{"id":175997,"date":"2024-03-30T18:43:54","date_gmt":"2024-03-30T23:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=175997"},"modified":"2024-03-30T18:43:54","modified_gmt":"2024-03-30T23:43:54","slug":"over-unders-wwe-smackdown-3-29-solo-shows-solo-dominance-aldiss-eyes-too-much-light-cargills-entrance-master-storyteller-heyman-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/03\/30\/over-unders-wwe-smackdown-3-29-solo-shows-solo-dominance-aldiss-eyes-too-much-light-cargills-entrance-master-storyteller-heyman-more\/","title":{"rendered":"OVER &#038; UNDERS &#8211; WWE SMACKDOWN (3\/29): Solo shows Solo dominance, Aldis&#8217;s eyes, Too Much Light, Cargill&#8217;s entrance, Master Storyteller Heyman, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1881943685\" 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>We are a week away from WrestleMania. This is the second-to-last Smackdown before the biggest wrestling night(s) of the year. It\u2019s not the \u201cgo home\u201d show, but it\u2019s definitely the \u201cIt\u2019s getting dark and my mom will wonder where I am soon\u201d show. That means WWE is going to be rolling out the red carpet of drama, with a zeroed-in focus on all of our key storylines, without introducing anything new and distracting from those narratives. With that in mind, as our top billed match tonight\u2026WE GET\u2026the non-wrestling debut of Jade Cargill. Well, you can\u2019t win them all. Let\u2019s dig into the most overrated and under-appreciated moments from Friday Night Smackdown.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; SOLO SHOWS SOLO DOMINANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seeing Solo Sikoa\u2019s simple \u201cLet\u2019s go\u201d head gesture to Jimmy Uso was barely noticeable, but spoke volumes. When Roman Reigns isn\u2019t around, Solo is the alpha. Now, if we could see them build him up better with actual matches, we\u2019d be on the right track. But alas, we\u2019ll have to settle for subtle alpha moves until Roman takes his next sabbatical (with or without the title). This dominance of Solo was further exemplified by Jimmy hilariously trying, and failing, to get a high-five from him. I like this schtick of Jimmy being kind of a loser that thinks he\u2019s cool, but 8 days from WrestleMania, after he finally showed some fire on the mic, this is counter-productive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; BIANCA\u2019S OPTOMETRIST APPOINTMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Did Bianca BeLair have an optometrist appointment today? That\u2019s the only logical explanation I can think of for her wearing sunglasses indoors, at night. I get it. Sunglasses look cool\u2026in the daytime\u2026to block UV rays from entering our corneas. I\u2019m fairly certain there are no such threats in the parking garage of Mohegan Sun\u2026right here\u2026in Connecticut! I can\u2019t avoid sneaking in a cheap Mick Foley pop. Now I get why he did it all the time. The crowd response is intoxicating. Wait\u2026I don\u2019t have a crowd? Sigh. Moving on. Bianca versus Dakota Kai tonight feels like such a filler match, that even a plastic surgeon would think it\u2019s overkill. On a side note, this is a missed opportunity by me to make this its own thought, so I could use the headline \u201cDakota Why\u201d. Live and learn, folks. Live and learn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; RANDY IS FULL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why did Randy Orton (during his entrance) pat his belly like Santa Claus who just finished a plate of cookies? Is he telling us to lower our expectations because he had a massive steak dinner before the match? Is this an Easter egg (see what I did there?) for the return of a starving Ryback? Is Randy constipated and feeling overly bloated? Or, did he simply run out of baby oil, and is now convinced that his six pack looks like a keg? Maybe we\u2019ll get an answer to this\u2026out of nowhere. Yes, that was a stretch, but like Randy, I\u2019m running on fumes at this stage of my career. Stomach issues aside, it\u2019s a nice touch by Orton to hold up a fan sign, then sign the sign (too meta?). That kind of audience interaction makes you want to be there.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; KEVIN GETS OWNED<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1576830193\" 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>Kevin Owens\u2019 brick wall, wrecking ball graphic, aside from sitting on a stagnant image for too long, looks like it was made in the \u201890s, in an elementary school computer class, with Microsoft Paint. We have all of these amazing augmented reality graphics, but Kevin Owens gets this? There\u2019s even a jarring jump cut in it that makes it seem like WWE has poor WiFi, or someone was microwaving something nearby. Just keep fighting\u2026the graphic designers until they do right by you, Kevin. The amazing shot from behind Owens, walking into an electric, at-capacity arena, almost makes up for the low-rent start. We\u2019ve seen this kind of shooting week after week but it\u2019s still awe-inspiring when they really lean into showing their fan base in creative ways.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; TALK ABOUT A ONE TWO PUNCH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I kind of love that WWE is using \u201cPawn Stars\u201d-esq factoids now. It\u2019s nice to be reminded that Kevin Owens knocked out two people with one punch last week, without wasting time on a recap video. It keeps the pace moving effectively. I hope they continue this device with more tongue-in-cheek information.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; WADE GIVES THE FINGER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During Pretty Deadly\u2019s entrance, Wade Barrett said they told him earlier that they \u201cShoved two fingers up to management\u2026\u201d to get this match. A little edgy, but nonetheless funny subtleties by one half of the best commentary team in wrestling (with Corey Graves). On a side note, I thought Elton Prince looking terrified of Randy Orton was a fun throwback to last week\u2019s segment. His partner asking if he\u2019s okay just accentuated the hilarity even more.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; R.K. NO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Randy Orton on the turnbuckle punching Elton Prince was ruined by a poorly angled shot. We could see him completely missing his punches as the crowd counted (each whiff). Strike one for the camera crew tonight. It goes to show you how important cinematography is. One bad camera angle can ruin an entire match. Imagine if they improperly angled Pretty Deadly\u2019s entrance, and we were deprived of the glamorous disco ball. Where would we be then?!<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; CODY, LIKE MAMI, IS ON TOP<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1528523038\" 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>During the Pretty Deadly versus Randy Orton and Kevin Owens match, a tally graphic appeared on screen, listing the top five most-played superstars in WWE2K24. This could easily be missed, but if you pay attention to it, it sends a significant message. The top five (from least to) most played superstars are Stone Cold, Randy Orton, John Cena, Roman Reigns and then Cody Rhodes. Look at that stacked company, and how Cody sits ahead of all of them. He truly is the face of wrestling right now. On a completely unrelated note, when Orton went to clear the announce table, he inadvertently sent a monitor flipping across the screen, in a move that would rival Ricochet in a ladder match. Go back and check it out. I find this way more amusing than I should, and Wade Barrett did too. Wade reacted like he just saw a turtle fly, half shock, half pure joy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; TOO MUCH LIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m all for enhanced realism in WWE, but sometimes the seams show a little too much. This is going to happen when you take risks with improved production value though, so it\u2019s forgivable. The moment I\u2019m referencing is the Kevin Owens, Logan Paul and Randy Orton chase backstage. Twice we see a man carrying a massive light panel. It\u2019s kind of hilarious, but it also takes me out of the danger of the moment. I feel like I just saw a sound guy while Bear Grylls was clinging to life by a thread. It just sheds the veneer of danger too much by seeing someone so close to the action. Cheap plug, that\u2019s why the show I developed a series called \u201cAlone\u201d on History Channel. We stripped away those distractingly safe elements, and had survivalists film themselves. I\u2019m not saying we have wrestlers film themselves, but this could have been salvaged by Randy grabbing a light and launching it at Logan, almost like he\u2019s not expecting it to be there either.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; IYO WHY NOW?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Iyo Sky\u2019s promo here was solid. Like I always say, the best villains are driven by a modicum of rational truth, that they simply take too far. Unfortunately, I think it\u2019s too little, too late to hype her as a credible opponent for Bayley. I feel like I\u2019m seeing a sale on Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. Why should I care at this point? It\u2019s basically over. Thanks, WWE. You Grinch\u2019d up Christmas. Ruining festivities aside, the content in this promo was pretty good. I like the framing that Bayley built Damage CTRL (and single-handed rejected vowels) to boost herself. True or not, it\u2019s a good reason for someone to hate her. WWE even used some very clever shots of Bayley to sew doubt in her heroic veneer. Another fun Easter egg (I did it again!) here is that Iyo\u2019s background is green. In comic books, green is for heroes and purple is for villains. I\u2019m not sure if this is purposeful or not, but even unintentional, it\u2019s effective in showing how Iyo sees herself as the hero, not the villain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; BAYLEY\u2019S LEMON MERINGUE PIE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Bayley attacking Iyo Sky during a photo shoot had the possibility, and likelihood, of falling into an eye-roll of a segment. But the way they shot it made it feel completely new and fresh. We saw Bayley throwing c-stands and light panels. We saw the crew breaking up the fight, versus recognizable wrestlers turned staffers. They even cut to a security camera for added realism and behind-the-scenes grit. Very well done, WWE. They took a lemon and turned it into lemon meringue pie. Delicious. I actually hate lemon meringue pie, but I loved this segment. One might even call it\u2026Progressive. You\u2019re welcome, Corey Graves. I just saved you 6 seconds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; JADE CARGILL\u2019S IMAX ENTRANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What an entrance by Jade Cargill! At first, I thought I was watching a Christmas-themed episode of \u201cStar Trek,\u201d but all of my cynical criques melted away when her Greek God-like silhouette entered the frame, and graced us with greatness. They made her seem like a HUGE deal. I haven\u2019t seen an entrance with such high production value since Bobby Roode\u2019s first NXT \u201cGlorious\u201d entrance. And that doesn\u2019t hold a candle to this. I feel like I just witnessed WWE\u2019s first IMAX entrance. It&#8217;s head-and-shoulders above everything else. I really hope Cargill\u2019s in-ring skills have leveled up enough to live up to this. I\u2019m skeptical, but for now, wow. Just\u2026wow. She just oozes stardom.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; ALL SIZZLE AND NO STEAK<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I found Jade Cargill\u2019s promo very timid. The confidence in her entrance, juxtaposed with her showing on the mic, were like night and day. I thought she came off scripted, nervous and grammatically incorrect. She literally said \u201cWe have one of the best female roster (not rosters) in the world.\u201d I\u2019m a stickler for good grammar, but if you\u2019re confident and engaging, I can overlook it to a certain degree. This feels like someone just turned on all the lights in the subway while the mice are trying to hide. It stands out like a sore thumb. Jade\u2019s presentation, at least right now, feels like a whole lot of sizzle, and not nearly enough steak. This kind of reminds me of a delicious-looking bag of chips that you open and realize half of it was just air. It\u2019s deflating (literally). Also, where was the mission statement? Why are you here? What do you want? What\u2019s next? Nope, just a big old \u201cHere I am\u201d and the low-hanging fruit of an X-Men reference, because she and Storm both have cool white hair. I feel like I just spent thousands of dollars to see Aerosmith, and got nothing but a cover band. Dakota Kai said it well a few moments later with \u201cWhat has she done besides stand there.\u201d Hopefully this peeves Jade, and leads to her first match. Maybe we\u2019ll even get a run in to help Bianca BeLair tonight if Damage CTRL gets involved.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; NICK ALDIS\u2019 \u201cPOLAR EXPRESS\u201d EYES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This backstage segment with Nick Aldis made me notice something that I can\u2019t unsee. Nick Aldis\u2019 eyes have an early, bad CGI-vibe to them, where you feel like he\u2019s never really looking at anything specific, even when he\u2019s talking to A.J. Styles. I can\u2019t unsee those spaced out \u201cPolar Express\u201d eyes, and now, neither can you. Apologies and you\u2019re welcome, all at once.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; THE STREET PROFITS BOUNCE A DANCE CHECK<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During their entrance, The Street Profits totally bounced a dance check. If you go back and watch it again, Montez Ford looks like he\u2019s cuing Angelo Dawkins for a synchronized dance move, and then they get hilariously out of sync. I love these guys too much to really care, but it\u2019s still a funny moment that\u2019s worth checking out. We don\u2019t like to see our favorite athletes in blooper reels, but we also enjoy blooper reels, so have some cake and eat it too. On a side note, I\u2019m not convinced Montez is actually human. As evidenced by his nonchalant flip over the ropes to start the match, the guy does things homo-sapiens shouldn\u2019t be able to do. He\u2019s like watching a \u201890s cartoon where gravity doesn&#8217;t seem to be a factor. If the laws of physics were enforceable, he\u2019d be looking at 50 to life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; THE RETURN OF THE DAINTY DAWKINS GLOVES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Angelo Dawkins, unless you have a tea party planned for after the match, do you really need to wear those emasculating, British gentleman gloves? I half expect you to lift your pinky while sipping out of that party cup. I did appreciate your brutal launching of Grayson Waller into the announcing team, but I would have liked it more if you did it without looking like you have equestrian practice after. Let\u2019s all give a special (un)welcome back to the dainty Dawkins gloves. On a side note, seeing Waller fly into the frame of the on-board announce table cam was hilariously moment-enhancing. I love these behind-the-scenes, fourth wall-breaking moments. It just makes everything seem more real, like WWE got lucky enough to catch something on camera. Glorious, and I mean the good kind, not the empty, entrance-only Bobby Roode kind.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; MONTEZ\u2019S SUPER SPEED<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you could condense and bottle Montez Ford into an energy drink, it would make Red Bull look like sleep gummies. This guy is so fast, the WWE cameras almost can\u2019t keep up with him, and it makes for a very effective blink and you\u2019ll miss-aura to his matches. I honestly think Usain Bolt would even tell this guy to slow down a bit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; WWE DOESN\u2019T SEE THE PROFITS TO BE MADE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How can you have a ladder qualifying match with the insanely aerial Street Profits, and cop them out with an ending that leads to the defined down team of Austin Theory and Grayson Waller? How can you have a ladder match at WrestleMania, and deprive us of the human highlight reel, Montez Ford, in that environment? I feel like someone just took me to a 3D movie, but they were all out of glasses. I\u2019m more disappointed than J.D. McDonagh at an autograph signing. I\u2019ll give WWE credit for giving Karrion Kross and A.O.P. an impactful moment to elevate them, but like, I hate them right now. That seems to be the point, and it\u2019s working, but I\u2019m angry. Really angry. Doesn\u2019t WWE see that these guys are money in a ladder match?! Also, why does the aerial cam (during the double power bomb) always look out of focus? At least the blurriness of the camera matches the foresight of WWE for the WrestleMania ladder match. On yet another side note (It\u2019s a disease people), Kross\u2019 scary face looks like an excited adolescent, who got an N64 on a 1996-Christmas morning. Man, what a festive night of Christmas metaphors we are having. Twas the night before Christmas, and outside the ring, betrayal was brewing, from Rey\u2019s own offspring. Nice promo package recapping Legado del Fantasma\u2019s feud with the L.W.O., and Dominik Mysterio\u2019s unexpected involvement. This guy couldn\u2019t have more heat if he bathed in a volcano, while eating fireballs, in front of a space heater.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; GUM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why does everyone in WWE chew gum? And why does it look so cool? Seeing Dominik Mysterio and Santos Escobar chewing gum in slow motion, after ambushing Rey Mysterio, has made me realize gum is the new 1950\u2019s cigarette, but with less teeth rotting and death. Forget the ice cream bars (sorry C.M. Punk), it\u2019s time for some WWE-themed bubble gum. Taste the action! Chew the excitement! Blow the\u2026get your mind out of the gutter. This is the PG-era folks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; SANTOS ESCOBAR PLAYS SCUM LIKE A VIOLIN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Did Santos Escobar really just say he was hoping for Rey Mysterio to get an infection and an amputation?? This guy plays scum like a violin. He\u2019s so in tune with his evilness and I love it. If we\u2019re sticking with the Christmas theme tonight, Santos is like a meaner version of the Grinch, who never had a change of heart and returned the gifts to the Who\u2019s of Whoville. Instead, his heart grows 3 sizes smaller every week. In counter-productive news, Santos still has an L.W.O. tattoo on his hand. I get that tattoos are forever, even if you turn evil, but they should figure out a faux-way to cover that while he\u2019s a bad guy. Permanent decisions aside, I really like this synergy between evil factions, and having Dominik cross-pollinate with Legado del Fantasma out of their shared hatred for a geriatric luchador (their words). The heat Dom gets is unparalleled. He gets more boos than a Madea Halloween movie, and that is a double entendre worth reading twice. I\u2019ll wait\u2026annnnd you\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; LUCHAMANIA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I thought for sure when Rey Mysterio challenged Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio to a tag match, that Carlito would be the obvious choice. Hell, the crowd chanted for him, and they cut to a closeup of him. Revealing Dragon Lee as the newest member of the L.W.O. was a welcome surprise, and makes for an exciting LuchaMania match. I wish WWE had done more to build up Lee over the last few weeks so this hit harder, but we need to take what we can get. You don\u2019t always get a great movie trailer for a great movie. I\u2019ll always take a crappy trailer for a stellar cinematic experience over the opposite of that. I\u2019m looking at you, \u201cArgylle\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; ZELINA\u2019S GOTHIC COSPLAY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Zelina Vega\u2019s outfit tonight looks like a gothic cosplay of Milla Jovovich in \u201cThe 5th Element.\u201d I don\u2019t have any clever lead-ins for that, or witty puns to end on, but I had to say it\u2026errr write it. Let\u2019s just pretend I didn\u2019t mention it. Moving on! This still isn\u2019t as overrated as Naomi having an E.S.T. ribbon in her hair, that she revealed like it was something impressive. In reality, it just felt like a little kid doing her best Mercedes Monet, hair letter mimicry. Naomi, if you didn\u2019t spend so much money on glowing make-up (addiction is no joke) you\u2019d have enough leftover to have letters dyed into your hair like a C.E.O.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; RESERVING JUDGMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This backstage, inter-group chat with The Judgment Day felt like I was watching a straight to DVD movie. The acting was bad. The narrative was loose and incoherent. It served less purpose than noise-canceling headphones in a library. This feels like a Judgment Day cover band. I\u2019m going to reserve judgment here, but I\u2019m not optimistic about their direction right now. I haven\u2019t been this down on the faction since they poisoned the well by adding J.D. McDonagh to the fold. This segment was not worth coming in late to the tag match between New Catch Republic and L.W.O.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; ANGELIC HAIR<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Why does Angel Garza\u2019s hair flow with such unnatural, angelic grace? Is his pony tail actually a chemical treated collection of hair extensions? The physics of it defy all follicle logic. It makes about as much sense as surgically separating Hum from Berto. I heard those guys are friends with Tom and Nick Mysterio actually.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; TYLER BATE BECOMES MR. SOCKO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is a completely irrelevant thing to point out, but Tyler Bate\u2019s boots make him look like he\u2019s wrestling in socks. I think it waters down what little ferocity there is to his demeanor. The guy is already about as intimidating as a \u201cPaw Patrol\u201d villain. Turning him into a live action Mr. Socko does him no favors. Bate has all the skills in the world\u2026and none of the boots in the closet.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; THREE HITS AND ONE LIE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The recap of The Rock\u2019s brutal beat down of Cody Rhodes was good until they showed the \u201cWe\u2019re off the air now guys\u201d bit. The Rock hit Cody once with the belt, and we heard him scream. Then, in an attempt to make it seem like he did it three times, they showed it from 3 angles, but with the exact same, jarringly repetitive yell played successively. This isn\u2019t fooling anyone, WWE. Why not just stick with the truth and have it be one brutal hit and subsequent, guttural yell of pain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; HEYMAN, MASTER STORYTELLER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Paul Heyman is a genius. Having him sell The Rock\u2019s beat down of Cody Rhodes as being done at the order of the Tribal Chief, is brilliant storytelling. I feel like The Rock couldn\u2019t bring himself to say this himself, but it was<br \/>\nvery smart on Heyman\u2019s part to reinvigorate the alpha aura of Roman Reigns. I don\u2019t think it was 100% effective, but it was a very smart move nonetheless. Also, is anyone else distracted by the fact that it looks like Heyman didn\u2019t have a pocket square handy, and instead shoved an entire tie into the front pocket of his jacket? Just me? Shame on me for thinking he can\u2019t get this over. After all, this is the guy who made saying his name, a quotable catchphrase. I love where this segment ended up, with Solo Sikoa being ordered to take out Jey Uso next Friday. This is great long-form storytelling. Also, I didn\u2019t know Solo could talk and I\u2019m pleasantly surprised at the soft gravitas to his voice. \u201cI\u2019ll miss you\u201d was a nice touch. I still worry about Solo getting really bad arthritis from using his thumb as a weapon week after week, but I digress. As long as he doesn\u2019t plan on becoming a movie critic after WWE, (or maybe if he does?) he should be fine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; A.J.\u2019S IN-STYLE ENTRANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It was a nice touch by A.J. Styles to ignore his usual entrance choreography. Heels don\u2019t need to cater to the crowd. He looks angry, determined and vicious. He\u2019s playing his role to a T. Dare I say, his actions are in-style with being a heel? No. No, I don\u2019t dare say that, because it sounds immature. And I\u2019m nothing if not a mature adult. On a side note, Styles looks like he ate a few burritos before the match, and is prairie dogging some regret as he awkwardly marches to the ring. He\u2019s angry at himself, the food truck, and burritos for being intoxicatingly delicious. I also loved seeing Styles go after the cameraman, thinking he was L.A. Knight, complete with a live feed from his camera. It was a nice touch of realism that was quickly ruined by a faux-fan getting arrested, who couldn\u2019t act his way out of a high school play. Why are we playing \u201cWhere\u2019s Waldo?\u201d anyway?<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; WWE RUINS THE SURPRISE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>WWE spoiled the L.A. Knight security disguise during the A.J. Styles segment. Their camera angle on Knight revealed their cards too fast. They showed their hand when they pulled out wide, before he had a chance to cleverly reveal his ruse. They should have had him on camera for a lot of this segment, only to have him remove his disguise from behind Styles, ideally, in a slightly out of focus shot, so it doesn\u2019t feel purposeful. I feel like someone just spoiled my surprise party by walking in before me. Special props to the emo wig that hid the megastar from us. It looks like it was purchased at the same Hot Topic as Zelina Vega\u2019s outfit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERRATED &#8211; COREY GRAVES STANDS AND DELIVERS THE WRONG DATE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At the top of the main event, Corey Graves was hyping next weekend\u2019s slew of events and mistakenly said NXT Stand and Deliver is Sunday, contradicting the (correct) graphic that said Saturday. I don\u2019t know why I find these mistakes entertaining, but I do. I think WWE is just so buttoned up with clarity and effective storytelling, that when they make a mistake, it stands out more than Seth Rollins at\u2026well\u2026any location you can imagine.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UNDER-APPRECIATED &#8211; JADE GETS PHYSICAL<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jade Cargill coming to the rescue of Bianca BeLair (from Damage CTRL) and Naomi was mildly effective. Her moves felt powerful, if not a bit clunky. I don\u2019t think it was enough to fully redeem her weak mic work earlier, but it\u2019s a glittery step in the right direction. A step in the wrong direction though, is not having the women\u2019s tag titles being defended at WrestleMania. The Kabuki Warriors deserve a slot on the dual night card. Maybe they\u2019re setting up Bianca and Naomi to challenge for the titles, and once Dakota gets involved, Jade does the same, equalizing the odds and helping her friends win gold. You\u2019re welcome, WWE. I just played booker to a T (see what I did there?).<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll be back for the final Raw before WrestleMania, where the non-final final boss tries to show Cody Rhodes who\u2019s boss\u2026 again.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED NEXT:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/03\/30\/wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-3-29-lack-of-cody-roman-seth-and-bloodline-plus-iyo-sky-promo-jade-cargill-segment-logan-pauls-interference\/\">WWE SMACKDOWN HITS &amp; MISSES (3\/29): Lack of Cody, Roman, Seth, and Bloodline, plus Iyo Sky promo, Jade Cargill segment, Logan Paul\u2019s interference<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.net\/site\/2024\/03\/25\/mcguires-mondays-alex-coughlins-retirement-aews-rankings-system-and-the-arduous-build-to-wrestlemania-xl\/\">McGuire\u2019s Mondays: Alex Coughlin\u2019s retirement, AEW\u2019s rankings system, and the arduous build to WrestleMania XL<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-448833532\"><div id=\"pwtor-1263078216\"><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>We are a week away from WrestleMania. This is the second-to-last Smackdown before the biggest wrestling night(s) of the year. It\u2019s not the \u201cgo home\u201d show, but it\u2019s definitely the \u201cIt\u2019s getting dark and my <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/03\/30\/over-unders-wwe-smackdown-3-29-solo-shows-solo-dominance-aldiss-eyes-too-much-light-cargills-entrance-master-storyteller-heyman-more\/\" title=\"OVER &#038; UNDERS &#8211; WWE SMACKDOWN (3\/29): Solo shows Solo dominance, Aldis&#8217;s eyes, Too Much Light, Cargill&#8217;s entrance, Master Storyteller Heyman, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":175998,"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-175997","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-2024-03-30-at-6.39.25\u202fPM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175997","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=175997"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175999,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175997\/revisions\/175999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}