With 36 days away until WrestleMania 42, tonight’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown was live from the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona, looking to capitalize on last week’s world title change. It was the second SD of the year when Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes for the world title, but ‘The American Nightmare’ was able to reclaim the title and position himself to face Randy Orton at Mania.
This is the time of year when celebrities are added to the Mania match card, and tonight, Jelly Roll was in the house in what many expected to be his program-setting feud for ‘the show of shows.’
CODY RHODES-RANDY ORTON CONTRACT SIGNING/SIDEWAYS SAMI ZAYN
Cody and Sami Zayn had their weekly couples counseling before the main segment, and Cody called out Sami for offering him the same generic ‘congratulations’ that he offered Randy.
Cody did not waste time ripping into Sami, claiming he is just trying to ‘secure a title shot’ at the backend of WrestleMania. Sami fired back, claiming he was happy for Randy because he is 1 of 1, then said he ‘looks up to Randy’ but does not look up to Cody.
After trying to remind Cody that they are friends, he insisted that they are on the same level and Cody has no right to ‘speak down to him.’ Cody walked off on Sami by telling him to acknowledge his championship, and Sami crashed out hard (sounding like he accidentally dropped an ‘f-bomb’). Aleister Black entered the segment before it ended, continuing the same Karrion Kross narrative that Sami ran this time last year.
Sami’s night ended with a backstage confrontation with Trick Williams just before his match with Jacob Fatu, potentially setting up the Mania match rumored for the two.
RETURN OF THE VIPER
When we got to the final segment of the night, it was clear that this was the opportunity for Cody and Randy to kick off their title fight program like the way Roman Reigns and CM Punk managed to do right out the gate. It started generically with a table, two chairs, and a contract.
The two men basically put each other over for the first half as Cody said he knew he was getting the ‘Legend Killer’ version of Orton, but he had no idea that ‘The Viper’ was already in the ring.
Just as it seemed things would end cordially, Cody went to sign the contract, and Orton absolutely snapped on the world champion. Orton told Cody that ‘he needed’ Mania, but it was never clear just how desperate Randy felt until tonight.
After beating Cody in and out of the ring, he rammed his skull with the steel steps while fending off WWE officials. Cody was busted wide open as Orton shoved Jelly Roll for trying to stop the madness.
The segment ended when Randy pulled out one of his ‘greatest hits,’ after setting up Cody against the steel stairs, Orton blasted Cody to the head with a steel chair (from out of nowhere). Orton grabbed the belt and placed it around his waist as he sat on a chair in the middle of the ring with a ‘gone look’ in his eyes— The Viper has returned.
JELLY ROLL ON MIZTV
Dan Housen’s unofficial ‘mentor’, The Miz, was caught lackin’ back stage when the kayfabe vampire approached him. Dan Housen dropped his latest list of demands, and The Miz refuted his wishes and got hit with a curse ahead of his segment with Jelly Roll.
The segment began as a generic promo for Rhodes-Orton before The Miz offered up his ‘Masterclass’ and services as a mentor—to which Jelly Roll answered ‘no.’ He told Miz that he is known for ‘stabbing his partners in the back,’ and that is when Miz went after the Grammy singer’s redemption story.
He spoke about the infamous botch two years ago at SummerSlam, where Jelly Roll flopped in front of the New Jersey crowd on night one.
“You fell down and your obese butt couldn’t get yourself back up,’ The Miz said to a stunned face Jelly roll. “And what happened? To save you from that embarrassment, I reached my hand out, and I picked you up.”
Miz said that moment led Jelly Roll to decide to lose 250 lbs; it was utterly hilarious. Jelly Roll rallied the crowd with an impassioned response, so of course, The Miz destroyed him by saying, “I liked you better when you were fat.”
“Dog, fat or skinny, I will whoop your ass,” Jelly Roll said before calling the self-proclaimed ‘locker room leader’ a loser.
Kit Wilson’s music hit for some reason, and he unleashed his ‘toxic masculinity’ gimmick, and Jelly Roll busted out Kit’s dance moves. Kit called Jelly Roll ‘fat phobic’ and accused him of promoting an unhealthy beauty standard.’ Again, hilarious— seeing The Miz trying to take credit while Kit claimed that Jelly Roll getting healthy was ‘unhealthy’ was the best MizTV in maybe ever.
The segment ended when Kit struck Miz by accident before running out of the ring. Kit promised Miz he would speak with Aldis to ‘give Jelly Roll what he wants.’ The Miz is not the most exciting direction for a Jelly Roll Mania appearance, but he is the kind of veteran WWE wants in with a very green musician trying his second venture into wrestling.
FATU RUNS IT BACK W/ DREW MCINTYRE
Drew McIntyre was quick to interrupt the ‘scheduled program’ before GM Nic Aldis came down to the ring to confront the former champion’s promo. Aldis tried to correct Drew’s record on things that suggest the WWE bent over backwards to assure Cody’s place as champion heading into WM—playing into the real-world narrative while maintaining kayfabe.
Aldis warned Drew not to push him, claiming that McIntyre was fully aware of where Aldis comes from and his journey through professional wrestling— this must be setting up a match.
Jacob Fatu eventually made his way to the ring, trying to retcon an 8-week program by claiming his interference in last week’s world title match was ‘setting things right’ considering he cost Cody the title in the first place. It was always an odd piece of booking, even though it led to some terrific work between Fatu and Rhodes.
Back then, during the epic ‘3-Stages of Hell’ match, Fatu came across as a ‘Stone Cold’ type face that does not concern himself with the feelings of another superstar when exacting revenge. Tonight, however, the ‘Samoan Werewolf’ felt a bit underwhelming as the fans started the dreaded “WHAT?” chant during his mic time.
Just as the segment should have paid off the feud, Drew grabbed the mic and said that he ‘quits,’ walking out of the ring and through the crowd. It was abrupt, but it might have ‘hit harder’ if he had not just pulled the same stunt in the lead-up to his resignation from the company.
Jacob Fatu VS Trick Williams
The match was fantastic, and it gave fans a sneak peek of a potentially major feud down the line. However, without any real stakes tonight, it felt like WWE was glossing over a bigger moment altogether.
Drew McIntyre returned to the company, costing Jacob the match against Trick. It was a massive upset that furthered a feud that feels fully cooked.
SOLO & TALA TONGA VS WYATT SICKS— Tag Team Match
It was a non-title affair meant to further the ‘lantern storyline’ that has continued for some time now. In fact, there were assumptions that this feud would receive a blowoff angle at last November’s Survivor Series: WarGames, and yet we are still elbow deep in this feud with no end (and no direction).
When Yokozuna, along with the majority of heels on the roster, took The Undertaker’s urn, it left him powerless. At that ’93 Rumble that coincided with the first casket match that Taker would lose, the ‘Deadman’ was forced to electrify his spirit once his urn was apprehended. Paul Bearer needed months to rebuild Taker’s strength, and he eventually repackaged under the ‘black and purple.’
In this current feud, the lantern has no real power, it seems, other than the ‘power of nostalgia,’ being that the prop comes from the first Wyatt Family faction. The Wyatt Sicks won the match with some distraction from Nikki Cross; unfortunately, she was unable to reclaim the light.
TAG TEAM SHAKEUP
Despite the tag team champions being stuck in a dead-end program, tonight’s show capitalized on the heat that Damian Priest and R-Truth’s new partnership has garnered amongst fans. They challenged Los Garzas in tag action tonight after the group performed well in last week’s #1 contender’s tag team gauntlet— the same match that Priest and Truth won to secure their future tag title shot.
Priest & Truth vs. Los Garzas
Priest seemed rejuvenated tonight as he hit his version of the ‘Old School,’ The Undertaker’s long-used signature move— Priest delivers a crossbody instead of a forearm to the back. The action was solid, the chemistry worked better than expected, and in the end, Priest and Truth picked up the win.
IRRESISTIBLE FORCES(c) VS CHARLOTTE FLAIR & ALEXA BLISS—Tag Team Titles
Flair and Bliss earned the right to challenge for the titles after Flair picked up a pinfall victory over Giulia. Before the match, The Bellas crashed the party to ‘call dibs’ on whoever wins the match, sitting ringside to get a look at the comp.
This was the first defense of the tag titles for Nia Jax and Lash Legend since they won the titles from Rhea and Iyo ahead of Elimination Chamber. Unfortunately, the Bellas interfered in the match, giving the champs the DQ win.
Bliss was on the top turnbuckle, setting up her ‘Twisted Bliss’ when Nikki came into the ring, but it came off as a bonehead move considering Nikki was flattened with a leg drop from Nia.
JADE CARGILL VS MICHIN— Singles Match
This match tonight highlighted one of WWE‘s biggest storytelling issues. We have seen the champ and Michin cross paths and exchange words over the past few weeks, but it was three months ago when Jade squashed Michin. It finally gets a payoff, but it comes when we are smack dab in the middle of the ‘Road to WrestleMania.’
Jade has drawn heat for not defending her title much since winning it, and this non-title match did not do her any favors, but she got the opportunity to work on both sides of the advert. The champ won, but it is unclear why WWE would book Jade to look like anything other than a monster, and going toe-to-toe with Michin does not achieve that.
Jade cut a post-match promo on Rhea, claiming she sees no threat in the former champ. The champ was hoping to cut a mic-dropping line before walking off, but Rhea’s music hit, and she confronted the champ.
Jade ducked the fade quickly as Rhea continued down the ’embodiment of female empowerment’ narrative, ending by saying Jade would be ‘her b***h.’
Other Tidbits
- – Kit Wilson was booked to ‘call out’ Jelly Roll next week on SD.
- – Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame was in attendance, sporting the WM42 world title belt.
- – UFC HOF Mark Kerr was also in attendance. The two-time UFC HW champion’s biopic, entitled “The Smashing Machine,” came out last  year to mixed reviews, though Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s portrayal of Kerr was his best performance to date.
- – It was announced that The Bellas will get a crack at Irresistible Forces tag titles, but after tonight’s finish, we are likely building towards a three-way at Mania between each group.
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