WWE SMACKDOWN HITS & MISSES (5/2): Fraxion breathing lightning, Aleister Black, Naomi’s Evolution, Fenix-Escobar, Priest and Knight, more

After a rough lead-up to WrestleMania 41, followed by a strange few weeks of finding its footing again, Smackdown delivered a strong episode this week. There weren’t many fireworks, but there was exceptional wrestling, and many seeds were sown for the future. Still, the show felt incomplete, as there was no Men’s WWE Champion in John Cena to emphasize further explore his desire to ruin professional wrestling. We should get more of that on Saturday at Backlash, but I’m not holding my breath for anything compelling, as I’m still not sold in this direction. As always, I’m Chris Adams, and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think I’ve Missed.

HITS

FRAXIOM WERE BREATHING LIGHTNING: There is a freshness to the way these two wrestlers systematically take out their opponents. Aristotle once said, “Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.” If he was correct, then it sure seems like Fraxiom are in love! It’s as if they can communicate without speaking, evincing a deep trust shared between the two wrestlers. The Spanish fly off the top rope followed by a Phoenix Splash is a killer combo, one that will certainly earn them gold sooner rather than later.

NAOMI’S EVOLUTION: Week by week, Naomi seems increasingly comfortable leaning into the vicious side of her character. You can see it in the way she carries her body. Her face, of course, has shown the transformation over the past several weeks, but as she learns to inhabit this role more fully, we see it flowing more freely. Her improvement as a performer is unbelievable, and she now offers a compelling foil for the babyfaces to play off. My one criticism is that some of her new outfits seem cheap. That’s a minor critique for a successful heel turn that continues to deliver compelling performances from all sides.

ALEISTER BLACK’S UNHOLY BLACK MASS: While I doubt many people expected a feud with the Miz to be Aleister Black’s gift for returning to WWE, I will say it has been thoroughly entertaining to watch the dark, brooding, mysterious Black destroy the epitome of sports entertainment in The Miz. There isn’t much else to be said about the match itself other than highlighting Joe Tessitore’s beautiful calling of Black’s unholy Black Mass. A promised feud between Carmelo Hayes and Black will be a gift in terms of in-ring performances, but I don’t think either man can afford a loss at this point in his career, and a loss seems inevitable if those two face off.

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VEGA AND GREEN: To start, Chelsea Green looks amazing in black. The stark contrast between her Wonder Woman-inspired gear and the black cloth of mourning creates a simple but powerful visual, a testament to Green’s understanding of professional wrestling’s visual nature. Simply amazing. Now, onto Zelina Vega. I am thrilled by her ascension as champion and truly believe she deserves it. She has put in the work and earned organic appreciation from the fans. With more and more opportunities to grow, she can be a main eventer and move on from the US Championship. However, I hope she gets a new finishing move. The 619 is overdone as it is, with too many wrestlers using it now. For it to stand out, it must be fast and perfect, which Vega has been unsuccessful at achieving consistently. I hope that this title reign allows her to complete her package and expand her moveset, thereby increasing her usefulness to WWE and entertainment value for the fans.

WOMEN CLOSE THE SHOW: The physicality between Jade Cargill and Nia Jax was like watching two Kaiju go to war. A last person standing match between the two would literally shake the foundations of the planet! We need it, good sirs in the back. We need it! The match itself was fine, but the highlight for me was that four women main-evented Smackdown. I hope we can get to a point of equal exposure and perhaps even move towards some inter-gender matches. That being said, I am proud of these women and grateful for how the business has progressed. Let’s hope it keeps evolving.

MISSES

PRIEST AND KNIGHT GIVE US SOMETHING SLUGGISH: I was unmoved by this match, by the pairing of two people who are not consistently stellar in their wrestling. Both men are capable of greatness, having grown into their roles over the last few years. Still, there was a sluggishness to this match, with the two men often seeming to be in an uncoordinated dance. Both are capable of so much more, but perhaps knowing the match was a gateway to something greater, they were only willing to work up to a limit. Regardless, this didn’t resonate with me. I hope the fatal four-way does.

STILL NO CODY: No Cody Rhodes means I leave the show a little less pleased than if he were on the show. And I’m being only half-joking here. I miss the American Nightmare!

FENIX AND ESCOBAR ISN’T THE RIGHT DIRECTION: It has become undeniably clear that HHH is trapped in the mindset that Luchador vs. Luchador is the only way to book Mexican wrestlers. This uncreative, racially-centered booking creates a vortex in which Mexican wrestlers are confined to a very specific and reductive role. It would be far more entertaining to watch Rey Fenix force someone like Randy Orton to adopt a different style of offense. It would be fascinating to see Fenix go to war with a big man like Jacob Fatu. I am increasingly concerned about the future of Mexican wrestlers gaining exposure in main event spots if the acquisition of AAA becomes a means to take the luchadores on their roster and place them in an even more constricting role. While they might shine in AAA, I fear I smell something rotten coming from backstage.