{"id":201416,"date":"2025-07-21T16:03:55","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T21:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=201416"},"modified":"2025-07-22T16:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T21:20:08","slug":"wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-7-18-opening-car-crash-segment-charlotte-alexa-dynamic-cody-facing-a-choice-similar-to-luke-skywalker-four-way-tag-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/07\/21\/wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-7-18-opening-car-crash-segment-charlotte-alexa-dynamic-cody-facing-a-choice-similar-to-luke-skywalker-four-way-tag-action\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN HITS &#038; MISSES (7\/18): Opening Car Crash segment, Charlotte-Alexa dynamic, Cody facing a choice similar to Luke Skywalker, Four-way tag action"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-664452681\" 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>Smackdown found something of a rhythm on Friday with excellent wrestling matches and some impressive foreshadowing in promo battles. WWE keeps bringing in celebrities for exposure, but having Jelly Roll in a match with Randy Orton feels almost insulting. No matter how it turns out, I hope these guest appearances become less frequent, especially with the roster deep and the show returning to two hours. As always, I&#8217;m Chris Adams, and you can reach me at <a href=\"mailto:cadamsowj@gmail.com\">cadamsowj@gmail.com<\/a> if you think I\u2019ve missed anything.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>OPENING CAR CRASH SEGMENT: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The show started with a bloody face, crashed vehicles, and chaos. The segment could have been effective if not for one thing: Cody Rhodes presenting a contract. How strange and fake! Why wasn&#8217;t he there helping? Why was he rushing things? He came off looking like a buffoon with anxiety.<\/p>\n<p><strong>CHARLOTTE FLAIR AND ALEXA BLISS BACKSTAGE SEGMENT: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alexa Bliss continues to shine in all her work, making the most of her return and garnering explosive pops; her facial expressions are particularly wonderfully expressive. Charlotte Flair, however, appears stiff and tired. She often displays unnatural eye contact, giving the impression that she reads cue cards, while Bliss feels genuine. The pairing creates interesting contrasts in character and vibe, but Flair still needs to improve her ability to act naturally.<\/p>\n<p><strong>CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As the opener, the match should have been outstanding to set the tone for the show. Unfortunately, it was far from that. The pace was sluggish at times, as if Charlotte Flair and Raquel Rodriguez were buffering between moves. Rodriguez managed to appear larger and more powerful, a change from recent months. Flair was unimpressive. Off the top rope, she looked bad. The finish was clunky and left much to be desired.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3215616507\" 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<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Smackdown: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/wwe-smackdown-post-show-7-18-keller-barnett-talk-cody-trying-to-weasel-out-of-summerslam-car-crash-police-angle-wwe-unreal-more--67035100\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cwade Keller\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN POST-SHOW (7\/18) - Keller &amp; Barnett talk Cody trying to weasel out of Summerslam, car crash police angle, WWE Unreal, more\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=67035100&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>CARMELLO HAYES VS. DAMIEN PRIEST: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The video package provided great history and continuity for the match. Melo attacking early was a stroke of brilliance, and I liked Priest still wearing his entrance gear while he was getting beat up. The back-and-forth action until Priest gained the upper hand was great, and I adored Melo\u2019s &#8220;Tuning Up the Band!&#8221; It\u2019s strange, though, that the announcers didn\u2019t mention the name of Melo\u2019s own finisher, &#8216;&#8221;The First 48.&#8221; A suave Aleister Black interfered and caused a DQ victory for Melo, which means we will be blessed with more conflict between these three in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JELLY ROLL: MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I can\u2019t say enough negative things about this segment and Jelly Roll\u2019s ongoing presence in WWE programming. While they cut talented wrestlers, they simultaneously invest in Logan Paul and Jelly Roll. These segments undermine believability and seem too cartoonish. When Bryan Danielson recently called some WWE programming a parody of wrestling, these segments flashed into my mind.<\/p>\n<p><strong>STEPHANIE VAQUER VS. ALBA FYRE: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Though short (perhaps too short), the pace was fantastic. These wrestlers made the most of a brief segment, with stiff hits and forceful slams. When Alba Fyre superkicked Stephanie Vaquer off the top rope, I quietly cheered. I\u2019m a Vaquer fan, but love to see Fyre having bright spots. The finish came too quickly, but I imagine the match needed to be shorter to include Piper Niven\u2019s attack. Let\u2019s let them shine brighter next time, but I will take what I can get.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FOUR-WAY TAG TEAM CONTENDERS MATCH: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dang, this match was scorching. Red hot! As hot as ten thousand suns! While Andrade and Ray Fenix were the winners, every team shined brightly: Motor City Machine Guns, Fraxiom, and DIY! It would take too long to list the sequences that made me cry tears of joy, so I\u2019ll highlight the work of Fraxiom, Nathan Frazer in particular. He is a workhorse, never quite getting his flowers yet always delivering a wild performance. Moving like a lightning bolt, he makes me believe a man can fly!<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1168023598\" 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><strong>CODY RHODES AND JOHN CENA: HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What else is there to say except Cody Rhodes is heading down a path like Luke Skywalker did before him, toward the Dark Side. He will have to face another fateful decision. Will he give up his heart again when confronted with such a choice? I don\u2019t expect a turn at SummerSlam, but the seeds are being laid out quite clearly. If it happens in August, I won\u2019t be upset though.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (7\/18) - WWE Smackdown w\/cohost Jake Barnett\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dfR-qPvjBsg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3923206851\"><div id=\"pwtor-1526936447\"><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>Smackdown found something of a rhythm on Friday with excellent wrestling matches and some impressive foreshadowing in promo battles. WWE keeps bringing in celebrities for exposure, but having Jelly Roll in a match with Randy <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/07\/21\/wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-7-18-opening-car-crash-segment-charlotte-alexa-dynamic-cody-facing-a-choice-similar-to-luke-skywalker-four-way-tag-action\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN HITS &#038; MISSES (7\/18): Opening Car Crash segment, Charlotte-Alexa dynamic, Cody facing a choice similar to Luke Skywalker, Four-way tag action\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":201417,"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":[46,52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-201416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-21-at-4.02.54-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201416","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=201416"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":201418,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201416\/revisions\/201418"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}