SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Smackdown found something of a rhythm on Friday with excellent wrestling matches and some impressive foreshadowing in promo battles. WWE keeps bringing in celebrities for exposure, but having Jelly Roll in a match with Randy Orton feels almost insulting. No matter how it turns out, I hope these guest appearances become less frequent, especially with the roster deep and the show returning to two hours. As always, I’m Chris Adams, and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think I’ve missed anything.
OPENING CAR CRASH SEGMENT: MISS
The show started with a bloody face, crashed vehicles, and chaos. The segment could have been effective if not for one thing: Cody Rhodes presenting a contract. How strange and fake! Why wasn’t he there helping? Why was he rushing things? He came off looking like a buffoon with anxiety.
CHARLOTTE FLAIR AND ALEXA BLISS BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: MISS
Alexa Bliss continues to shine in all her work, making the most of her return and garnering explosive pops; her facial expressions are particularly wonderfully expressive. Charlotte Flair, however, appears stiff and tired. She often displays unnatural eye contact, giving the impression that she reads cue cards, while Bliss feels genuine. The pairing creates interesting contrasts in character and vibe, but Flair still needs to improve her ability to act naturally.
CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ: MISS
As the opener, the match should have been outstanding to set the tone for the show. Unfortunately, it was far from that. The pace was sluggish at times, as if Charlotte Flair and Raquel Rodriguez were buffering between moves. Rodriguez managed to appear larger and more powerful, a change from recent months. Flair was unimpressive. Off the top rope, she looked bad. The finish was clunky and left much to be desired.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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CARMELLO HAYES VS. DAMIEN PRIEST: HIT
The video package provided great history and continuity for the match. Melo attacking early was a stroke of brilliance, and I liked Priest still wearing his entrance gear while he was getting beat up. The back-and-forth action until Priest gained the upper hand was great, and I adored Melo’s “Tuning Up the Band!” It’s strange, though, that the announcers didn’t mention the name of Melo’s own finisher, ‘”The First 48.” A suave Aleister Black interfered and caused a DQ victory for Melo, which means we will be blessed with more conflict between these three in the future.
JELLY ROLL: MISS
I can’t say enough negative things about this segment and Jelly Roll’s ongoing presence in WWE programming. While they cut talented wrestlers, they simultaneously invest in Logan Paul and Jelly Roll. These segments undermine believability and seem too cartoonish. When Bryan Danielson recently called some WWE programming a parody of wrestling, these segments flashed into my mind.
STEPHANIE VAQUER VS. ALBA FYRE: HIT
Though short (perhaps too short), the pace was fantastic. These wrestlers made the most of a brief segment, with stiff hits and forceful slams. When Alba Fyre superkicked Stephanie Vaquer off the top rope, I quietly cheered. I’m a Vaquer fan, but love to see Fyre having bright spots. The finish came too quickly, but I imagine the match needed to be shorter to include Piper Niven’s attack. Let’s let them shine brighter next time, but I will take what I can get.
FOUR-WAY TAG TEAM CONTENDERS MATCH: HIT
Dang, this match was scorching. Red hot! As hot as ten thousand suns! While Andrade and Ray Fenix were the winners, every team shined brightly: Motor City Machine Guns, Fraxiom, and DIY! It would take too long to list the sequences that made me cry tears of joy, so I’ll highlight the work of Fraxiom, Nathan Frazer in particular. He is a workhorse, never quite getting his flowers yet always delivering a wild performance. Moving like a lightning bolt, he makes me believe a man can fly!
CODY RHODES AND JOHN CENA: HIT
What else is there to say except Cody Rhodes is heading down a path like Luke Skywalker did before him, toward the Dark Side. He will have to face another fateful decision. Will he give up his heart again when confronted with such a choice? I don’t expect a turn at SummerSlam, but the seeds are being laid out quite clearly. If it happens in August, I won’t be upset though.
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