{"id":175134,"date":"2024-03-09T15:38:39","date_gmt":"2024-03-09T21:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=175134"},"modified":"2024-03-10T13:09:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-10T18:09:53","slug":"over-unders-wwe-smackdown-3-8-wwe-brad-a-thon-romans-laugh-cody-goes-will-smith-ill-conceived-barrier-led-designs-a-town-toddler-naomis-ear-rave-lashleys-all-mighty-entrance-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/03\/09\/over-unders-wwe-smackdown-3-8-wwe-brad-a-thon-romans-laugh-cody-goes-will-smith-ill-conceived-barrier-led-designs-a-town-toddler-naomis-ear-rave-lashleys-all-mighty-entrance-more\/","title":{"rendered":"OVER &#038; UNDERS &#8211; WWE SMACKDOWN (3\/8): WWE Brad-a-Thon, Roman&#8217;s Laugh, Cody Goes Will Smith, A-Town Toddler, Naomi&#8217;s Ear Rave, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-831329903\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>It\u2019s Friday, why so blue?! Because it\u2019s time for the blue-tastic, bombastic, night of wrestling, featuring such hyped moments as a social media star returning, Bobby Lashley fighting a grumpy tattoo man, and Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins answering a question! Will it be yes? Will it be no? Will there be a long dramatic pause with 3 dots appearing on screen for an absurdly long time?! Anything could happen! Let\u2019s dig into the most overrated and under-appreciated moments from Friday Night Smackdown.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; WWE BRAG-A-THON<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>WWE just achieved 100 million followers on YouTube and got a fancy award. I can think of 200 million reasons they didn\u2019t need to highlight this. You already make more money than most of your viewers, do you really need to take YouTube from the people? It\u2019s all we got, Hunter! That said, it is pretty impressive that their subscriber total is more than the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL combined.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; FART ART<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is a fine, nuanced art to creating bout graphics. This graphic of Bobby Lashley versus Karrion Kross is absolutely hysterical. It looks like Kar-bear is letting one rip and Bobby is staring at him like \u201cDid he just do that?\u201d. Hilariously unintentional, but go back and look at it again. You\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; ILL-CONCEIVED BARRIER LED DESIGNS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why do Kevin Owens\u2019 barrier graphics make it look like he\u2019s in a dive bar? Seriously, who thought he\u2019d benefit from the rotten wood-chic aesthetic? I mean, I guess if you\u2019re going to fight, fight and fight some more, you might as well do it in a dive bar. Fun fact, the imaginary Kevin Owens\u2019 dive bar has more patrons than WWE New York ever did.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; A-TOWN TODDLER<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3839274012\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>In the beginning of Kevin Owens and Randy Orton versus Austin Theory and Grayson Waller, there is a hilarious moment if you look closely. Theory and Owens go to lock up, miss, and Theory reacts like a 3 year old that just sprayed himself in the face with a hose.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; A-TOWN RANKED DOWN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Austin Theory\u2019s ranking in WWE2K24 is 72?! He doesn\u2019t deserve that. This kid could easily be a future main eventer. This feels like seeing the star quarterback from high school working at a gas station. It\u2019s just sad, even though he still looks cooler than I ever will. Thank you, Corey Graves for pointing out this travesty on commentary. Upstanding individuals like yourself really help drive awareness to serious issues such as this.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; RANDY\u2019S AILMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Randy Orton now has so many skulls on his arms, that it\u2019s starting to look like a skin condition or some kind of odd infectious disease. Is there a vaccine for R.K.O.? I think Grayson Waller should be wearing a mask.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; COUNTING TO TEN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Watching Randy Orton punch Grayson Waller in the head while the crowd happily counts to ten is so wholesome. It\u2019s such a simple thing, but we wrestling fans love to count up and count down. It\u2019s our thing. Just look at The Royal Rumble or The Elimination Chamber. We just love numbers, and whenever a vet like Orton goes for a classic like the turnbuckle 10 punch, it\u2019s like watching America\u2019s Funniest Home Videos and a clip comes on with a kid hitting a baseball into his dad\u2019s baby maker. Sure, we\u2019ve seen it a hundred times, but it\u2019s always a fun, happy comfort zone of entertainment (maybe not for Dad). Special shoutout to Orton who looks like he\u2019s having the most fun he\u2019s had in years in the ring. I have to wonder if this year is going to be Randy\u2019s last ride and he\u2019s trying to soak it all in and go out with a bang. I\u2019m both kind of sick of Orton, and simultaneously don\u2019t want him to be gone. He\u2019s like an annoying roommate. Sure you don\u2019t want them annoying you, but when they\u2019re gone, it\u2019s oh so lonely. We need R.K.O.s to keep us warm at night.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; BILL NYE THE OWENS GUY<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-753804005\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Is there anyone in WWE that Kevin Owens doesn\u2019t have chemistry with? Seriously, if he had any more chemistry he\u2019d have to start teaching science courses in the ring. Special shoutout to him hilariously telling Grayson Waller \u201cNo one likes you.\u201d Blunt, cold and classic Owens.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; GRAYSON WALLER\u2019S FACE-OFF<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m all for selling an opponent&#8217;s offense. It\u2019s the key ingredient to getting us invested in a match. That said, Grayson Waller selling face pain after getting clocked by Kevin Owens is a bit much. He\u2019s contorting his face so much he looks like Elvis Presley if he just got stung on the lip by a bee. He looks like Vigilante in Peacemaker trying to contort his face to avoid being identified. Subtlety is believability. That was about as subtle as John Cena wearing the entire Peacemaker outfit on the press circuit promoting the show. I\u2019d also like to point out that not all greens are created equal, and while I applaud Waller and Theory in trying to color coordinate, this is deserving of a citation from the fashion police. Where\u2019s Fandango when you need him? Side note, seeing the Fashion Files\u2019 case board with a picture of Randy Orton and \u201cAllergic to sleeves?\u201d written on it, is still one of my fondest WWE memories. Public Service Announcement: Wear sleeves or you too could contract R.K.O.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; G.K.O.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Grayson Waller going for Randy Orton\u2019s R.K.O., complete with the taunt, is such a hilarious, classic heel move. If they\u2019re getting into a program together, I\u2019d love to see Waller start using (stealing) his move in other matches. He looked like he was genuinely having fun too. I wonder if that was a surprise to try to get Randy to break character and laugh. Special mention to Kevin Owens taking out Austin Theory at ringside. I will never get sick of seeing him come in like a wrecking ball (he sings in his best Miley Cyrus impression).<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; RANDY\u2019S SPECIAL PLACE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Corey Graves, I am really sick of hearing about this mysterious, sick, and twisted place that Randy Orton goes to. First of all, I didn\u2019t see him go anywhere. He\u2019s been right in front of me the entire time. Secondly, where is this place? What is this place? Is this where patient zero of R.K.O. lives? If so, I\u2019m going to take the long way around. I don\u2019t want to go anywhere near that place. They say R.K.O. can come out of nowhere and I\u2019m not taking any chances. Also, I cringe every time Randy pounds the mat. I\u2019m just waiting for him to dislocate his shoulder again. I feel like I\u2019m watching a bus floor it straight at a brick wall and there\u2019s nothing I can do but watch (and enjoy the crash).<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; LOGAN PAUL\u2019S BRASS NON-KNUCKLES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Oh my God, did I love seeing Logan Paul\u2019s hilariously cartoonish takeout of Kevin Owens and Randy Orton. He popped up like a Looney Tunes villain with the most ridiculous looking double clothesline. I loved every ounce of this over-the-top moment. That said, Logan, if you\u2019re going to use brass knuckles, maybe, I dunno, slide them onto your actual knuckles. You have them resting oddly on your fingertips like you\u2019re about to use them for some twisted finger painting endeavor. I know you\u2019re a maverick but yeesh. Special mention to Logan making a hilariously relatable annoyed face when Orton stole his brass knuckles. It was such an \u201cI\u2019m telling my mom\u201d face. This guy just gets his role and plays it to a T.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; IYO SKY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That was a great promo package hyping the Bayley versus Iyo Sky feud. I love that WWE is getting bold with having multiple layers and foils in feuds. The only problem I have with this Bayley versus all of Damage CTRL story, is that Iyo Sky is the absolute weakest character involved. I\u2019d rank Dakota Kai the most interesting, then Kairi Sane because she\u2019s incredibly creepy, then Asuka because she\u2019s a legacy star with charisma for days, and then Iyo dead last. She\u2019s just getting buried by the big fish around her. It\u2019s like she&#8217;s a single candle on a stage of fire pyro. She\u2019s barely noticeable with all the heat burning around her. I\u2019ve heard of a candle in the wind, but Sky is more like a candle in the middle of a hurricane, tornado, and tsunami all at once. Corey Graves called Dakota Kai the \u201cfourth and final dagger.\u201d I\u2019d say there are three daggers and a thumbtack.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; BAD AUDIO DECISION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why on earth is WWE bleeding in arena audio during the Bayley interview with Kayla Braxton?! They\u2019re not hanging on every word, or even reacting to and enhancing what she\u2019s saying. It just sounds like the crowd is bored and everyone is talking amongst themselves. Bad audio decision, WWE. If I\u2019m going to see Adele sing, I don\u2019t want to hear a drum solo in the background. Yes I just compared Bayley to Adele. It was the first singer that popped into my head. It\u2019s not my fault she has an angelic voice that sticks to my eardrums like Perry Saturn to a mop. Sue me. Actually don\u2019t sue me. I don\u2019t want the legal expenses or having to explain my closeted love of Adele.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; PROPER GRAMMAR<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I am completely and utterly distracted by Bayley\u2019s poor use of grammar in this interview. First, she said Damage CTRL \u201ctook their history and used it against us.\u201d Us? Is this a sequel to Split? Bayley, is someone else in there with you? Did said individual, or individuals, come from that place Randy Orton goes to? A few moments later she topped herself by saying that Damage CTRL made the biggest mistake of their \u201clife.\u201d I didn\u2019t realize that they were a shared consciousness. I thought that only existed on shows like The Last of Us. So apparently Bayley is a we, and Damage CTRL is a her. I know grammar isn\u2019t necessarily at the forefront of everyone\u2019s mind while speaking, but it\u2019s like a cheese grater on a chalkboard for me. Bayley, please take the cheese grater off of the chalkboard. Just when I thought the Bayley destruction of the English language was over, she said \u201cI will do everything in my soul to break them.\u201d What\u2019s in your soul Bayley? What exactly are you doing in your soul? Do you have activities there? I wish I had things to do in my soul, a crossword puzzle, maybe Sudoku, anything fun really. My soul is an empty toy chest. Lucky you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; NAOMI\u2019S EAR RAVE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why are there strobing lights coming out of Naomi\u2019s ears during this interaction with Bianca BelAir? That\u2019s not distracting AT ALL. It only looks like she\u2019s having glowing ragers inside her eardrums, which are being played by a mad man. So much green. So much glow. I feel like I\u2019m watching a Power Ranger\u2019s girlfriend try to be supportive but going overboard. Naomi is throwing a weak pity party at the same time. She seems so blue, but looks so green. She\u2019s like a depressed Shrek, taking downers in the middle of a club rager. Special shout out to Bianca\u2019s line \u201cI said what I said.\u201d She delivered that with contagious swagger. She should make that a shtick, insulting people and then adding the \u201cI said what I said\u201d exclamation point to it. Gold.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; BOBBY LASHLEY\u2019S ALL MIGHTY ENTRANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sorry, but is the lead lighting designer the biggest Bobby Lashley fan of all time? Was he sitting in the front row when Lashley and Donald Trump shaved Vince McMahon\u2019s head? Whatever it is, this guy gave Lashley some of the coolest lighting for an entrance I\u2019ve ever seen. Lashley, you should be incredibly grateful to whoever put this together for you, alrighty? Alrighty All Mighty? That lighting design is almost as gold as Bobby\u2019s outfit (which is literally gold).<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; KARRION KROSS\u2019S HEAVYWEIGHT STATUS?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Did Wade Barrett just refer to both Bobby Lashley and Karrion Kross as heavyweights? While many of us see them both as such, WWE has done virtually nothing to earn calling Karrion that. The only thing heavyweight about him is that he lifts heavy weights. Also apparently his group is called The Final Testament. That\u2019s like finding out there were more than three members of Destiny\u2019s Child. I only care about Beyonce. Corey Graves just referred to them as two modern day gladiators. Sure, but one is Russell Crowe and the other is Laser from American Gladiators. There\u2019s an ocean of clout between them. Also, I\u2019m sorry but does Scarlett have claws now? That\u2019s the sharpest creative decision involving anything to do with Karrion.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; KARRION\u2019S ANGRY ELBOW<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Holy elbows, Batman! Karrion Kross just hit Bobby Lashley with one of the most brutal elbow strikes I\u2019ve ever seen. Where has that fire been this whole time, Kross? That was hard enough to get you one more testament. Any harder and he would have knocked Lashley back to Impact Wrestling on Destination America. Special mention to Scarlett who is really good as Kross\u2019 ringside personality. She doesn\u2019t say much verbally, but she speaks monologues with body language. She\u2019s like if Paul Heyman and a mime had a love child, that grew up and went through an emo phase.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; SLOW AND SLOWER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Karrion Kross and Bobby Lashley both fight with such a similar slow style in the ring that it\u2019s annoyingly slow paced. I feel like I\u2019m watching an indy Oscar movie about Amazon factory workers\u2026I\u2019m looking at you, Nomadland. I honestly wonder what\u2019s slower, this match, or Roman Reigns\u2019 walk to the ring. Special K has a solid moves set, a great look, and a decent shtick, but watching him wrestle an equally slow-paced Lashley, is like watching a sumo wrestler wade through 5 feet of mud. I\u2019m glad this is The Last Testament. I don\u2019t have enough caffeine in me to stay awake for anymore testaments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; A.J. STYLES\u2019S HUMBLING MISSION<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I really liked this quick but effective promo from A.J. Styles explaining why he\u2019s going after L.A. Knight, and no it isn\u2019t because they both have abbreviations as their first names. Honorable mention to Wade Barrett, for saying he hopes they have Progressive insurance on the set after Knight watched Styles&#8217; promo, and then destroyed the TV he watched in on. Clever and funny incorporation of a key sponsor.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; PANTS (IN DRAGON LEE\u2019S OPINION)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Listen, can everyone stop with the white trunks already? It just looks like you forgot to wear pants, Dragon Lee. It\u2019s jarring, distracting, and makes me want to go to the Gap to buy you a pair of jeans. Wear pants, Mr. Lee. Wear pants. Also, I wish they\u2019d stop trying to sell Dragon Lee as the next Rey Mysterio. That, he is not. He\u2019s more like the discounted, off-brand, generic cola version of Rey. Rey has a level of charisma, ability and speed that few can match. Dragon Lee, you can fly under the name of a mythical creature all you want, but compared to Rey, you\u2019re still just a green lizard. Now, read that again to appreciate my double entendre with green. Please, thank you, and you\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; SANTOS ESCOBAR<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Santos Escobar has fully embraced, and is shining with the persona of a villain in a Robert Rodriguez movie. His mannerisms, his subtle demeanor, and his explosive temper are all serving this elevating persona shift. If WWE Films were still a thing, I\u2019d love to see him play a titular bad guy role. For now though, we\u2019ll have to settle for serialized villainy. Santos, all your minions are bargain bin bad guys, but you sir, you are the 4K UHD, collectors steelbook of evil. Kudos. Also, don\u2019t hurt me for insulting your friends. Seriously, I\u2019m fragile.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; DARTH ROCKY\u2019S PRIVATE ENTRANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seriously, Rock acknowledges Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief, but still can\u2019t subserviently enter as his lackey? Weak sauce, Rock. Weak sauce with a side of pie. They bought so much real estate for Reigns\u2019 alpha male machismo last week, and 7-days later they throw it all away so The Rock can have his own private entrance. Side note, I think it\u2019s really sweet that Rock is willing to wear a vest his kids made for him on national TV. Cool addition to his open with the lightning, but last I checked, lightning doesn\u2019t have Star Wars sound effects accompanying them. Rock\u2026may The Bloodline be with you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; SLOW ENTRANCES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I honestly can\u2019t figure out who is slower, The Rock walking to the ring like he\u2019s dragging a ball and chain hooked to his legs, or Roman \u201cBird Watching\u201d Reigns during his entrance. There\u2019s nothing wrong with watching aerial-enabled animals, Roman, but can you do it while you\u2019re pacing around your own mansion, instead of on my Friday night? Please? Pretty please with a Solo Sikoa musical solo on top?<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; BETWEEN THE ROCK AND A HARD PLACE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Rock needs to commit to being a heel more. Him showing his goosebumps over and over doesn\u2019t help to make us hate him. It also doesn\u2019t help that he stands out amongst the darkly dressed Bloodline with a vest that can be seen from the International Space Station. On top of that (but wait there\u2019s more) he is standing about 4-feet away from the rest of his faction. If this ain\u2019t foreshadowing that he\u2019s going to help Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, I don\u2019t know what is. Rocky is practically standing on a soap box, screaming into the crowd \u201cI\u2019m not with them!\u201d I do like the added intrigue, but this is a bit too heavy handed for my taste. Let me exercise a little bit of brain power here. I don\u2019t need a hand where the sun don\u2019t shine, operating my mouth, forcing my opinions like a puppet. I\u2019m also wondering if perhaps The Rock doesn\u2019t have goosebumps. Maybe he contracted R.K.O., the poor guy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER &#8211; APPRECIATED &#8211; PRECISION CAMERA WORK<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I love seeing Cody Rhodes enter from the crowd but the camera man completely missed the first \u201cwow\u201d, which deflates Mr. Nightmare\u2019s entrance. WWE, cool idea but if you\u2019re going to roll out the red carpet of creativity, don\u2019t track mud all over it. You gotta get these things right or your fun aesthetic risks become nothing more than clunky misfires. It\u2019s like the entrance-embodiment of Curtis Axel\u2019s debut all over again. Side note, Seth Rollins can humble himself by entering under Cody\u2019s music, but Dwayne \u201cT.G.I. Fridays vest\u201d Johnson can\u2019t lower himself to enter under the Tribal Chief\u2019s jam? There\u2019s enough gray area to these entrances to fill Seth Rollins\u2019 jumbo jacket. Seriously though, did he steal that coat from a Himalayan Sherpa with an overactive pituitary gland? If you\u2019re unfamiliar, that\u2019s the genetic abnormality that causes people to grow large enough to actually fit into Seth\u2019s coat.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; CODY \u201cCAPTAIN OBVIOUS\u201d RHODES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m normally on the edge of my seat for anything and everything Cody Rhodes says. But I draw the line at him telling me to feel a moment instead of letting me feel a moment. The crowd alone prompts us to soak this all in. We don\u2019t need his nightmareness to tell us to. We have eyes and ears, Cody. Let our senses guide us. Let me smell and taste the cake. I don\u2019t need you saying it\u2019s delicious cake. It\u2019s just not what I want to talk about.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; ROCK\u2019S LACK OF AUTHORITY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Okay, Cody Rhodes totally redeemed himself by asking if Rock had the authority to make a challenge, after placing himself beneath Roman Reigns\u2019 leadership. That\u2019s gold. He\u2019s smartly sewing mistrust between them ahead of WrestleMania. Side note, how can Rocky call Seth Rollins a walking clown show, when he himself is dressed like Guy Fieri\u2019s assistant? I didn\u2019t know they opened a Smackdown Hotel in FlavorTown.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; THE DIARRHEA RETURNS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Rock may not want to turn anything sideways or shove anything somewhere, because the diarrhea has returned\u2026possibly a side effect of contracting R.K.O. I\u2019m not a fan of fecal matter jokes, it reeks of low-hanging fruit if you ask me, but I did appreciate the unexpected chant interrupting Rock. Until now he\u2019s seemed pretty over tonight, so this was a welcome shift. It\u2019s also heartwarming to see the proud look on Seth Rollins\u2019 face, like he just saw his child give a doll the stomp for the first time. Ah, proud parenting moments.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; SETH REASSERTS HIMSELF<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seeing Seth Rollins interrupt and flat out bury The Rock really redeemed him from the lingering stench of looking weak at the legendary press conference. I particularly enjoyed him calling The Rock, \u201cMr. Mid-Life Crisis.\u201d It\u2019s so true. Just look at the vest that makes him look like he\u2019s posing for an annual fireman calendar. \u201cYou had your time. You can\u2019t have ours\u201d was also particularly great. If there were any lingering doubts about Seth\u2019s machismo as a main eventer, those should be buried in the parking lot of The Smackdown Hotel now\u2026the FlavorTown branch. Apologies for the metaphors in this column. I think it\u2019s a side effect of R.K.O. I took a wrong turn and ended up in that place Randy Orton goes to, by mistake.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; ROMAN REIGNS\u2019S LAUGH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t like when Roman Reigns laughs mid promo. He looks like a goofball that can\u2019t act when he does. He really loses his quiet, cool demeanor, which I prefer, when he\u2019s standing firmly in The Rock\u2019s shadow. It does him no favors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; THE ROCK DOES MATH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s absolutely hysterical that The Rock added up the math to conclude that Cody Rhodes\u2019 conception was a mistake. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why he is The Great One. I still wish he\u2019d work harder to give Roman Reigns the rub, but some lines can only come out of The Rock\u2019s mouth. Kudos to him for knowing how much WWE fans love counting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; CODY GOES WILL SMITH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll be honest. I had completely forgotten about the slap at the press conference between The Rock and Cody Rhodes. Seeing Cody get his receipt was absolutely glorious. I wish The Rock had gotten in Cody\u2019s face for an epic stare down as they went off the air but I won\u2019t ding them for that. The Rock\u2019s violent smile says it all.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s all for now. I\u2019ll be back Monday for more fire vests, math-driven machismo, updates on the spread of R.K.O. disease, and of course, Seth Rollins\u2019 latest catwalk.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED NEXT:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/03\/08\/175086\/\">WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS (3\/8): McDonald\u2019s \u201calt perspective\u201d report on Rhodes &amp; Rollins appear to address Rock &amp; Reigns, Logan Paul returns, Theory &amp; Waller vs. Owens &amp; Orton, Lashley vs. Kross<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.net\/site\/2024\/03\/08\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown-results-3-8-barnetts-review-of-cody-rhodes-and-seth-rollins-responding-to-rock-and-roman-reigns-wmxl-challenge-bobby-lashley-vs-karrion-kross\/\">WWE Friday Night Smackdown results (3\/8): Barnett\u2019s review of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins responding to Rock and Roman Reigns\u2019 WMXL challenge, Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3104525162\"><div id=\"pwtor-1869306731\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>It\u2019s Friday, why so blue?! Because it\u2019s time for the blue-tastic, bombastic, night of wrestling, featuring such hyped moments as a social media star returning, Bobby Lashley fighting a grumpy tattoo man, and Cody Rhodes <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/03\/09\/over-unders-wwe-smackdown-3-8-wwe-brad-a-thon-romans-laugh-cody-goes-will-smith-ill-conceived-barrier-led-designs-a-town-toddler-naomis-ear-rave-lashleys-all-mighty-entrance-more\/\" title=\"OVER &#038; UNDERS &#8211; WWE SMACKDOWN (3\/8): WWE Brad-a-Thon, Roman&#8217;s Laugh, Cody Goes Will Smith, A-Town Toddler, Naomi&#8217;s Ear Rave, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":175136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,6930,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-175134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-over-and-unders","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2024\/03\/Screenshot-2024-03-09-at-3.32.30-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175134"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175146,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175134\/revisions\/175146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}