Jimmy Uso discusses his return to SmackDown, telling Roman Reigns that they're not "the ones" anymore. Catch WWE action on Peacock, WWE Network, USA Network, CW Network, Sony India and more. #SmackDown
Veteran NFL writer and Pat McAfee Show correspondent Mark Kaboly breaks down Friday Night SmackDown and Monday Night Raw.
Still no Yeet: Roman Reigns told Jimmy Uso on Friday Night SmackDown, “No yeet,” in reference to seeking help from Jey Uso to even up the odds with the New Bloodline. Jimmy Uso didn’t listen and it became one of the more compelling parts of Monday Night Raw. Jimmy tried to get back on brother’s good side assuming in an effort to convince him to re-join the family to battle, well, his family. Just like Reigns, Uso wanted nothing of that by first ignoring Jimmy’s request to talk and then later telling him to get out of his face. That was a perfect response. It would be a disservice if Jey Uso does return to be underneath the Tribal Chief, other than maybe a one-off at Survivor Series: WarGames next month. It was a very compelling segment with very few words spoken. More of this type of stuff, please.
El Campeón returns: It was brief and to the point, but the chase for a championship for Damian Priest will resume. With two quick segments on Raw — one where Adam Pearce shuts down Finn Bálor’s rematch request with Priest and later when Priest said it’s time for him to return to his role of ‘El Campeon.” The rivalry with The Judgment Day has run its course and with how soundly Priest beat Bálor at Bad Blood closed the door on a rematch. Priest deserves another chance to reclaim the World Heavyweight title that he held for 118 days. Did he even really lose it or was it stolen from him? Priest has the feel of a top-level Superstar and appears to be on track to get there.
Tiffy Time: It's not too hard to get caught up with the unusual combination of Tiffany Stratton and Rhea Ripley. Ripley and Stratton assumed the role of the ‘good guy’ version of the team of Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan. Nia Jax took the opportunity to take out Ripley and then enhance her chances at Crown Jewel by taking a couple of shots at Liv. But what I took away from this was Stratton’s low-key role. With the help of Jax and an Annihilator, Stratton almost cashed in her Money in the Bank Briefcase before ‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio pulled her away. Surely, Jax realized that if Tiffy cashed it in that she would be facing her at Crown Jewel instead of Morgan. But when will Stratton realize that?
“Spoken like a true secondary champion”: When you feel a little uncomfortable just watching, that tells you something worked. That’s the way I looked at the confrontation between Cody Rhodes and Gunther thus setting the stage for Crown Jewel. The promo blurred the lines spectacularly between what was indeed the cold-hard truth and what was part of the mind games for their match in a couple of weeks. Gunther hitting Rhodes with a flurry of respect lines before hammering him a “you just love to be everybody’s darling, don’t you?” The response from Rhodes about Gunther cracking under pressure was warranted. The promo did something that was needed: Provided some hype and interest more than just two guys battling for a monster-sized belt.
Advancing the story: With Raw now at two hours, everything comes at you fast and furiously. I know it’s not a new thing, but the way WWE is using taped promos that have sort of a movie-like feel has been enjoyable and informative. It quickly advances the story and shows you the motivation behind a Superstar's actions. Bron Breakker’s three-minute movie-like message to Jey Uso (and even Big Bronson Reed’s taped interview with Pearce) gave the feud a different layer and allowed a peak into something deeper. With a family lineage in the business on both sides, it’s not surprising that these two have heat with each other over respect and that Breakker highlighted the different ways they have gone about their careers. I’m all in after this for a long-term feud between the two.
Solo Sikoa making an in-ring statement: It’s been about six months since Sikoa became the New Tribal Chief and the leader of the New Bloodline, yet he hasn’t competed in many televised singles matches since then. SmackDown’s match against Jimmy Uso was not only the first match for “Big Jim” since WrestleMania but was only Sikoa’s ninth televised Singles match of 2024 but only his fifth since he started wearing the Ula Fala. Sikoa was in need of a strong in-ring performance and delivered in a big way. Rhodes even pushed the narrative of a different Sikoa to Uso before the match. Sikoa pretty much dominated the entire near 15-minute match with power (Samoan Spike) and athleticism (spinning heel kick) that will go a long way in strengthening his spot as the head of the New Bloodline.
Maybe we should trust KO?: Why is everybody dismissing Kevin Owens’ claim that Rhodes is the one who turned on him? Why are we assuming that Randy Orton was jumped by Owens out in the parking lot near the end of SmackDown? That’s what you call circumstantial evidence. The thing to pay attention to that came out of this Owens/Rhodes/Orton segment was when KO said, “you wanna pick sides now? You picked the wrong side.” Owens has a history of being a little off kilter and that’s when he’s been at his best. So, if he believes that Rhodes and now Orton backstabbed him by joining Reigns for even one match then maybe his claim of the two turning him is true … in his mind. Crazy KO (as he was a decade ago) is the best KO.
Roman humbled: SmackDown kicking off with Jimmy Uso (incidentally, to his old music) made sense … just like Reigns coming to the ring not long after it. But what transpired after that was not expected — Uso humbled Reigns. Reigns is supremely confident and rightfully so. Holding the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship for three and a half years, which was the fourth-longest world title reign in WWE history tends to bring along pride with it. That pride took a hit when Uso hammered home that only one person in the family acknowledges him as The Tribal Chief. Even though it seems inevitable that Reigns heeds Uso’s advice and gets help after Sikoa, Fatu and the Tongans attacked them, you cannot count out Reigns going about it all on his own … well, not counting the Wiseman.
Where are the Wyatt Sicks?: Conspicuous by their recent absence, the Wyatt Sicks keep teasing their return when it comes to Karrion Kross, The Miz, R-Truth, and AOP's ongoing issues. Who knows when we will see them again but we do need to see them sooner rather than later and who knows what their motivation will be when they do return, but humor me here for a second. The first appearance was with the Alpha Academy and now it looks like it’s going to be something to do with Kross and The Final Testament. I’d be all up for having the Sicks be a vigilante-type faction that jumps from brand to brand. You never know who and what is next.
Odds and ends: Naomi pinning Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax on back-to-back weeks on SmackDown isn’t something that can be ignored. … At some point, Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes is going to get old. It hasn’t yet but No. 7 sure looks like it will be the winner-take-all match. … All I can say about Andrade’s: “Put the fries in the bag amigo” to Hayes is this: Touche. … It was good to see Ripley, Liv, Dom, Rodriguez, Stratton, Cargill, Belair, Jax and Rhodes crossing over to both SmackDown and Raw this week. … It is coming across that Ripley is a little smitten with Priest. … So, Rhodes has feuds with the New Bloodline, Reigns, Owens, Orton and Gunther ongoing? We might just need to pick one and go from there. … We need more Otis and we need more R-Truth. Maybe together … It was nice to see the War Raiders back. They should give a spark to the tag team division.