Crush had a big revelation on the way to WWE Survivor Series, like Bronson Reed has joined The Bloodline for their next WarGames match against the OG lineage. After The Usos and Sami Zayn spent this week’s Raw and SmackDown unsuccessfully trying to find a fifth member of their team, the big reveal came in a thrilling brawl, with Roman being the latest victim of Reed’s Tsunami. An exciting Roman reign I tried calling Paul Heyman for advice for the first time since returning, but his number is no longer in service.
Bayley advanced in the US Women’s Championship tournament, and Nia Jax retained her Women’s Championship in a main event match against Naomi. The Tag Team Championship match between Motor City Machine Guns and Street Profits was interrupted by a furious Tommaso Ciampa, and Shinsuke Nakamura returned by defeating LA Knight. Finally, Cody Rhodes will come face to face with Kevin Owens on next week’s episode of SmackDown.
Bronson Reed and the lineage
The bloodline finds its fifth man
The clearest indication that WWE’s creative team believes in a star is having them interact with the storyline of The Bloodline. Look back over the last eighteen months and everyone who has been part of The Bloodline saga has elevated their status. While OG Bloodline is struggling to find its fifth member, it appears the new Bloodline and Bronson Reed will team up for WarGames at Survivor Series after the Australian destroyer raised hell on this week’s SmackDown.
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Chaos erupted when Roman, Sami and The Usos made their first entrance as a team since 2023 to enter the ring to face Solo’s Bloodline in a one-on-one, four-on-four showdown. With Jacob Fatu and Roman Reigns in fierce form, Bronson Reed appeared in the crowd to join forces with The Bloodline. Fatu and Reed were animalistic as they teamed up, like Reed caused a devastating tsunami on Roman Reigns in his biggest statement of intent of the year so far. It’s a mouth-watering prospect for WarGames, with Solo Sikoa once again in spectacular, meme-generating form as the wild, uncaged leader of The Bloodline.
Bayley
The U.S. Women’s Championship Tournament Is Underway
After the title was revealed on last week’s SmackDown, this week’s show revealed that the first US women’s champion will be crowned in Saturday night’s main event. A series of triple threat qualifiers have been set for the coming weeks, with Bayley defeating Candice LeRae and B-Fab this week to earn a spot in the semi-finals against the winner of Bianca Belair vs. Chelsea Green vs. Blair Davenport.
The field of potential champions is packed with Jade Cargill, Naomi, Tiffany Stratton and Michin among them. Assuming WWE puts an entirely new championship on someone prestigious, future Hall of Fame member Bayley is one of the favorites for the belt. It’s been a strange year for one of WWE’s most beloved performers, but this could be just what she needs to enter the Netflix era.
Los Angeles Knight
Shinsuke Nakamura ruins champion’s victory party
This was a very convincing week for The Megastar. LA Knight reopened his fight with Santos Escobar and Legado Del Fantasma, adopting a little more of that devilish side of him, and hitting Elektra Lopez with a little “yes!” extra. It was good mic work from Knight, who also carried a new United States championship with his logo emblazoned across the wristband.
In an open challenge, it would be Berto from Legado Del Fantasma who would answer the call. The match was fun and the crowd was warm. LA Knight retained the championship (as expected), and the defeated opponent left with his teammates in tow. Out of nowhere, absolutely Shinsuke Nakamura returned to WWE to attack LA Knight after the bell. Having a new look aesthetically reminiscent of Star Wars and Ghost Of Tsushima, there was no fanfare or rock star histrionics from Nakamura. His Kinshasa was as cold as his entrance, as he left Knight staring at the lights and made his grim exit.
SmackDown post-credits scene
WWE channels the MCU for a classic moment
SmackDown had a solid Main Event, where Naomi faced WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax. As the final stages of the match involved Candice LeRae, Bayley and Tiffany Stratton causing carnage, before The Queen emerged victorious with her title elevated, the credits began to roll. But the show isn’t over.
A lonely Roman Reigns held his phone in his dressing room, before saying “Call the Sage.” The crowd cheered, anticipating the reunion between Reigns and Paul Heyman for the first time since WrestleMania, only for the number to no longer be in service in the harrowing finale of this week’s SmackDown. A brilliant turn in itself, one we’ll talk about for some time, but This post-credits scene feels like a device WWE can and will use more in the future.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
A WWE Misfire Is Confirmed
WWE fans haven’t had much reason to worry in 2024. When it comes to creative decisions and the general mood of the fan base, this has been an exceptional year, with good bookings being rewarded by fans’ good faith. One of the few notable exceptions occurred when an appearance of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson hijacked Bad Blood’s main eventwith the payoff of the sensational nine-month feud between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre being eliminated in the process.
Bronson Reed’s arrival on this week’s SmackDown ended any hope of The Final Boss being the fifth man in WarGames. This confirms that The Rock’s Bad Blood cameo still has no context or meaning, and it’s now unlikely he’ll be seen in WWE again this year unless he makes a surprise encounter during War Games. This leaves a curious cloud hanging over The Rock and his big return. His Final Boss run this year wrote another world-conquering chapter in his decades-long journey in WWE. He’ll need to be as good or better to make people forget this legitimate complaint.
Kevin Owens suspension
A minimalist look after last week’s big defeat
After last week’s nauseating attack, we learned Randy Orton is injured indefinitely with cervical problems due to Kevin Owens’ pile driver. It was an incredible segment that blurred the lines of reality by utilizing the real-life injury that put Orton’s career in jeopardy and a move that wrestling fans know is banned in WWE. Plus, Kevin Owens’ righteous anger at Roman Reigns is one of the best storylines of the year. Taking shots at Orton and mocking Cody Rhodes, every second he’s on screen is captivating.
This week, Rhodes demanded a match with Owens, only to be informed by Nick Aldis that the off-the-rails star has been suspended while internal investigations are ongoing. Rhodes demanded to speak to Randy’s attacker, and it was revealed that Cody and Kevin Owens would meet on next week’s SmackDown, but there would be no Owens appearance in Milwaukee. His car promotion was electric, incandescent and fair, but consistently removing Kevin Owens from TV seems weak and as if he wasn’t capitalizing on his deviant actions.
Heel tag teams
Two of SmackDown’s top teams are turning to the dark side
Following his unusually gratuitous attack on Pretty Deadly last week, D.I.Y. Tommaso Ciampa Singlehandedly Destroyed This Week’s Tag Team Title Match between Motor City Machine Guns and The Street Profits. Arriving to throw punches, kicks and elbows at anyone who crossed his line of sight, this was another ferocious attack so stunning that Ciampa left his DIY partner Johnny Gargano on the mat as well. It remains to be seen whether this will lead to a DIY twist or if the friends will turn on their rivals once again.
However, while it’s true that this story may be new to the main roster, many fans saw it unfold in NXT years ago, and it provided some of the best matches and storytelling in the brand’s history. It will be difficult to top it or add anything new if they try again. Gargano and Ciampa are two incredibly talented competitors, but they seem stuck in this friends-to-foes-to-friends dynamic that has done little to further their careers outside of NXT.
Meanwhile, the Street Profits have been vocal about their lack of opportunities and with the champions protesting their innocence in Ciampa’s attack, Angelo Dawkins laid the first seeds for a heel turn by hitting Alex Shelley. Montez Ford cut a disdain for the champions and the live crowd as the pair headed towards the finish. It’s another week in which SmackDown’s tag team division builds intrigue and new storylines.
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Shinsuke Nakamura has not appeared on WWE television since April 22, following a loss to Sheamus on Monday Night Raw.
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This was B-Fab’s first match on SmackDown.
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“B-Flop” is a notable insult. Chelsea Green is on fire.
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The complete footage of LA Knight firing the jersey canon at the Milwaukee Bucks the game is solid gold.
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Cory Graves made a subtle reference to Wayne’s World while promoting Santos Escobar. Very good.
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Rumors are circulating that Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens will headline Saturday night’s main event.
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Bianca Belair x Chelsea Green x Blair Davenport, Jade Cargill x Michin x Piper Niven and Naomi x Tiffany Stratton x Elektra Lopez are the first round matches of the United States Women’s Championship.