Joe and Corey are at the desk today, with Mark Nash taking care of announcing duties.
“It’s one thing to hold the title of champion, but it’s an entirely different matter to act like a coward, hiding behind legal clauses while flaunting another man’s legacy on your wrist. Drew McIntyre strutting around the streets of London, proudly displaying Dusty’s watch, isn’t just business—it’s a blatant slap in the face to every passionate fan who watched Cody triumphantly finish his story. According to the unforgiving contract, Cody is denied an automatic rematch, which only adds salt to the wound. As long as Drew clutches that watch, a symbolic piece of history, this saga remains unresolved. I sense that this tension will push Cody into a darker, more intense place—a place he may need to access to confront the challenge ahead. Ultimately, it’s not just about the title anymore; it’s about taking Drew down and reclaiming the watch that rightfully belongs to him, a token of honouring that deep, storied past.”
*”Aura of Arrogance”*
“The sound of the bagpipes used to be a call to arms for the fans, but in London, it felt more like a warning. Drew McIntyre didn’t just walk out as a champion; he walked out as a man who had completely detached himself from the respect of the locker room and the fans. Muting the TV almost felt like the only way to escape the sheer noise of his ego.” (Look, I get it, I will give Drew the respect for what he has done, along with the storyline and all. It’s his time, it’s the watch that bothers me, (storyline) I still think the watch has a place in this, as long as Drew has the watch, he has that hold over Cody. It won’t end until the watch is returned.)
“The chaos didn’t stop once Drew high-tailed it out of the arena. Before the bell could even ring for our first qualifying match, The Miz reminded us why he’s the ultimate opportunist, blindsiding Randy Orton with a Skull-Crushing Finale. Miz is desperate all the time to just get a little ahead. It was a desperate move, but against a 14-time champion like the ‘Viper,’ desperation is sometimes all you have. Randy, however, did what he does best—he weathered the storm, dumped Miz on the announce table for good measure, and punched his ticket to the Fatal 4-Way with an RKO that reminded everyone that while the ‘new class’ is arriving, the legends aren’t going anywhere without a fight.” With Randy’s back, they are protecting him to a point. I would love to see Randy have one more run before he retires.
“It seems like theft is the new strategy on SmackDown. While Drew is parading around with Dusty’s watch, Solo Sikoa is desecrating the memory of Bray Wyatt by clutching that lantern. Between the watch and the lantern, the ‘heels’ are attacking legacies more than they are attacking opponents. Solo thinks he’s controlling the darkness by holding that lantern.
The Women’s United States Champion, Giulia and her ‘business associate’ Kiana James in action. (I was never a fan of Kiana; I think she is a better manager.) This team is a fascinating study in contrasts. Giulia brings this terrifying, hard-hitting ‘Madness’ to the ring, while Kiana is always looking for the most efficient way to close a deal—even if that means taking a few shortcuts. (Kiana will never be a babyface) They controlled a lot of the match against Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair (I’m liking the humour that Charlotte is bringing out), but in the end, ‘business’ didn’t pay off. Kiana tried to sneak tag herself in to steal the win, but she ran right into a Sister Abigail from Alexa Bliss. It was a reminder that in London, no matter how good your ‘representation’ is, you still have to watch your back.”Guilia is a force of nature, we all know that, but I noticed that Kiana is trying to shake off some ringrust. With the quality of Charlotte, Alexa and Guilia, Kiana needs to work on her timing. A mistake by Kiana allowed Charlotte/Alexa to get the win.
I have to be honest: the act with Nia Jax and Lash Legend is starting to wear thin. Seeing them do the same post-match beatdown and try to play middle-school mind games with Charlotte and Alexa is becoming a broken record. These are four of the most talented women on the roster, and they deserve a storyline with more substance than just ‘who’s the meanest in the locker room.’ It’s time for Nia and Lash to either move into a real title hunt or find a new gear, because right now, I’m just reaching for the mute button.”
Cody is in the ring, not totally sure as to what is going on with the Universe. Maybe Cody needs a reset. Get back to basics. Cody just declared for the Royal Rumble. “We are seeing a version of Cody Rhodes tonight that we haven’t seen in years. The smile is gone, the polite ‘What do you want to talk about?’ has been replaced with a cold, hard promise of retribution. Cody isn’t just looking for a title match anymore; he’s looking to hurt the man who tried to burn his legacy to the ground. He’s taking the “long road” back because he knows that if he wins, even Drew’s legal clauses can’t stop him from getting to WrestleMania.
“Next up, we had a clash of generations: the returning veteran Matt Cardona against the man who ‘looks like money and feels like money,’ Trick Williams. I have to give it to Cardona—he hasn’t lost a step, and he made Trick earn every inch of this win. Things are starting to shift to the new class of wrestlers, but Trick has this ‘it factor’ that you can’t teach. When he lowered that knee pad and lined up the Trick Shot, you knew the veteran’s night was over. Trick isn’t just arriving; he’s claiming the throne. By advancing to the Fatal 4-Way, he’s officially put the ‘Dangerous and Unpredictable’ Drew McIntyre on notice.” Trick is not ready for a belt, yet. Trick is all mouth, which will get him into trouble at some point. I want to see Trick have another battle with Carmelo Hayes. It stole the show in NXT, and I think it would again. If WWE really wants to see what Trick is made of, they need to run back the rivalry that put him on the map. A main-roster battle with Carmelo Hayes wouldn’t just be a match; it would be a statement. They stole the show in NXT, and I think they’d do it again on the big stage. Let’s see if Trick can actually back up all that talk when his ‘Brother’ is across the ring from him.”
“Solo Sikoa standing in a London ring with Bray Wyatt’s lantern is one of the most disrespectful sights I’ve ever seen. Solo will never connect to that lantern. To him, it’s just a weapon; he thinks that if he has it, he will get the advantage of getting the tag belts back. You may not like the Wyatts and all, but I have a feeling there are some secret fireflies out there in the Universe. While Solo was busy trying to play ‘god of the woods,’ Damian Priest reminded him that in a real fight, you need more than a stolen lantern—you need heart. The way the lights went out and left Solo alone with Uncle Howdy was the perfect metaphor: you can’t hide behind a stolen light when the true darkness comes for you.”
“I’m getting tired of the MFT cycle. This ‘Bloodline 2.0’ group has all the muscle in the world, yet they can’t seem to win a match without someone interfering or some kind of cheap trick. Solo Sikoa standing there with Bray’s lantern was pathetic—not because he’s a heel, but because it showed he’s scared. He knows he can’t beat a guy like Damian Priest in a fair fight, so he has to resort to stealing legacies. In the end, even with all his brothers lurking, Solo still couldn’t get the job done.
“Watching Carmelo Hayes defend his U.S. Title in London really puts things into perspective. While Trick Williams is feeding off the energy of the crowd and ‘whooping’ it up, Melo is out here doing the grunt work. He isn’t just about the entrance or the catchphrases; he’s about the results. In his match tonight, he showed why he is a step ahead of his former partner. Trick has the mouth, but Melo has the polish. If they ever do run it back, my money is on the man with the gold. Trick might be the future, but Melo is the ‘right now.’ Trick Williams is feeding off catchphrases, Melo is out here handling world-class talent from other promotions and proving he is a top-tier champion. He took a lot of damage to that leg, but he never let the pressure get to him. Trick might have the ‘Vibes,’ but Melo has the ‘Vessel’—the actual talent to keep that gold around his waist.”
Sami Zayn pulls it off! He catches Ilja with a massive Exploder Suplex into the corner, followed by the Helluva Kick to punch his ticket to the Fatal 4-Way at Saturday Night’s Main Event. I have no words for this match. It was amazing, intense, and everything you can think of to describe the match. Sami still has some gas left in the tank. There is one belt that is missing: the World Heavyweight. Before he retires, they need to put the belt on him. “I’m calling it right now: Sami vs. Ilja was a Match of the Year contender. It was pure, unadulterated passion. But then comes Trick Williams, who just couldn’t let the wrestling speak for itself. He had to make it about him. He’s a villain and then some. He thinks he’s the main character, but he’s really just the guy who ruined the best match of the night. If this is the ‘New Class,’ they have a lot to learn about respect.”
Fox Den Sports 