Stratton vs. Flair (which yet again received barely a nod) was being downplayed on the fly. Especially in comparison to the men’s division, having so little focus on the supposed marquee main-event match for the division is a very strange choice.
Stratton’s character has largely flattened in the past few weeks, playing up the esthetic similarities between her and Stratus or Flair, rather than really digging into a rivalry or even a consistent character for Stratton to work with moving into Wrestlemania season. In the next few weeks, WWE really has to tighten up Tiffy’s motivations or they risk the crowd growing apathetic to her at one of the biggest showcases of the year.
Grade: C-
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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KEVIN OWENS vs. SAMI ZAYN (& RANDY ORTON)
Latest Developments:
After witnessing Cody Rhodes team with longtime enemy Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens turned heel and called out Rhodes for being a hypocrite. During a lengthy feud with Rhodes, mutual friend Randy Orton found himself the victim of a brutal beatdown from Owens, writing him off television.
At the Royal Rumble, Rhodes won a championship ladder match against Owens with Sami Zayn at ringside. Following the match, Owens attacked Zayn for not stopping Rhodes, injuring his neck. Zayn cut a promo from home, challenging Owens to a match at Elimination Chamber and vowing revenge. Owens accepted, and due to Zayn’s injury the match was set as an Unsanctioned Match.
Following several weeks of home invasion promos (like the good ol’ Attitude Era days), Owens defeated Zayn in an extremely violent Unsanctioned Match with a molten-hot crowd at Elimination Chamber. Post-match, Orton made his return and violently beat down Owens as revenge.
Analysis:
First off, the unsanctioned match in this feud was phenomenal. In a four-match card, the PPV needed a different flavor after the multi-man matches, and a brutal prop-filled plunder match was exactly the right option. Owens is an expert in delivering sheer brutality even within the restrictions set by WWE programming. I can’t remember the last time I saw a barbed wire spot in WWE. Despite a short build, the plunder match felt like a satisfyingly brutal match between two competitors with over a decade of history. Zayn had little time to rev himself into the higher intensity that defines his babyface character, but managed enough to get the crowd molten hot throughout.
At first, I questioned Owens’ win, but following the post-match beatdown with Orton’s return I realized that seeing Owens finally be on the receiving end of a beatdown after months of him unloading on everyone hit so much harder than if Zayn had won. Orton looked like an absolute superhero, and after a year of a more genial babyface Orton I have a feeling we’ll be ramping up to the Viper making his return for Wrestlemania.
I’m so curious where the story goes from here. There’s enough long-term history between these three men that suggests neither Zayn nor Orton will give up on targeting Owens. Yet, I struggle to see any booking permutation that leads to a multi-man match. Perhaps we reintroduce a fourth player to join Owens, and make it a multi-man. Or all 3 men go for the same belt (perhaps the IC belt?). In any case, WWE runs the risk of either Zayn or Orton being the odd man out in this triangle moving forward.
Grade: A-
DREW MCINTYRE VS DAMIAN PRIEST
Latest Developments:
Drew McIntyre has been coming off back-to-back losses in WWE (including being eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Damian Priest) and had successfully punched his ticket to the Chamber, intending to challenge Cody Rhodes for not giving him his flowers.
Last week, McIntyre interrupted a hype reel for Cena’s last elimination chamber event, lambasting Cena’s retirement tour before Damian Priest cut him off. Priest claimed that McIntyre’s obsession with CM Punk was to blame for his misfortune.
The other entrants in the men’s chamber match came out one-by-one (Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Logan Paul) and showboated as the segment ended. At the PPV, McIntyre was the first entrant eliminated from the Chamber by Priest, furthering their rivalry.
Analysis:
First off, Drew McIntyre’s booking in the past few months have largely relegated him to taking pins. While I understand the intent to signify that his personal vendettas have caused him to take his eye off the ball, it feels like McIntyre’s booking is cooling him down a little too much two months out from the biggest show of the year. While McIntyre can make any segment gold, I find myself less hyped than I should be for his storylines.
Additionally, McIntyre’s exemption from the Reigns-Punk-Rollins triple threat match at Mania feels like a waste. For a three-way feud built entirely on hatred (Rollins screaming “DIE!” in glee as Punk was submitted at the Chamber was a delightfully insane moment), McIntyre’s personal disdain for all three competitors and drastically different background compared to all three could have seriously elevated the feud. McIntyre had to claw for his main event spot in a different way than the three others, and could have lent a somewhat underdog vibe to a story whose biggest flaw is that all three of its major players feel a bit too self-obsessed.
Now that that’s out of the way, McIntyre and Priest have surprisingly decent chemistry. I love the underlying thread of McIntyre slowly realizing that Priest has been the commonality in many of his low moments (Survivor Series 2023, Wrestlemania 2024, Elimination Chamber 2025). While McIntyre was busy dealing with one foe, Priest snuck up on him and ruined everything. Combined with Priest’s signature disaffected swagger, the verbal sparring between these two will be a delight to watch. Not to mention, both wrestlers’ athletic hoss style lend this feud a different feel than others on Smackdown. At a time when the blue brand is skewing closer to the land of the cruiserweights, it’s nice to have to 6’4’’ behemoths battling it out.
Overall, a serviceable feud knocked down a few points because both men would be more interesting in other areas.
Grade: A-
THE RETURN OF JADE CARGILL
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Bianca Belair & Naomi were shown footage by Nick Aldis seemingly incriminating The Judgement Day (Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez) in the backstage attack of Jade Cargill last fall that took her out of action and led to Naomi taking her place as the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with Belair. Belair and Naomi were enthusiastic to paint The Judgement Day as guilty (despite the shoddy evidence).
Last week, Belair & Naomi challenged The Judgement Day to a match, putting their titles on the line. This backfired, and The Judgement Day won the match to become the new champs.
At Elimination Chamber, Belair & Naomi separately qualified for the women’s chamber match to earn a shot at Rhea Ripley’s WWE Women’s Championship. As the match began, Cargill made a surprise return and brutally beat down Naomi, taking her out of the match. A shocked and conflicted Belair overcame the distraction to beat the odds and win the match.
Post-match, Belair had a staredown with Ripley and Iyo Sky, the latter of whom also had earned a title shot. On the following Raw, Sky defeated Ripley to win the Women’s World Championship, thus confirming Sky vs. Belair for Wrestlemania.
Analysis:
Jade Cargill’s return was the best she’s ever looked in WWE, playing to her strengths in a beatdown so brutal it audibly had me flinching. For a woman that looks like a G.I Jane action figure come to life, it’s great for WWE to let her be a powerhouse brawler rather than trying to make her a technician. The Stone Cold-style brawling style looks amazing on Cargill, thanks to Naomi’s selling.
Speaking of, it looks like we’re getting heel Naomi all along, proving that the weeks of teases and Naomi’s growing brutality in the effort to achieve solo success were indeed the result of Naomi being the attacker. It’s a predictable result, but if executed correctly it could be the right way to launch Cargill into the stratosphere while Naomi can feud with the multitude of babyfaces on Raw.
Meanwhile, Belair immediately feels revitalized as a babyface, in an entirely new way. The happy-go-lucky charm is gone, replaced with some genuinely quality acting that turned Belair into the ultimate conflicted friend caught in the middle. Belair’s wave of emotions felt incredibly real and grounded, as she wanted nothing but allies but was dragged into so much messiness. It’s easily the most nuanced her babyface character has ever been, and could be an avenue for Belair to once again ascend to the top of the mountain without turning heel.
However, this leads to a strange booking situation, with Sky vs. Belair confirmed for Wrestlemania. In an era where WWE often gets criticized for women’s stories boiling down to “I want title, you want title, we fight for title”, it’s baffling to see them pull Belair away from one of the most compelling women-led slow-burn stories over the past year. Belair, as stated above, became infinitely more interesting when conflicted, so throwing her into a dream match with a completely unrelated opponent feels like a really strange choice that would hamper not only her current story, but also Sky’s long-simmering narrative with Rhea Ripley centering around Ripley’s lone wolf outlook causing her fight IQ to suffer.
Grade: B
TAG TEAM ANARCHY
Latest Developments:
After turning heel, DIY succeeded in their long-awaited quest to reclaim the WWE Tag Team Championship by defeating the Motor City Machine Guns. However, in order to do so, they attacked The Street Profits and stole their title shot.
As heels, DIY recruited Pretty Deadly to assist them in retaining their belts, promising them a title shot in return (although they continued deflecting attempts to set the match). After failing to stop MCMG from getting another title shot, Pretty Deadly grew tired of Ciampa’s verbal abuse and rebelled.
After retaining their belts against MCMG at the Royal Rumble, DIY was laid out by the returning Street Profits, who swore that no one would dethrone DIY but them.
Pretty Deadly finally faced off against DIY in a title match, but The Street Profits interfered leading to a DQ.
Last week, The Street Profits were set to take on Los Garzas, but the other three teams all engaged in a pre-match beatdown that led to pandemonium.
Analysis:
Not too much to say here, essentially an extension of the tag team warfare dominating the blue brand for the past month, but instead serving to build another bridge between Los Garzas and The Street Profits. I’ve enjoyed the structure to these segments in past weeks. Normally, attempts at creating a “web” of feuds lead to some strands feeling contrived or manufactured.
WWE’s attempt at creating domino effects to deepen relationships via collateral damage is a much smoother way to slowly envelop the entire division in week-to-week wars. Now, Los Garzas never got the opportunity to make a statement against The Profits, while The Profits are still dedicated to beating Los Garzas out of title contention. All because of The Profits’ current enemies derailing the match.
This is crash TV done correctly, building on feuds and chaos to build additional layers between a division. Classic multi-man brawls are great on their own for livening up promo-heavy episodes of Smackdown, but building them in a way where each set of participants walks away with a new agenda is elevated booking.
With Wrestlemania 41 next on the horizon, a multi-man clusterf**k-style match feels like the likely end goal. While multi-man matches often feel like a cheat to get everyone on the card and cover for a lack of build for a title, this feels like a version with genuine stakes and decent history.
Grade: B
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