WWE RISING STARS & FADING STARS: Smackdown Edition – Magic Trick, Cody Takes a Back Seat, Kiana’s Moment, Charlotte Fails, McIntyre’s Monarchy, Fatu Pumps the Brakes

This year’s Elimination Chamber matches are all about Smackdown. Men’s Rumble winner Roman Reigns has declared he’ll challenge C.M. Punk at WrestleMania. At the time of this writing, women’s Rumble winner Liv Morgan has yet to commit, but she seems likely to choose Stephanie Vaquer.

This means both Elimination Chamber matches will determine the WrestleMania challengers for Smackdown’s top champions: Drew McIntyre and Jade Cargill. Smackdown’s build to Elimination Chamber is therefore of particular importance.

Who’s firing on all four cylinders going into the Chamber, and who’s sputtering out?

Rising Star of the Week: Trick Williams

Trick Williams is the hottest new main roster star of recent weeks. Let’s talk about it.

Although many would argue that he would be best utilized as a babyface, Williams has played the role of an egomaniac heel quite well.

Booking has allowed him to trade barbs with Smackdown’s top stars, showcasing his charisma and signaling to fans that Williams is one to watch. For his first matches, Williams has been paired with ring technicians capable of ensuring he looks his best from bell to bell.

Fans have embraced Williams and enjoy singing along with his entrance. Although this is not ideal for a heel, getting such a big reaction is far preferable to getting none. Williams wasn’t in Memphis for last week’s Raw, but fans nearly hijacked the show by chanting “Whoop That Trick” over several unrelated segments all the same, including CM Punk’s showdown with Finn Balor.

Qualifying for the Men’s Elimination Chamber is another step in framing Trick Williams as a top star.

First Runner-Up: Kiana James

The past month has seen James transition from mouthpiece to contender. Having spent the past year as Giulia’s second, losing a large majority of her matches, Kiana James’s potential for a greater role seems to have been recognized by WWE Creative.

The first sign occurred during the women’s Royal Rumble match, when Kiana put on an impressive athletic performance that exceeded all expectations. She was given a chance to shine and took full advantage. Few would have predicted Kiana would have lasted nearly 30 minutes before being eliminated.

Winning a triple-threat match against Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair was James’s biggest victory since debuting on the main roster in June of 2024. In winning, she qualified for the Elimination Chamber match, which will be the highest profile match she’s ever competed in.

Will Kiana be able to capitalize on this opportunity? It’s impossible to say, as she’s untested in this role.

Seeing young talent given the chance to prove themselves at a higher level is one of the joys of watching professional wrestling. Like Williams and Je’Von Evans, James has a lot to prove at Elimination Chamber.

Second Runner-Up: Drew McIntyre

Although his booking in recent years frames him as a second-tier champion, the Drew McIntyre’s performances continue to frame him as a top star. McIntyre’s promos are second to none, and he continues to be the most interesting person on Smackdown.

Although many fans at first considered his title run to be transitional, McIntyre’s effectiveness in this role has made many question that assumption. If the original plan was for him to drop the belt at WrestleMania, creative should consider changing course.

Honorable Mention: Kit Wilson

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Smackdown: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

Fading Star of the Week: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes continues to churn out great promos and good-enough matches, but after a three-year reign as WWE’s top babyface, fans are ready for Cody to play a lesser role. Having challenged for or defended the top men’s title in the past three years, fans are less enthusiastic to see The American Nightmare main-event WrestleMania a fourth time in a row.

Having Cody challenge for McIntyre’s title as part of a four-way match with Jacob Fatu and Sami Zayn would certainly be more interesting than yet another one-on-one match. However, keeping him from the WrestleMania title match altogether (say, in a number one contender’s match) might be the best way to get fans behind his next run at the title.

Arguably the most successful babyface of the past decade, Cody’s act is truly something special. Creative should be cautious to avoid overexposing or over-pushing him.

First Runner-Up: Charlotte Flair

The Queen has competed at WrestleMania seven times. Each time she has been involved in wrestling for a world title.

Not this year.

Failing to qualify for this year’s Elimination Chamber means Flair likely finds herself shut out of a world title match at WrestleMania for the first time in her career.

Although wrestlers can benefit from taking a break from the main event scene (see Cody Rhodes, above), this could be considered a low point in Flair’s career, and a sign of how far The Queen has fallen from her throne.

Those who have wearied of seeing Charlotte dominate the women’s division will rejoice.

Given the ebb and flow of wrestling, it seems likely that Charlotte will again wrestle for a world title before long. However, her claim to the title of Ms. WrestleMania is suddenly challenged.

Second Runner-Up: Jacob Fatu

Despite repeatedly reminding fans that he is “all gas, no brakes,” Fatu has apparently hit a speed bump. The hottest new singles star going into last year’s WrestleMania, Fatu has lost much of that momentum.
His unstable connection with fans is reflected in his stop-start booking. After a big win over L.A. Knight at WrestleMania, Fatu went on to trade wins with Solo Sikoa.

The Samoan werewolf lost his first match on SmackDown in several months, failing to qualify for the Elimination Chamber in the process.

Fatu seems destined to find a way into a high-profile match at WrestleMania, perhaps even a title match with McIntyre. However, he’ll need inspired booking and performances to seem like a true contender.