Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE SmackDown hits and misses series.
Last night marked the beginning of a new era for SmackDown on USA complete with a new logo and intro. WWE Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque kicked off the show to welcome fans to an all-new era of the blue brand.
Here’s what went down on 9/13 Friday Night SmackDown.
Hit – Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa inside a steel cage
Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa had the opening match on WWE SmackDown. The American Nightmare put his undisputed title on the line against the self-proclaimed Tribal Chief. Solo’s relentless assault cut Cody wide open but the champion somehow continued to put up a fight. He finally picked up the win only for the rest of The Bloodline to show up. Roman Reigns appeared to clear the house paving the way for the show’s main event segment.
This match was extremely physical. I’d say it was Solo’s best singles performance in a long, long time. Both men brought the fight to each other. The cutter spot was beautiful. Roman entering the cage and shutting the door was badass. The crowd popped big time for the stare-down between Roman and Jacob Fatu. I cannot wait for the eventual singles match-up between Reigns and Fatu.
Miss – Michin vs. Piper Niven on WWE SmackDown
Michin took on Piper Niven, who had Chelsea Green in her corner. Michin planted Chelsea with a kendo stick to the back. The former Mia Yim picked up the win but was double-teamed by Piper and Chelsea after the match.
The action was underwhelming in this one. Michin’s finisher looked horribly weak yet she picked up the win. I think Chelsea and Piper have been a tag team for far too long. WWE needs to put them on a solo run now.
Hit – Kevin Owens’ mystery tag team partner is…
A-Town Down Under entered the ring. Kevin Owens showed up next. KO’s tag team partner arrived. It was some local enhancement talent named Ricky. Owens stunned Ricky because his real tag team partner was about to enter the arena. Randy Orton arrived to a huge pop. RKO then teamed up together to defeat Theory and Waller after a back-and-forth match.
This was the quickest KO has ever turned on his tag team partner. Poor Ricky, or Reggie, was just there to help but he was never going to sub for Orton. You can’t possibly have WWE SmackDown’s season premiere without The Viper. Theory made Orton almost break character by mocking his pose. The Stunner-RKO spot was made for a great finishing sequence.
Miss – Ladies segment on WWE SmackDown
Nia Jax put her over during an in-ring promo. Bayley interrupted the WWE Women’s Champion. The Role Model said she wanted a shot at the title. Tiffany Stratton interrupted. Naomi showed up next to set up a tag team match with Bad Blood implications for WWE SmackDown next Friday.
Nothing, apart from the stipulation, piqued my interest in this segment. Tiffany got a huge pop for her entrance. The WWE Universe loves her. WWE needs to establish Nia as a dominant champion. She looked like a monster while chasing the title. Her momentum shouldn’t be slowed down.
Hit – Longtime rivals agree to team up
Roman Reigns spoke on the mic for the first time since returning to WWE at SummerSlam 2024. The OTC said he was the Tribal Chief with or without the ula fala. Cody Rhodes arrived and teased a match between himself and Reigns. Solo and Jacob Fatu showed up before the Tongans attacked Reigns and Rhodes from behind. After clearing the ring, Reigns and Rhodes signed a contract to make the tag team match featuring the duo and The Bloodline official for Bad Blood.
My prediction for a major match at WWE Bad Blood came true. This match totally makes sense because of the direction all men involved have taken since WrestleMania XL. Cody and Rhodes have teased running it back but there are more urgent matters to attend to before we get to Rhodes versus Reigns III for the top title. Here’s the updated WWE Bad Blood card after 9/13 SmackDown.
- Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley – Women’s World Championship
- Finn Balor vs. Damian Priest – Singles match
- CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre – Hell in a Cell
- Nia Jax (c) vs. TBA – WWE Women’s Championship
- Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu – Tag team match
Honorable Mentions
- WWE SmackDown premiere on USA featured lots of legends as well as current superstars in attendance. Legends like RVD, Booker T, Teddy Long, and Ron Simmons popped on the screen. Gunther and Damian Priest appeared as well.
- Carmelo Hayes and Andrade capped off their feud with a short yet explosive match. The match featured a Spanish fly to the outside and some stiff strikes that knocked the wind out of Melo. I wanted to see Melo get the W and take on LA Knight for the U.S. title at Bad Blood. Next time, maybe Andrade will challenge Knight for his title next Friday on WWE SmackDown.
READ MORE: WWE SmackDown Results (9/13/24)
