{"id":187706,"date":"2024-11-08T11:19:18","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T17:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=187706"},"modified":"2024-11-08T11:19:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T17:19:18","slug":"wwe-smackdown-feud-tracker-assessing-and-grading-the-bloodline-civil-war-new-tag-champs-andrade-vs-hayes-game-7-more-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/11\/08\/wwe-smackdown-feud-tracker-assessing-and-grading-the-bloodline-civil-war-new-tag-champs-andrade-vs-hayes-game-7-more-2\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN FEUD TRACKER: Assessing and grading The Bloodline Civil War, new tag champs, Andrade vs. Hayes &#8220;Game 7,&#8221; more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-451848003\" 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>Before we get started, some notable updates to go over:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>After being written off TV on NXT, Rhea Ripley is confirmed to be out of action with a lingering orbital bone injury. Ripley was feuding with The Judgement Day at the time, and will likely return before WrestleMania to again challenge Liv Morgan for the Women\u2019s World Championship. In the meantime, we wish Ripley a speedy recovery.<\/li>\n<li>Angel Garza and Karl Anderson recently confirmed their own injuries via social media. Garza recently underwent hand surgery and will be out several weeks, while Anderson underwent an undisclosed procedure and will return post-WrestleMania. Both wrestlers have been seen intermittently on WWE programming, and these injuries shed light on their stop-start booking. We wish both men a speedy recovery.<\/li>\n<li>WWE announced that Indi Hartwell, Tegan Nox, and Baron Corbin will be released from the company. All three had largely disappeared from programming in the past few months, either due to nagging injuries or rumored lack of creative plans. Despite the new administration\u2019s more efficient use of their roster, certain wrestlers continue to fall through the cracks. Like many before them, all three have bright futures ahead of them and we look forward to seeing their next moves in the wrestling space.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Following WWE\u2019s excursion to Saudi, things only look to get more intense on the road to Survivor Series. While the blue brand\u2019s premier attraction remains the promise of a Bloodline vs. Bloodline WarGames match, Paul Levesque has cooked up a number of entertaining feuds to carry Smackdown through the winter.<\/p>\n<p>Not to mention, a lil\u2019 primetime special called Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event lurks around the corner. And if rumors are true, this rendition of the &#8217;80s wrestling staple looks to shake off the \u201chouse show\u201d allegations and deliver a PPV-quality experience all on its own. With cross-brand Crown Jewel feuds in the rearview, it\u2019s time for Smackdown to refocus on its biggest rivalries. The next few weeks should prove instrumental in establishing the marquee players\u2019 roadmap to Survivor Series and eventually Wrestlemania 41.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of tension brewing for tonight\u2019s episode, let\u2019s go over where things stand:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>CODY RHODES vs. GUNTHER<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over the past few weeks, Gunther proclaimed he would embarrass WWE\u2019s prodigal son Cody Rhodes in their match at <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>, calling him a poor excuse for a champion.<\/p>\n<p>On the go-home episode of <em>Smackdown, <\/em>Rhodes and Gunther faced off in a tag match alongside their respective allies Randy Orton and Ludwig Kaiser. The short match largely consisted of Gunther mocking Rhodes\u2019 attempts to face off with him one-on-one. Post-match, Kevin Owens beat down the babyfaces allowing Gunther to choke Rhodes out.<\/p>\n<p>At <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>, the two put on a fantastic hard-hitting match that truly tested the iron wills of both men. After a hard-fought battle, Gunther let his ego take over allowing Rhodes to catch him with a quick pin for the win. On <em>Raw <\/em>the following night, Gunther graciously called Rhodes the better man.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3854849147\" 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><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An explosive end to an undercooked feud. The <em>Smackdown <\/em>tag match was an incredibly smart booking decision, planting the seed for the PPV match structure: Gunther underestimating Rhodes\u2019 underdog spirit. The ensuing PPV bout was phenomenal, mixing modern-day catch wrestling with the old-school showmanship of an 80s JCP main event. Rhodes has smartly utilized this feud as a way to flesh out the \u201cAmerican Nightmare\u201d character to audiences, to great effect.<\/p>\n<p>The match itself featured a surprising amount of crowd work, a testament to WWE\u2019s popularity in Saudi Arabia. Letting the audience guide the match\u2019s flow can always be risky, but doing so in a country whose values can sometimes vary from Westernized ideology was a hard ask. And both men delivered perfectly.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, ending the feud so conclusively on <em>Raw <\/em>puts Rhodes in an odd place. Due to the booking somewhat removing him from the <em>Smackdown <\/em>ecosystem for several weeks, Rhodes doesn\u2019t have a feud he can quickly slot into. And, given WWE likely wants him on the marquee for the winter PPVs, they\u2019ll have to move quickly to find something for him to do, with Kevin Owens likely focusing on Randy Orton for the time being.<\/p>\n<p>This highlights the biggest problem with Cody\u2019s title reign: despite holding the title since Wrestlemania, his feuds have largely sidelined the championship in favor of character-based feuds. And that\u2019s fine, but it also means it\u2019s been harder to identify potential challengers for the belt. Rhodes is the champ, it should feel like everyone\u2019s gunning for him. Right now, it feels more like no one\u2019s paying attention.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: A-<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>ANDRADE vs. CARMELO HAYES vs. LA KNIGHT<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For the past several months, Andrade and Carmelo Hayes engaged in an acclaimed best-of-seven series. After six matches, the two were tied at three wins apiece.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-4157761640\" 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>Meanwhile, LA Knight won the US Championship from Logan Paul at <em>Summerslam<\/em>, and eventually ran afoul of both men. Knight was the guest referee in Hayes and Andrade\u2019s seventh match, eventually interfering and laying out both men mid-match. In retaliation, <em>Smackdown <\/em>General Manager Nick Aldis made a triple threat US title match official for <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>At <em>Crown Jewel, <\/em>Hayes and Andrade largely focused on each other, at times working together to sideline Knight so they could continue their battle. But eventually, Knight caught Hayes with a sneaky reversal for a quick pin to retain the US Championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <em>Crown Jewel <\/em>plunder match essentially featured a typical triple threat setup, but almost had the principal wrestlers switching alignment. Hayes and Andrade have both been tweeners in the last few months, showing elements of heelishness depending on the ongoing story of their best-of-seven. Knight, meanwhile, has exemplified the \u201cfighting babyface champion\u201d for most of his title reign.<\/p>\n<p>But, beginning with Knight\u2019s interference in the Game 7 match, it feels like Knight has been working heel against both Hayes and Andrade, denying them the proper blowoff to their longstanding rivalry. <em>Crown Jewel <\/em>continued this slow change, with Hayes and Andrade thematically focusing on their own fight as Knight tried to sneak a win.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m more onboard with this direction because it feels intentional at this point, laying the seeds for a Knight heel turn. But conceptually, turning Knight heel doesn\u2019t make much sense given his popularity with crowds. It feels like a heel Knight\u2019s title reign is destined to be less unique, playing up his natural Rock-esque smarm for a more generic \u201cI\u2019m better than you, and you don\u2019t deserve my title\u201d that feels overdone in the Triple H era. Meanwhile, dragging out the Hayes-Andrade final plunder match yet again has drastically decreased the hype. At this point, I\u2019d rather they take some time apart and focus on other feuds. And that\u2019s a shame, given the eventual Game 7 match could have been a PPV-quality match if the hype had been capitalized on. Given the uniqueness of the Hayes-Andrade feud (being mostly in-ring), I hope each man can translate their popularity to a more WWE-esque rhythm moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: C+<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>NIA JAX vs. TIFFANY STRATTON<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On the go-home episode of <em>Smackdown<\/em>, Ms. MITB Tiffany Stratton called out Liv Morgan mid-promo and teased a MITB cash-in before her match with Nia Jax. However, off their recent arguments, Stratton offhandedly mentioned to Jax she wasn\u2019t safe either.<\/p>\n<p>Later that night, Stratton lost a singles match to Morgan in a near-squash, forcing Jax to steal the MITB briefcase and use it to dispatch The Judgement Day.<\/p>\n<p>At <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>, after a brief back-and-forth, Stratton appeared with the MITB briefcase and teased a cash-in. Jax tried ordering her to leave but Stratton resisted. In the ensuing chaos, Jax purposely attacked Stratton, which allowed Morgan to take advantage and win the Crown Jewel championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Each week we grow closer to Tiffy Time, ladies and gents! Stratton\u2019s slow progression from acceptance, to anger, to righteous fury at Jax\u2019s continued belittling has been one of the most clear story arcs in WWE over the past month. And it\u2019s all felt earned. As Stratton rose in prominence, Jax\u2019s paranoia and jealousy continued to grow and she continued lashing out to keep Stratton in line. It\u2019s a dynamic many of us have seen in real-life toxic relationships, and it worked to perfection here.<\/p>\n<p>The MITB briefcase hasn\u2019t been used this engagingly by a competitor in years. Hopefully WWE doesn\u2019t overdo it with the teased cash-ins moving forward, as each fakeout so far has genuinely felt earned and played into the story. With Jax purposely attacking Stratton, it\u2019s clear there\u2019s no going back from this moment.<\/p>\n<p>Tonight\u2019s episode of <em>Smackdown <\/em>is a pivotal one for Stratton, as the right babyface promo could catapult her into the stratosphere. All of Jax\u2019s incredible heel work over the past few months has made her a generational villain, and now it\u2019s time for WWE to pull the trigger on building Stratton as the hero to slay the dragon.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: A+<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>INDI HARTWELL\u2019S FAREWELL<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell were dragged into a feud with Bayley &amp; Naomi thanks to LeRae stepping in for an ill Tiffany Stratton. Following a singles loss to Naomi, LeRae teamed up with Hartwell to take on Bayley &amp; Naomi in a tag match on the go-home episode of <em>Smackdown.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>After a brief match, LeRae accidentally scored a pin on the wrong opponent, leading Naomi to pin her for a second babyface victory.<\/p>\n<p>In real life, Hartwell was quietly released from her WWE contract, and this match likely served as her in-ring farewell.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to say much about this match, as Hartwell\u2019s real-life release undoubtedly impacted any future creative plans for the team. It\u2019s admirable that a simple storyline substitution was followed up on at all, with LaRae continuing to fight Bayley &amp; Naomi independently. Pre-release, this definitely felt like a way to segue Bayley &amp; Naomi out of Jax\u2019s orbit moving into the winter, but now that could all be a moot point.<\/p>\n<p>LaRae and Hartwell getting to show out is always a plus, as LeRae\u2019s new heel character has a vicious edge to her not often seen in main roster characters. There\u2019s an element of unhinged rudeness behind her moves that help her stand out from the competition.<\/p>\n<p>And as for Indi Hartwell? Despite never hitting her stride on the main roster, fans of the NXT Black &amp; Gold era fell in love with Hartwell as a lovable babyface who eventually found a family of her own. For any Thea Hail fans, go check out Hartwell\u2019s work with \u201cThe Way\u201d and the InDex love saga, you won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n<p>WWE has the option to continue LeRae as a solo act (likely continuing to spiral without her ally), and I hope they take advantage and don\u2019t let another talented star fall through the cracks.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: C<\/p>\n<h3>KEVIN OWENS vs. RANDY ORTON<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Following his anger at Cody Rhodes allying with Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens turned heel and attacked Rhodes. Rhodes\u2019 ally Randy Orton diverted Owens\u2019 attention, and two began feuding.<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, after begging a reluctant Triple H, Orton got a match with Owens official at <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>. On the go-home episode of <em>Smackdown<\/em>, Owens cut a promo from his home (having been banned from WWE arenas due to his conduct), berating Orton for forcing him to hurt him. Later that night, Owens interfered in Orton\u2019s match and beat him down.<\/p>\n<p>At <em>Crown Jewel, <\/em>Owens attacked Orton before their match could begin. After a lengthy brawl, the match was called off and Owens went ballistic attacking everyone in sight. General managers Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis came out to quell the riot, but Pearce ate an RKO from a fiery Orton now craving blood of his own. Owens dispatched Orton with an elbow drop through tables to end the segment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A genuinely surprising PPV result, that set this blood feud immediately apart from anything else on the roster. In the Triple H era, \u201ccrash TV\u201d segments only happen once in a blue moon, so they make a much bigger impact when they do. And having the gall to advertise a match then call it off for storyline purposes genuinely makes people sit up and take notice.<\/p>\n<p>Owens finally came across as the bloodthirsty monster WWE has been portraying him as for the past few weeks, while the brawl allowed Orton to display some righteous anger in return. The surprise random RKOs never get old, and watching Pearce flail around like a fish was hilarious. The Saudi crowd was surprisingly hot for the chaos, and WWE did an incredible job at raising the hype for the pair\u2019s eventual in-ring confrontation.<\/p>\n<p>The context for Owens seemingly forgetting about Rhodes in favor of Orton is still a bit wonky, but let\u2019s be honest: the rule of cool abides. And if WWE makes me want to tune in next week, they\u2019ve done their job.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: A<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. A-TOWN DOWN UNDER<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On the go-home episode of <em>Smackdown<\/em>, new champions Motor City Machine Guns were offered the chance to go on \u201cThe Grayson Waller Effect\u201d this week by A-Town Down Under. The new champions accepted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not really that much to say for this one. A quick throwaway segment that will achieve two things: Give MCMG a longer promo segment to endear them to the WWE audience, and set up their 1<sup>st<\/sup> feud with A-Town Down Under. Despite seemingly holding off on the breakup storyline, A-Town Down Under has always shined brightest when their dysfunction is contrasted with a well-oiled partnership (ex: their brief DIY feud earlier this year). MCMG has been built as a team with decades of experience, and seeing them work smoothly to counter Theory and Waller\u2019s bickering should be hilarious to watch.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, Sabin &amp; Shelley have only been offered brief babyface \u201cfighting spirit\u201d promos over the past few weeks. This segment should offer both men a chance to flex their comedy promo skills and deepen their individual personas with the WWE audience. Like I said last week, the two men are largely blank slates coming into WWE, and this first feud will likely cement the characters MCMG will be using for at least the duration of their title reign.<\/p>\n<p>A brief segment that made me very excited for the future.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: A<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>BIANCA BELAIR &amp; JADE CARGILL\u2019S NEWEST CHALLENGERS<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Ever since winning the WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Championships, Bianca Belair &amp; Jade Cargill have been defending their titles across all three brands. Two weeks ago, Nick Aldis &amp; Adam Pearce made a four-way match official at <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>: Belair &amp; Cargill vs. Damage CTRL vs. Meta-Four vs. Chelsea Green &amp; Piper Niven.<\/p>\n<p>On the go-home <em>Smackdown<\/em>, Sky won a four-way singles match against Belair, Niven and Lash Legend, symbolizing her as the most dangerous threat to Belair &amp; Cargill.<\/p>\n<p>At <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>, Belair &amp; Cargill retained their tag titles after Green &amp; Niven were sidelined by interpersonal struggles mid-match.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This match was phenomenal, with each team of women putting on a clinic that advanced their character dynamic while raising the prestige of the women\u2019s tag belts. First off, it was amazing seeing this four-way get the time it deserved. It truly felt like a battle, with Belair &amp; Cargill finally feeling like battle-worn champs rather than the untouchable gods they\u2019ve been presented as for months. I\u2019ve never felt more invested in their title reign, and their brief babyface promo beforehand about stepping up to challengers was some of Cargill\u2019s most passionate work on the mic thus far.<\/p>\n<p>Each team got the chance to shine. Off Sky\u2019s win on the go-home episode, Damage CTRL was positioned as the most dangerous threat in the match, working stiff and vicious to annihilate the competition. This kept Sky and partner Kairi Sane looking strong as the linchpins of the <em>Raw <\/em>Women\u2019s Tag division, and led to an amazing follow-up on Monday\u2019s <em>Raw <\/em>where Sky got a singles title shot against champion Liv Morgan.<\/p>\n<p>Newcomers Meta-Four looked strong as powerhouses, but were undone when more experienced participants were able to counter their tag moves. Simple but effective booking highlighting the team as monster powerhouses on the rise, but still lacking in comparison to the vets. The match\u2019s producers could have easily allowed Meta-Four to look dumb in defeat, but instead went for a subtler approach that left them looking strong, but just a little unrefined.<\/p>\n<p>Green &amp; Niven got the comedy narrative, with Green losing her nerve and accidentally clashing with Niven multiple times. As always, the two have perfected the art of maximizing their minutes, with their mid-match pep talk being both hilarious and surprisingly wholesome. It\u2019s always fun seeing heel teammates have each other\u2019s back. WWE has the option to begin a breakup storyline off the pair\u2019s performance, but even if they don\u2019t, Green &amp; Niven have one of the most entertaining dynamics in WWE, and continue to remain an asset to break up the monotony in multi-woman matches.<\/p>\n<p>All in all, each team came out shining brighter, and I look forward to seeing what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: A<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>THE BLOODLINE CIVIL WAR<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Latest Developments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over the past weeks, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso reunited to stand together against Solo Sikoa\u2019s Bloodline. On the go-home episode of <em>Smackdown<\/em>, Jey and Roman Reigns finally hashed out their issues, setting aside their years of animosity to stand together (but this time on a more even footing). The Original Bloodline put their ones up in unity to end the episode.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Jey\u2019s ally Sami Zayn found himself unsure of Reigns, leading to a fallout with the Usos. On the go-home <em>Raw <\/em>before <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>, Zayn could be glimpsed speaking with Sikoa.<\/p>\n<p>At <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>, the Original Bloodline faced off against Sikoa\u2019s Bloodline. Following Jey and Reigns struggling to work together, Sikoa\u2019s Bloodline (Sikoa, Tama Tonga &amp; Jacob Fatu) were able to steal the win by pinning Reigns.<\/p>\n<p>Post-match, Sami Zayn teased joining Sikoa, but turned on him to stand alongside the Original Bloodline. However, Zayn accidentally kicked Reigns, leading to the babyfaces arguing. On <em>Raw <\/em>the next night, Uso invited Zayn to come to <em>Smackdown <\/em>tonight to hash everything out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <em>Crown Jewel <\/em>match, like most Bloodline matches, was a match in service of an angle. It existed to show the struggles of the OG Bloodline in working together as a real team, with Reigns used to leading the show and Jey rebelling this time around. And it did so to perfection, and the visual of Reigns getting pinned was genuinely unnerving, setting up the group\u2019s emotional conflict in the lead-up to <em>Survivor Series<\/em>. However, it definitely feels like this plot point didn\u2019t need a PPV stage to be explored, and the past few weeks felt rushed in order for a six-man match to be held at <em>Crown Jewel<\/em>. For story purposes, it would have felt much more impactful for the two Bloodlines to face each other for the <strong>first time <\/strong>at <em>Survivor Series<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>However, the <em>Crown Jewel <\/em>match allowed Sikoa\u2019s Bloodline to shine as dominating villains. Tama Tonga, specifically, came off as a megastar. Credit to him, the dude got his random hyena noises over. For the first time, he feels like a genuine character than a loose collection of tics. Not a super three-dimensional character, but still a complete person. Fatu, as always, was a powerhouse and WWE smartly limits his one-on-one moments in the ring as his eventual singles debut could be used to great effect, given the buildup to his character.<\/p>\n<p>The post-match segment (and <em>Raw <\/em>follow-up) didn\u2019t hit as hard for me. The Zayn-Jey conflict feels like such a well-worn storyline at this point, it risks feeling redundant. The \u201caccidental kick leading to an argument\u201d trope is my least favorite in wrestling, and seeing Zayn rely on it so much is a little eye-rolling. But, as always, Zayn\u2019s pathos elevates even the most boring of segments into something must-watch, and I have hope he&#8217;ll be able to do so again.<\/p>\n<p>Grade: B<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-1051533275\"><div id=\"pwtor-970632915\"><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>Before we get started, some notable updates to go over: After being written off TV on NXT, Rhea Ripley is confirmed to be out of action with a lingering orbital bone injury. Ripley was feuding <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/11\/08\/wwe-smackdown-feud-tracker-assessing-and-grading-the-bloodline-civil-war-new-tag-champs-andrade-vs-hayes-game-7-more-2\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN FEUD TRACKER: Assessing and grading The Bloodline Civil War, new tag champs, Andrade vs. Hayes &#8220;Game 7,&#8221; more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":187055,"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":[52,6447,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-feud-tracker","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2024\/10\/Screenshot-2024-10-26-at-12.41.20\u202fPM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187706","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=187706"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":187707,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187706\/revisions\/187707"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/187055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=187706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=187706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}