SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
A wee few quick updates to go over before we get down to it:
•Natalya’s autobiography “The Last Hart Beating” is due for release this fall. Despite her limited screen time on WWE in recent years, Natalya’s longevity and in-ring acumen is unparalleled, and by all accounts has become an unsung hero in the WWE women’s division. Aside from being a part of the legendary Hart family, Natalya has stamped her own legacy into the history books, and this autobiography promises to be a great read. Also, that title goes so hard. 10/10.
•USA Network is planning an unscripted show with Braun Strowman, where he travels the country as a pro wrestler and eats various foods. Given the show plans to premiere later this year, and Strowman was released from his contract last month, time will tell how WWE chooses to market the show. In any case, kinda awkward.
•Cathy Kelley recently announced she had landed her first movie role, joining a growing number of WWE wrestlers actively working in film & TV while still actively on the roster. Likely a byproduct of WWE’s closer integration with major Hollywood agencies, this seems like a deliberate effort from WWE to bring wrestling’s faces back into the mainstream. In any case, congratulations Cathy Kelley!
•Ever since Smackdown moved to three hours, there’s been some distinct issues with pacing in the weekly product. It began to feel like many segments were being stretched to fill time, leading to the overall show feeling sluggish and lacking the kinetic energy that’s needed to sustain a professional wrestling TV product.
I thought the light at the end of the tunnel was approaching when Smackdown returns to two hours later this year, so imagine my surprise when WWE beat me to the punch and delivered one of the most well-paced Smackdown TV episodes in the last calendar year. Segments moved at a brisker pace, everything felt precise and well-timed, and most importantly the show didn’t have the new-age sterility that sometimes plagues WWE.
With bright colors, ring mats plastered with ads, and an excess of commercials, WWE has begun to feel much more overproduced than usual. Last week’s Smackdown provided a shot in the arm that cut through all the vertical integration to deliver some quality TV. How did they do it? Wrestling. I know, crazy right? But the main event got great time, had a steady build throughout the show, and actually maintained a big-fight week despite a lack of hype going in. Paired with some recurring segments that didn’t hesitate to actually move stories forward, and some better-than-usual undercard matches, and Smackdown may have found the recipe to sustain a three-hour program.
With MITB qualifiers and Saturday Night’s Main Event on the horizon, WWE has a lot of avenues to build feuds for, but the question is: can they make time to make every match feel big, and still leave room for weekly TV? It’s a steady uphill road to climb, but judging from last week, there’s promising signs on the horizon. We got some solid build-up for two matches on SNME out of a potential five-match card, plus two MITB qualifiers and still made room for the Bloodline family drama. Not bad, Road Dogg. Not bad at all.
There’s a lot to get through this week, so let’s not waste time:
JOHN CENA vs. HIS BIGGEST FAN
Latest Developments:
In February, John Cena won a title shot for Cody Rhodes’ WWE Championship at Wrestlemania by winning the Elimination Chamber. Following the match, Cena shockingly turned heel and joined The Rock. At Wrestlemania 41, Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to win his record-breaking 17th WWE Championship.
R-Truth for years has been a fan of Cena’s, even proclaiming him his “childhood hero”. At Backlash, Cena looked to be defeated by Randy Orton until Truth arrived and begged Orton not to hurt Cena. Orton didn’t listen, and Cena blasted him with the championship for the win.
Cena noticeably looked emotional upon leaving as the crowd broke kayfabe and thanked him. During the post-show presser, Truth claimed he still loved Cena despite his flaws, which Cena took offense to and threw him through a table.
Last week, Truth was interviewed by Wade Barrett, insisting the real John Cena would not have acted so heartlessly. He claimed he didn’t want to hurt his hero, but if that’s what it took to bring the real Cena back, he wouldn’t hesitate. Shortly after, a match between the two was made official for Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 24th.
Analysis:
Truth walked away from last week’s segment striking the perfect balance between silly babyface and underdog contender. For all intents and purposes, the “childhood hero” bit has been nothing more than a long-running babyface joke spot for Truth in the past few years, and it doesn’t need more than a two-week title program to pay it off. That being said, I’m glad they’re squeezing in a Cena-Truth program here, as the eventual brutal beatdown of Truth may be one of the only surefire ways to get Cena some genuine heel heat moving into his eventual Summerslam program.
With Truth’s character always being confused, establishing a consistent emotional base for him was always going to be an uphill battle. Credit to Ron Killings for mining so much genuine emotion from a brief interview segment, and unironically getting audiences clamoring for Truth to win. Underneath all the comedy, Truth’s still got it, and it’ll be fun seeing him show out on a bigger PPV stage in the twilight years of his career.
I’m curious to see where Cena goes from Saturday Night’s Main Event. We can reasonably assume he makes at least one appearance leading up to MITB, and another few going into Summerslam (which will undoubtedly feature a major Cena program to bolster sales for the first two-night Summerslam in history). That puts us at just over half of Cena’s 36 dates. My guess is we’ll get Cena vs. Punk at Summerslam, given their history. Following that, having gotten three dream matches out of the way, I’d love to see Cena move to some younger members of the roster, opening up some new character dynamics now that the classic ones have been explored.
Grade: A-
THE BLOODLINE’S FAMILY DRAMA
Latest Developments:
In 2025, Jacob Fatu began to unofficially take over as The New Bloodline’s leader. Their dynamic began slowly shifting, as Fatu hinted he had lost faith in Solo Sikoa. Having made enemies with US Champion LA Knight, Fatu defeated him at Wrestlemania to become the new US Champion. Sikoa took credit for Fatu’s championship gold, before an offended Fatu cut Sikoa off.
Thanks to Sikoa and The Bloodline’s botched interference, Fatu defended the US Championship in a four-way against LA Knight, Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest. Left alone with Knight, Fatu was taken aback when Sikoa arrived with his newest recruit: JEFF COBB JC MATEO! Mateo attacked Knight, allowing a confused Fatu to pin him for the win.
Last week, Sikoa introduced Mateo as the Bloodline’s newest member, taking credit for Fatu’s accomplishments before a disgruntled Fatu cut him off. Sikoa asked Fatu to tell him he loved him like the old days, which Fatu did reluctantly. Knight interrupted proceedings, but Mateo intercepted him.
In an impromptu match later that night, Mateo defeated Knight.
Analysis:
As far as WWE’s name changes go, JC Mateo is one of the better ones in my opinion. At the very least, it gives him some of the trademark Pacific Islander swag that almost everyone in The Bloodline’s vortex carries. However, I wish we had gotten a little bit more from Mateo’s first solo in-ring offering than just playing the powerhouse hits. Knight’s inclusion in this segment was purely to give Mateo a reason to stand tall, but it didn’t land as cleanly as it should. Partially due to Knight’s flamboyance easily outshining Mateo’s calmer demeanor, and partially due to diminishing returns with each new Bloodline acquisition. NJPW fans know Mateo’s goofiness is part of his charm, and I wish he got to show off something a little more distinct in-ring instead of settling into yet another enforcer role.
But then again, enforcers lead to new stars, just look at Fatu. For the first time in Fatu’s career, the uncertainty and humanity behind the violence felt plausible and earned. Seeing his obvious reluctance in saying “I love you, Solo” was not only ominous (as expected) but you really felt for the guy, having to placate a boss leeching off his momentum. There was a relatability to Fatu I haven’t felt before, which could pay off dividends in launching his babyface character eventually.
Storyline-wise, it looks like we’re playing the breakup will they-won’t they hits again. Just like Reigns-Sikoa, this back-and-forth always drags because we can see the eventual endgame coming a mile away, and especially with Fatu’s capabilities WWE runs the risk of making his fealty to Sikoa seem unrealistic as weeks go on, since we didn’t get the years-long backstory we did with Reigns & Sikoa when they did this routine.
Overall, an obvious soft reset for The Bloodline, done competently but a little shakily.
Grade: B
THE MEN’S MITB QUALIFIERS
Latest Developments:
The New Bloodline had another change to advance their position by Solo Sikoa winning his MITB qualifier against former ally “Big” Jim Uso and Rey Fenix.
Sikoa managed to score the pin on Rey Fenix, before LA Knight laid him out with a chair post-match.
Analysis:
This match was built around re-establishing Solo Sikoa’s in-ring prowess. Following Fatu’s ascent, Sikoa’s ring work has begun to feel like it’s lagged behind. However, this match proved he can brawl with the best of them, throwing around Uso and Fenix with ease, and bringing back shades of the intimidator he once was under Roman Reigns.
Sikoa winning was a good call, as he’ll provide an insurmountable obstacle and base for the flipper babyfaces to overcome mid-match, as well as garner some solid heat by inevitably shoving some babyfaces off the ladder. Especially now that Sikoa’s been allowed to be more silly (his pathetic demand that Fatu say he loves him was a masterclass in cringe comedy), we could be in store for some hilarious old-school heel work.
Additionally, Fenix losing was smart, as it lends further credence to his ongoing story with Santos Escobar. A subtle detail, but one that dispels bad-faith criticism that Fenix is being handed too many losses in his early days with the company. Is he losing? Sure. But commentary takes pains to voice Fenix’s relative lack of experience under WWE lights, and it feeds into a storyline thus ensuring the losses aren’t the only thing sticking in the viewer’s minds.
Grade: A-
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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THE WOMEN’S MITB QUALIFIERS
Latest Developments:
Unlikely allies Michin and B-Fab began having each other’s backs against The Secret Hervice last year.
Last week, Michin and B-Fab were hyping each other up in preparation for their MITB qualifying matches, before Chelsea Green showed up to whine at both of them, before being spooked by fellow participant Alexa Bliss.
Bliss, Green, and Michin faced off in a three-way MITB qualifier later that night, which Bliss won by pinning Green.
Analysis:
Not much building off of prior feuds here. The brief pre-match promo beautifully set up the match’s dynamic, with Green as the buffoonish heel that both Bliss and Michin were forced to overcome. All three women wrestled vastly different styles, to the match’s credit. Michin played situational heel, brutalizing her competitors with pure strength, while WWE finally capitalized on Bliss’ popularity by letting her shine as the underdog. Green was there to ground the other women, peacocking and garnering heat to remind audiences that neither of the other two were meant to be booed.
Bliss walked away the winner, which makes sense as WWE should give her a bigger spotlight following a mystifiying absence from TV over the past few months. Bliss’ popularity is skyrocketing, and she deserves to hang with the main event. Allowing her to flex her hardcore skills in MITB is a great way to launch that push.
Grade: A-
DREW MCINTYRE vs. DAMIAN PRIEST
Latest Developments:
Drew McIntyre recently developed a rivalry against Damian Priest following Priest eliminating him from both the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber, and pointing out the logical flaws in his quests for revenge over the last year. McIntyre began targeting Priest as the man who benefited most from his downfall and personal vendettas over the past year.
At Wrestlemania 41, the two engaged in a brutally hard-hitting street fight that ended with McIntyre snagging the win. In the aftermath, both men began targeting Jacob Fatu’s US Championship, but were distracted by each other during a four-way match for the title at Backlash, allowing Fatu to retain.
Last week, an enraged Priest claimed he was tired of getting sucked into Drew’s pettiness and hatred. Tired of the two sabotaging each other, Priest challenged McIntyre to one last match, to end things once and for all: a steel cage match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. McIntyre later responded, calling Priest jealous for meddling in his business and accepting the match to end Priest once and for all.
Analysis:
A pair of sensational promos that sold the audience on a feud-ender immediately. As sluggish as this feud was in the early stages, looking back it hasn’t been going for that long. Empirically, jumping to a steel cage after only four months (one of which involved two other competitors) of feuding should feel rushed. Massive credit to both Priest and McIntyre for being able to convincingly portray not just hatred but a sense of frustration and weariness at their rivals.
Because it’s true: while McIntyre’s pettiness originally fuelled their rivalry, he was right. The two have essentially screwed each other out of multiple opportunities because they’ve been so laser-focused on hurting each other. As much as the Backlash four-way match’s pacing felt off thanks to Priest and McIntyre having their own little singles match away from the action, it was a great moment of subliminal booking that sold their vendettas against each other without feeling overly contrived.
A good ol’ fashioned cage brawl also proves a great way to juice up the next SNME, particularly given the card’s overreliance on aura-heavy matches (Cena vs. Truth, Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul). Some good ol’ violent rasslin should be a great way to counterbalance the rhythm of the special.
Grade: A+
LOS GARZAS HAVE HAD ENOUGH
Latest Developments:
In the past few months, Santos Escobar has repeatedly berated Los Garzas (Angel & Berto) for not amassing a winning record, despite his own lackluster in-ring showings. In recent months, Andrade began reminding Los Garzas that they had accomplished plenty, and Escobar’s brutal leadership was holding them both back, much to Escobar’s fury.
On the eve of Wrestlemania 41, Rey Fenix made his explosive debut in WWE, and Escobar was immediately captivated and began courting him to join Legado Del Fantasma, but Fenix continually refused. Offended, Escobar sent out Los Garzas to beat him down until Andrade made the save. When Los Garzas lost to Fenix and Andrade yet again the following week, Berto grew tired of Escobar’s verbal abuse post-match, swatting him away and leaving.
Last week, Angel tried to mollify Escobar by promising to get Berto calmed down. Escobar threatened him, saying it would be a shame if they lost everything due to one person being selfish.
Analysis:
So, it looks like we’re running the “Honorary Uce”-style breakup angle again, using a tyrannical leader to drive a wedge between an established tag team. I’m not opposed to it, as a change in ideologies is a quick and easy to differentiate between two wrestlers that often felt interchangeable in their time on the main roster.
Running Berto’s first rebellious act in-ring, as opposed to backstage, was a great choice as WWE’s trademark hot crowds elevated a fairly mundane setup and execution and gave it a buzzing energy that carried into this week. Escobar came off legitimately furious at being embarrassed, an insecurity which lends him a different tone than other heels who’ve been disrespected by their underlings. Angel playing peacekeeper was the most character development he’s had in the past few years, and Berto has slowly begun to get over as a babyface without even being there.
The issue here is the sheer lack of characterization the stable has had in the last year. Beyond Escobar being mad at Los Garzas, there hasn’t been much substance to their act. Escobar himself rarely wrestles anymore unless WWE needs someone to get squashed by L.A. Knight (seriously, check out Cagematch, that’s like half his matches this year). So the emotional beats and character dynamics of an angle like this, which was the secret sauce to launching new stars in the fallout, will be harder to access.
Grade: B
CARMELO HAYES IS TIRED OF THE MIZ
Latest Developments:
Several weeks ago, The Miz stormed the ring with his lackey Carmelo Hayes, complaining that he didn’t make the Wrestlemania 41 card. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and a figure rose from the shadows. It’s Aleister Black! Making his return to WWE, the spooky one slowly walked into the ring, nailing Miz with a kick and sitting in the ring to thunderous applause.
The following week, Black and The Miz faced off in-ring, in a match Black cleanly won. Post-match, Black and Hayes squared up. Black dispatched Hayes in short order thanks to Miz’s failed interference, standing tall to end the segment.
Last week, a more determined Hayes was noticeably annoyed with Miz’s hype attempts, focused on ending Black’s win streak once and for all. However, Black managed to win by DQ in their rematch later that night thanks to Miz getting involved. Hayes furiously looked on as the segment closed.
Analysis:
So it looks like we’re planting seeds of Melo Don’t Miz breaking up, or at the very least having inner turmoil. And frankly, I’m struggling to see the value of this partnership to Hayes. Melo’s promo game was already strong, he doesn’t have especially great chemistry with Miz, and if the goal is getting him TV time then Miz of all people isn’t a surefire way to get there in 2025.
To be honest, it’s really starting to look like this was thrown together just to keep both wrestlers from floating around the midcard, which would explain why they haven’t made serious headways into the already-crowded tag team division. It’s just a program that I struggle to get excited about.
Oh, and Aleister Black was also here. Run-of-the-mill promo, quick match, nothing to write home about. I hope this program ends with Black getting one highlight-worthy moment, or WWE runs the risk of one of their most distinctive acquisitions starting their new tenure with a whimper.
Grade: C-
FRAXIOM vs. DIY: BATTLE OF THE NXT GATEKEEPERS
Latest Developments:
NXT’s favorite totally-not-dysfunctional duo was officially called up to Smackdown following Wrestlemania 41, quickly plowing through the tag division and working their way up to a title shot.
Last week, The Street Profits spoke in-ring about their acclaimed TLC match and joked about having “a leg up” on the competition, insisting their dominance is inevitable.
Fraxiom interrupted, respectfully challenging the Profits, and a title eliminator match was made that night, which Fraxiom won in a major upset earning them a title shot.
Last week, Fraxiom faced off against DIY, standing up to the veteran NXT tag team with their superior speed and agility. Ciampa began trying to unmask Axiom, but Axiom countered him to score the win. Post-match, DIY continued attacking Fraxiom until their rivals Motor City Machine Guns arrived to chase them off.
Post-match, Fraxiom jawed with The Street Profits, who shook their hands before wishing them luck on their eventual tag title shot. Fraxer excitedly said that all they had to do now was beat the champs.
Analysis:
A nice little side quest for Fraxiom before their title shot. I loved the booking of two great NXT tag teams that each carried their divisions in the past. It was a great subliminal way to show that Fraxiom can hang alongside their contemporaries, reflected by having DIY tone down their heel shtick and match Fraxiom’s faster pace for most of the match. Having the rookies escape the veterans by pure speed and agility was classic booking, showing Fraxiom’s raw talent without relying on cheap underdog “babyface fire” pops.
I especially loved the post-match Fraxiom comments, which expanded their characters beyond fresh-faced contenders. Frazer naively saying “all we have to do now is beat the champs” provides a hint that the two’s main roster inexperience will prove to be their downfall. I loved the juxtaposition between Fraxiom and The Profits. I never thought of Tez and Dawkins as especially giant, but they made Fraxiom look downright puny when standing side-by-side, a great visual parallel for the “mountains” the young guns will have to overcome.
It feels like we’re setting up for a Fraxiom loss, allowing them to build themselves back up with more experience. Frankly, I think that’s the right choice. The Profits deserve a longer reign after the running theme of their title chase was redemption after years of iffy booking, and the two have plenty left in the tank. There’s no rush to crown Fraxiom, since their crowd reactions show no sign of waning and the division’s healthy enough to not have to hotshot a new set of champs immediately.
But win or loss, WWE has done a fantastic job launching Fraxiom to the top of the tag team division, and the eventual title match should be a barn-burner.
Grade: A
TIFFANY STRATTON VS. NIA JAX
Latest Developments:
After a messy feud with Charlotte Flair culminating in a successful title defense at Wrestlemania 41, Stratton had a town hall segment where she laid her vulnerabilities out and stated she came out victorious and was ready to move forward.
Alongside Jade Cargill, Stratton found herself dealing with Cargill’s forever rival Naomi and an old enemy from her own past, Nia Jax, whom she betrayed and won the WWE Women’s Championship from late last year using her Money In The Bank cash-in.
Jax confronted Stratton in-ring, vowing to take back her championship despite Stratton’s newfound confidence. The following week, Cargill and Jax faced off in a #1 contender’s match, which Jax won thanks to Naomi’s interference, earning her another shot at the gold.
Last week, Stratton and Jax faced off in a title match. After a brutal war ending in Jax getting busted open by a steel chair, Stratton overcame the odds with a molten-hot crowd behind her to win the match and retain her title as the show drew to a close.
Analysis:
This match had no right to be as engaging as it was. Following a muted end to this angle, and a rushed one-week build that was relegated to TV despite SNME being under a week away, there was little to suggest that this match would steal the show.
And yet, Stratton and Jax put on an absolute clinic that paid off their long-running rivalry, got Stratton crazy over as a babyface, and had a genuine big-fight feel leaving both women looking more badass than when they went in. As the saying goes, one woman went over but both women got over.
First off, Nia Jax has quietly become a master of playing to the crowd. Finding her niche in longer slow-paced epics, Jax plays a powerhouse monster that takes babyfaces JUST to the brink of defeat, but her grandstanding leaves enough of an opening for comeback sequences before she takes back control. Paired with anti-pop heel heat and a mastery of slowing down the pace with holds and snarky looks, and Jax controlled the flow of the match beautifully. This left Stratton the job to play a babyface throwing her soul into every maneuver, and she executed it to perfection. Selling a steady stream of exhaustion, Stratton’s every move had weight and snug force behind it, and she looked like a hero slaying a dragon.
Combined with some hilariously imaginative twists on classic spots (Jax executing a “big sit” by getting knocked off the top rope was side-splitting but still looked deadly), and this match made the most of its generous length for TV. After a lackluster Wrestlemania program, Stratton got all her crowd support back and then some, setting her up for a dynamite summer season. This still should have been on SNME, but as is it was one of WWE’s best TV main events this year.
Grade: A+
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