Dragunov’s return and surprise win, Jacob Fatu angle, Cody-Drew brawl, Bliss & Charlotte vs. Zaria & Sol Ruca, more

Ilja Dragunov

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…

Smackdown delivered Friday night in nearly every way possible. A new champion, a new no. 1 Contender, and storybeats that will pay off for months to come. There were rumors of new writers behind the scenes, and the quality of this episode suggests that things werenâ€t business as usual, and that is a great thing for viewers!

Some caution remains regarding WWEâ€s ability to creatively stick the landings of their decisions tonight, but the fact remains that we were shaken up tonight – and shaken up in a good way.

As always, Iâ€m Chris Adams, and you can reach me at cadamsowj@gmail.com if you think Iâ€ve missed.

CODYâ€S OPENING PROMO: HIT

What makes Cody Rhodes so successful on the microphone is his ability to overcome a speech impediment while using an expansive and effusive vocabulary. Some might criticize him for word choices that may seem archaic or out of touch, but I see his vocabulary as an invitation to engage with the substance of his promos. That’s what makes a successful public speaker: You may not necessarily understand everything they say, but you’re drawn in and want to hear more nevertheless. An expert. A master. For my money, on the mic, heâ€s the real best in the world!

ALEXA BLISS & CHARLOTTE FLAIR VS. ZARIA & SOL RUCA: HIT

The worst match of the night, but that isnâ€t nearly as bad as it sounds. On a night with very few creative hiccups and fumbles, something has to be the “worst.” And here it is, but itâ€s not a death knell.

Zaria and Sol Ruca just donâ€t seem ready yet for the main roster. The evidence? The match felt like it never got into fifth gear, and the blame cannot be laid at the feet of Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, the reigning and defending WWE Tag Team Champions. It was a fun showing with highspots of daring energy, but it was also a rather one-sided victory.

Charlotte Flair did most of the work, and I can’t help but wonder if Alexa Bliss got knocked around enough that she needed to hang outside the ring out of a sense of safety. When the time is right, Zaria and Sol Ruca will find their footing on the main roster and should not get lost among those at the top. They have distinct looks, setting them apart from anyone else. They both need to work on their finishers, especially Sol Ruca. For her career to have longevity, she will need a move that does not require such precise placement and visible staging.

I was not surprised by the results, but I had a great time getting there. All in all, a hit.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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HAYES BLINDSIDES THE MIZ: HIT

The dissolution of Melo Don’t Miz has been a gift, for it means we will see an unshackled Carmelo Hayes, free from the dungeon of tag team mid-card stardom. However, there’s no guarantee he won’t just be relegated to another mid-card dungeon, which would be a pitiful shame.

I’m not sure why Hayes hasn’t been given more opportunities to shine, but I am glad they’re giving him something more to sink his teeth into. It was also deeply satisfying to watch him punch The Miz in the back of the head with the full force of a hurricane.

ILJA DRAGUNOV VS. SAMI ZAYN: HIT

The Dragon has awoken! With a roar, Ilja Dragunov answered the call. Dragunov: pure power. Dragunov: pure viciousness. He burst through the entrance to the stage with a hunger in his face. Ilja Dragunov answering the call for the U.S. Title is, for me, like Christmas morning. A gift that fills me with bliss! It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for since his injury, as he is one of my favorites.

There’s something about his performance that is pure and absolute, even compared to Gunther or Bron Breakker. Pure wrestling- thatâ€s Dragunov. The match was a back-and-forth, just like Sami Zaynâ€s Open Challenges have been.

Lest it go unsaid, which would be criminal, Samiâ€s Open Challenge has radically elevated the title. It had languished during the strangely booked title reigns of L.A. Knight and Shinsuke Nakamura. Its shine was dulled when it hung around the waist of Logan Paul. But when Sami got it, he made it feel like an actual prize again. It feels like something people would fight for, would sweat and bleed for. It feels like this because Sami has already made that true. He poured himself into these last two months, and his performance art has taken something just fine and made it something spectacular!

And now, with the belt being passed to Dragunov, it has been re-legitimized as a true wrestling championship. Not just a piece of jewelry, but evidence that one can go toe-to-toe with the best and come out on top. Also, we canâ€t forget to acknowledge that Dragunov leveled up his physique. He has come to kill, to destroy. And he has conquered, receiving the gilded title he deserves. Let the reign of the Mad Dragon be long and just!

THE WYATT SICKS FACE OFF WITH THE MFTS: MISS

There is absolutely nothing that excites me about a feud between the MFTs and the Wyatt 6. We can talk about all of the fumbles of the Triple H era, but one of the most disappointing has been the decline of the Wyatt 6. They have been creatively mishandled, neglected, and forgotten. While they were emerging on Raw, they had substance, life, character, and meaning. They had personality and pain. Now, they just come off as caricatures. They seem to be mere spectral heavies brought out for quick, nostalgic pops. Both the MFTs and the Wyatt 6 are not spectacular wrestling powerhouses, so a tag team match between them will be lackluster and uninspiring. I’ll call this a miss.

MCMG VS. LOS GARZA: HIT

It’s the one-year anniversary of the Motor City Machine Guns’ debut in WWE. And here they are in a sit-down interview, a retrospective on their time. But even this feels strangely false because they’ve been absent for the past several weeks. This episode seems to be reinvigorating the tag division and bringing it back to life after it had been put on hold. I appreciate the attention being paid to all the teams, with the appearances of Fraxiom and the showdown between the MFTs and the Wyatt Sicks.

Returning to the contest at hand, the match was better than fine, but not exceptional, which is a tragedy because we know they could give us so much more. They could move in and out of the ring with a fluidity that would be levels above other tag teams on the roster. Even Fraxiom, with their fluidity, still doesn’t have the synchronicity of the Guns or Los Garza. They could make the ringâ€s canvas a tapesty upon which to pain beautiful violence with aplomb!

Even still, both teams gave it their all tonight, and we saw another rousing performance as the Guns shot their silver bullets into the heart of Los Garza. They slayed the beast. Now let them go hunting like this every week!

CODY RHODES VS. DREW MCINTYRE: HIT

This main event bristled with a chaotic energy that I both love and fear. First, let’s talk about why I loved it.

It felt unpredictable, with Cody coming out and offering a match to Drew McIntyre right then and there, offering him a title match while he was wearing a three-piece suit! Offering him a title match while he was wearing Italian leather loafers. Cody will fight anytime and anywhere. But why was he fighting? He was fighting because he believed that Drew was responsible for Jacob Fatu’s unfortunate dental injury. The teeth on the ground and the pool of blood were a nice touch, a detail that showed this was much more serious than just a piece of metal scaffolding that got tipped over onto someone.

Jacob is gone, and Cody came full of fire to get revenge on Drew. The match was gripping to watch. I was engaged at every twist, every hit, every punch. For a moment, I thought we were going to see Cody lose his championship before he even took off his loafers. But no. Cody went for the belt, itself smashing Drew in the face, losing by disqualification. Did John Cena’s heel run affect Cody like a virus? Or was Cody just caught up in the moment, full of piss and vinegar that made him do something stupid?

All I know is, as fun as the match was, there are two things I’m worried about. First, what happens to Cody Rhodes? His booking has been strange. It’s as if the company wants to support him as the quarterback but also not let him make the winning pass. I don’t want a heel turn driven by reckless creativity because they haven’t clearly focused on how he can succeed as a fighting champion in the vein of the territory champions he loves so much.

I’m also concerned about Drew . Whatever his next match with Cody is, he needs to win it. Otherwise, he will perpetually be the challenger who can never succeed. The issue with that is, once you’ve exhausted that option too many times, Drew will no longer be seen as a threat. So if you face him, you know you’re going to win. More importantly, and more consequentially, we know he will lose. By repeatedly placing him in this position, it takes away our ability to feel suspense, to be captivated by the tension, to worry about the possibility that our beloved Cody might lose his championship in a moment of anger. They need to make bold, creative decisions at the right times; otherwise, the story will become stale and predictable.

We are approaching a crossroads, it feels like, with all of the injuries affecting major storylines. My hope is that Codyâ€s reign is not overlooked in the attempt to manage the deviations elsewhere, but Iâ€m not convinced my hope will be satisfied.

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