SmackDown: The Good, The Bad, & The Downright Ugly

The Good

**Strong Opener:**

SmackDown from Scotland kicked off with a match between Naomi and Chelsea Green.

The in-ring output was great from these two, and it helped further the storyline between Bayley and Piper Niven, who were at ringside for the match. Naomi and Green have to be considered two of the favorites heading into the Money in the Bank match next month, and Naomi has already declared interest in participating in the annual matchup.

**Major Face Turn Coming:**
WWE continued to tease Austin Theory’s face turn during an episode of the Grayson Waller Effect with DIY. DIY showed footage of Theory being thrown into harm’s way last week on SmackDown. Theory looked noticeably rattled by this, and his annoyance increased every time Waller cut him off. Gargano added fuel to the fire by stating that Theory is being used by Waller. The segment then ended in physicality, and the DIY vs. A-Town Down Under matchup is likely to take place in the next few weeks or perhaps even at Money in the Bank in July.

**Cody vs. AJ Faceoff:**
The undisputed highlight of SmackDown was the confrontation between Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles. AJ ran down Rhodes, claiming he’s quit every company he’s ever worked for. As always, Rhodes had a passionate and pure Babyface rebuttal, and the crowd was invested for the entire duration of the segment. Rhodes vs. AJ 2 is one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend, and if their first matchup is anything to go by, fans are in store for another all-time classic.

**Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa:**
SmackDown was main-evented by Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa, and Owens received one of the biggest reactions of the entire night. The finish of the match came when Paul Heyman put Sikoa’s foot on the rope, which eventually allowed Sikoa to hit a sinister Samoan Spike for the win. Randy Orton made a dramatic return in the post-match shenanigans with The Bloodline, which came as a huge surprise as there was no information surrounding Orton’s potential return. However, Owens is in urgent need of a fresh feud, as his ongoing feud with The Bloodline has stretched on for too long.

The Bad

**Santos vs. Apollo:**
The match between Santos Escobar and Apollo highlighted just how thin the SmackDown roster is. Both men received zero reaction, which is shocking considering the show took place in an international market. The crowd could care less about either man, and sooner or later, Triple H needs to reassess characters such as Escobar and Apollo and try to address why they aren’t over with the audience. The highlight of the aforementioned match saw Baron Corbin make a cameo, which was great to see as Corbin has a ton of potential as a babyface and years of experience to add to the blue brand’s roster.

The Ugly

**Nothing Stands Out:**
Nothing on the show stands out as particularly ugly. The show did a decent job in promoting Clash at the Castle. However, it does feel inferior compared to Raw, which has numerous compelling stories ranging from Chad Gable vs. Sami Zayn to the Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio storyline. On SmackDown, the Cody Rhodes vs. AJ Styles program is red hot, and some may argue the Bloodline feud is still borderline cinematic, yet the stories simply aren’t as strong as those on Raw.

Cody Rhodes’ “Big Destination” Match Revealed

Our top story today looks at a new report relating to Cody Rhodes and his WWE title. Although Rhodes is set to face AJ Styles at Clash at the Castle this weekend, it seems WWE is already planting the seeds for Rhodes’ next challenger. According to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rhodes’ big destination match is going to be with Solo Sikoa. It’s unknown when this match will take place, but it’s possible it goes down at either Money in the Bank or SummerSlam. Since this report broke on social media, the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. While there’s no denying that Sikoa has improved in recent months, fans are collectively asking if Sikoa is main event material. Of course, the issue on the SmackDown side is that there is a lack of menacing and credible heels outside of AJ that are legitimate enough to face Rhodes. However, this is something WWE should have considered before the annual WWE draft. Would you be interested in seeing Rhodes vs. Sikoa? Let us know in the comments section below.

Roman Reigns’ Huge Change

Speaking of Solo Sikoa, it’s expected that Sikoa vs. Roman Reigns is the destination when Reigns eventually returns to TV. According to Dave Meltzer, Reigns will likely be working as a babyface, which seems only logical based on the fan support he’s been receiving since being off TV. There has been no news lately on Reigns vs. The Rock, but it would be nonsensical if the match doesn’t take place. Naturally, The Rock’s recent injury may factor into when or even if the match will go down. The Rock was recently interviewed by ESPN and stated that he will be involved in WrestleMania 41 next year: “We’re on the one-yard line to create the biggest WrestleMania match of all time at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. I’ll just leave it at that.” It’s entirely possible that this interview was conducted before The Rock’s recent injury, so we’ll have to wait to see how the next nine months of WWE programming play out.

Bayley Entering the Forbidden Door?

The WWE and TNA crossover is well underway, and one current WWE star who wants to wrestle in other promotions is Bayley. During a media junket ahead of Clash at the Castle, the WWE Women’s Champion revealed her desire to step through WWE’s version of the Forbidden Door: “The more that it’s been happening, it really didn’t hit me that it was possible until I saw Jordynne Grace come out on NXT. I immediately texted Hunter and Shawn. I wanted to be at that show. I would love to be front row for this. It’s a historic match just to get my face out there. Hey, I’m watching. I’m the champion. Can you consider me if we ever do something with TNA?” Bayley then went one step further and declared her interest in wrestling in Japan: “I would love to do something like that. Mariko Yoshida, Rossy Ogawa, I’m down. I’ve wrestled a couple of times in Japan with WWE. I got invited to go to Japan right before I got signed, but I couldn’t do it.”

AJ Styles Defends New Theme Song

WWE’s trend of changing theme songs hasn’t gone down well with fans, and now AJ Styles has urged fans to give his new theme some time as they’ll gradually start to like it. The former WWE Champion discussed his new theme song during an interview with Fightful’s Corey Brennan, saying, “Listen, if you’re trying to compare it to my recent WWE music, you’re not going to like it at first. But you’ll give it a listen, you’ll hear it a lot more, and you’ll go, ‘You know what? It’s actually pretty good.’ So just give it some time. You’ll like it. I like it. I mean, I helped. I don’t want to say that I did any work, but we helped put things where we wanted it and the kind of style I wanted to have.”

Drew McIntyre Shares Serious Personal News

Drew McIntyre is set for arguably the biggest weekend of his career as he’ll challenge Damian Priest for the world title in his home country of Scotland. Appearing on the Clash at the Castle kickoff, McIntyre shared with fans some personal news related to his wife: “I’m back home. I’m going to have my people there, my family there. I wasn’t going to talk about it, but I can’t stop thinking about it. The one person who’s not going to be there is my wife, who’s in surgery right now. Emergency surgery. She told me, ‘I want you to go there and bring that title home,’ and I’m going to bring that title home.” WrestleAmia extends our well-wishes to McIntyre’s wife and hopes the surgery is a success.

Hulk Hogan Running for Office?

Could you imagine Hulk Hogan in the White House? In a recent interview with Fox News, the WWE Hall of Famer revealed that he has aspirations in the world of politics: “We need somebody in there that’s got some common sense. So if you need a president or vice president, I’ll volunteer and take this country over, and I’ll rule with an iron fist, a flat tax, nothing but common sense. I know right from wrong, brother.” Hogan has hinted at entering politics for several years, so it wouldn’t come as a major shock if he announced a political campaign in the future.

Sami Zayn Reacts to Main Eventing Backlash

Sami Zayn and Chad Gable are set to main event Backlash for the WWE title this Saturday, and it marks the first time either man has been in the main event of a premium live event. Zayn recently shared his excitement with WWE.com: “I’m excited for sure. I’ve done it all. But I’ve never been in a world title match on a premium live event, so that’s going to be something new for me and for Chad. He’s been ready for this opportunity for a long time. It’s really crazy that I got to main event WrestleMania last year, but this still feels like the biggest match of my career. No pressure at all!” Do you think Chad Gable will become WWE Champion? Let us know in the comments section below.

Potential Major Money in the Bank Spoiler

Our final story today takes a look at a major potential spoiler related to the Money in the Bank PPV. PW Insider reports that if Bayley retains her title against Tegan Nox this weekend, she’ll be in the Money in the Bank ladder match and will be the favorite to win the briefcase for the second time. The report reveals, “The only two planned MITB winners right now are Austin Theory and Bayley. With so much riding on both their stories, I’d be shocked if these winners change, even if someone is injured. WWE is very high on both talents and wants them to be the faces of the company for the next decade.” Theory has previously won the briefcase, but Bayley’s MITB victory would open several doors and could lead to a wide variety of fresh and exciting storylines.

Well, guys, there you have it—the wildest news stories and rumors you need to know! Be sure to leave your comments down below, and I’ll see you next time with some more wrestling content!