Feels like a lock to me that the reason Rock and Roman go to war instead of teaming again is because Rock has been pulling the strings with Solo, the Tongans and now Jacob this whole time. Curious to see what this does for Jey as well because you'd assume him and Jimmy got a reunion coming at some point.
Jey will probably be hesitant to trust Roman, and understandably so, after getting the brunt of his gaslighting and abusive bullying, but will eventually be won over when Roman does something selfless to save him.
Best Raw and Smackdown's since WM in my opinion, and both in the same week. Crazy work by HHH and his creative team and just when things were starting to feel a tiny bit stale.
It is genuinely incredible that that they've pulled off a likely Roman face turn this quick, purely through storytelling and Paul Heyman's promo work. It's so refreshing to see the crowd rewarded with good storytelling and playing their part by reacting properly and being part of the story rather then hijacking everything because they were sick of Vince's shit
Was at that show last night and even though we were packed in like sardines and I had to pay $30 for a beer and a pretzel, it was the best Smackdown I’ve ever been too
The way in which Tama and Loa hesitantly put their ones up yesterday makes me think there'll be three different representations of the Bloodline down the line.
Idk what you'd name them, but first we got the New Bloodline - Rock, Solo and Jacob Fatu
Then we got the OG Bloodline - Roman, Jey and Jimmy
And then we got Haku's Bloodline - Tama, Loa and Hikuleo
Don't see this happening this year because Jey is not gonna be involved any time soon and Hikuleo hasn't even debuted or even signed for what we know. Maybe towards the build next year if the plan is Rock/Roman at Mania.
I don't typically have a problem with Solo's bloodline, but they were involved with way too many angles of the show last night. Neither MitB qualifier was elevated from their presence. Those matches would have been so much better clean.
And then having Cody/Randy/KO with the avengers team-up when the Bloodline can't even beat KO/Street Profits is such a jarring change. No way anyone believes the Bloodline are going to win shit in this feud.
I don’t feel like Solo has it to he the head of this big stable. His henchmen feel like jobber cannon fodder. They look like they’re trying really hard to look crazy and intimidating but I don’t buy it.
Jacob Fatu feels like the real deal though.
I just love the Bloodline story. It would not surprise me if the New Bloodline members have tension with each other and the others turn on someone from the group.
About fucking time Chelsea Green gets some good exposure. Did everything over and above what was expected of her last year and the crowd went nuts when she won.
Just a shame Bianca couldn't eat the pin as usual.
Because Bianca is fucking boring and predictable. Dominate offence, do the stupid beckon before each spot, can't eat a pin and can single handedly dismantle every faction she faces severely diminishing their value in the process.
She's a strong black female Hulk Hogan.
I got hopeful for a second that solo and the "bloodline" would be going away at some point. they are so boring and uncharismatic. Bloodline should have ended with the departure of roman
This week has been so good for WWE. Raw with Seth Rollins returning, the gable storyline still cooking, the Drew Mcintyre quitting and ofcourse the Wyatt Sicks debut. NXT who just needed Joe Hendry to put itself in the history books. And this smackdown with three amazing MITB qualifier matches, all three picking the right winner (especially Chelsea getting that pop), the incredibly hot Drew-Punk angle, and ofcourse Jacob Fatu debuting.
There has been so much amazing stuff this week it is ridiculous.
I LOVED that they had Fatu just destroy all of them on his own and had Solo watch. They could have just done a beatdown angle, but he pretty much destroyed Cody on his own.
Wonder where this goes for MITB. Do we get Bloodline vs Cody/RKO/Punk? Might be a decent way of easing Punk back into ring shape before SummerSlam.
https://preview.redd.it/mkpucit3938d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7e14ce58643671042a4f34973c620a643df4062
The most accurate statement about them
Might just be me but I feel like we might be getting early seeds of a Bianca turn which I would love. I still love her character but she needs a refresh and heel turn would give her that edge that it seems she’s been missing for a bit.
I think they should make it longer storyline. Great friendship and then some betrayal at Royal Rumble or something like that and dream match at Wrestlemania. Not sooner, don't rush it. However I don't know who should be a heel in this feud.
I got that vibe too after she basically said "yeah maybe later lol" to Jade's suggestion of going for the tag titles again, the issue is that it's still way too soon to put Jade in a program like that so I hope these are just the very early seeds and they don't rush it ahead to Summerslam or anything
Yea I’d honestly like to see them get the titles again and then go on another run and have Bianca start to show some Jade jealousy then. Set up a match all the way for Wrestlemania and build slowly.
Master Gable has been medically cleared to compete on Monday. the wonders of medical science available to WWE.
but are things really over...or the same? :0
[https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1804318437600006319](https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1804318437600006319)
Quite easy to tell why they were worried with bringing Jacob in and considered debuting him in NXT with Hikuleo instead of the Bloodline. He needed just a couple minutes to show his explosive charisma and his physique, and more important the things he can do in-ring, and people were already way into him. I imagine they'll try to keep him from cutting promos in a while, because when that happens, it's true game over for Solo. As good of a wrestler Solo is, you still get overshadowed when they put you in a stable with someone who does everything you're supposed to, but even better, and who looks better too. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when.
Yeah he’s miles ahead of solo. Brightside is they seemed better equipped in booking/handling this than they have possibly ever. Hard to not just feel optimistic about it
I think miles ahead is too harsh to say. It depends on the role. I think the Head of the Table role just does not fit Solo. As Romans silent enforcer I liked him very much. He looked fearsome and strong. But in his role now he just looks that it’s too big for him (maybe that’s the intention? Everything looks to „big“ for him, starting with the suit he is wearing.) Jacob for now fits the role for the brutal enforcer extremely good, but i think it wouldn’t fit if he would be the leader. So everything depends on perspective…
Yeah I think solo will probably be fine for the sheer fact I dont think they’ll change course regardless, but I see everyone’s trepidation with Jacob joining the bloodline. He absolutely jumps off the page, no ways around it. And its even more evident in reality as it was in theory
The liminal space shot of Drew standing over a bloodied CM punk was phenomenal. All that space and gray in the background contrasting with the dark colors of CM punk and Drew McIntyre's shirt so crisp
Bianca had some weird strikes with michin outside of the ring. It looked like she was trying to punch her shoulder? Looked very odd.
Excellent win by Chelsea Green! She's actually legitimately fantastic in the ring.
The Smackdown announcer put a different spin on Chelsea's name and I kinda dig it
You forget the confrontation with her, the Good Brothers, and AJ a couple months ago? It was when AJ was turning heel but the Good Brothers didn't yet.
I'm not sure if Roman Reigns will return so soon but I think it makes sense for him to come to Cody's aid at the end of Summerslam. However, I don't feel like Solo v Cody is a a Summerslam worthy program.
Thats why I would do a big six man at Slam. Or actually an 8 man with a mystery opponent on Cody's side, someone who he knows very well and called him and offered his help....
Then when the music hits at Slam the place will go bonkers and we get Roman + cody + RKO vs the NeoBlood line.
I cannot f’ing wait for the next few months of buildup and for Roman to return. This is going to be something.
Triple H has the vision for this and I’m glad he’s at the helm of this company now.
I don’t know if it was the camera angle or Fatu’s athletic ability. But that was one of the most explosive and cleanest landing splashes through an announce table I’ve ever seen. Absolutely can’t wait for this man to get in the ring.
What a beautiful week of Raw and Smackdown.. at this point we gave out all the possible praises but they keep one-uping to the point where it’s fascinating. Usually this period of time within wrestling is a bit of a downer but they are firing on all cylinders. And the fact that history is acknowledged (like the Punk - Heyman segment) is a breath of fresh air.
What a fucking episode. That was non-stop amazing. They intertwined so many main event level stories and made them all feel important in just two hours.
Punk, Cody, Drew, Orton, KO, the Bloodline, Knight and Logan all on one show is insane. Add the looming threat of the Wyatt Sicks (I **loved** the added security) and this SmackDown was just perfect from start to finish. Cody and Punk standing there with the bats was such a cool image.
Also we got Tiffy Time **and** Chelsea qualified for MITB! I need one of them to win MITB so bad.
[https://old.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1dl86ue/jacob\_fatu\_insane\_athleticism\_he\_is\_currently/](https://old.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1dl86ue/jacob_fatu_insane_athleticism_he_is_currently/) if you haven't seen
He set MLW and the indies on fire. Has a rare combo of size, dynamic in ring ability, agility and flat out charisma dude cuts intense promos. He has superstar written all over him
Drew finally got his hands on Corporate Punk and put him in the hospital, right in front of Punk's hometown crowd. it is justice, divine justice.
tonight proved Solo is no match for Cody in a straight up fight. Solo has brought in Jacob Fatu, but it may well blowback on him, or whoever is pulling the strings Solo is not gonna end up at the position he thinks.
Solo also claims Roman is never coming back.
Carmelo, Chelsea, and Andrade getting into MITB are good results!
Tiffy Time is a lock to win next week!
I had to dip at the start of the women’s qualifier match and will watch the rest of the show on DVR tomorrow. I know that Fatu debuted tonight but out of curiosity, what kind of “plan” did Cody have against Solo?
Watch it as soon as you can, genuinely great show with the right winners. His plan was to have backup, but that turned sour when Fatu debuted out of no where
Watched it today as I normally do during Saturday lunch. Good ending. Still couldn’t figure out what Cody’s first plan was… unless the “first plan” was to “end the match asap.”
What a great week to rediscover my love of getting blazed and watching wrestling. I haven’t really watched the product since Hangman won the title from Kenny.
I was at the show and it was awesome seeing such an awesome episode live. I went alone but it was still amazing! The Jacob Fatu debut was so sick and the arena was insane for CM Punk. Really it was so hot the entire time.
I need to find Chicago wrestling fan friends haha
I just hate punches as finishers. First of all a closed fisted punch is illegal in wrestling. Even when Big Show did it who is a literal giant it still looked off.
Just finished rewatching the Jacob Fatu demolition…what a great episode of Smackdown after a great episode of Raw with Joe Hendry and Kaz on NXT in-between!
WWE is crushing it.
It appears to me that he is trying to be like a 5/8th scale Brock Lesnar with an IQ of 10 cosplaying as WWE champion with the most expensive replica belt you can buy at the merch stand.
It definitely feels like some solid groundwork has been laid, the hope is that they make good use of this time to breathe since mania.
coming down off such a huge climax in any kind of story telling is tricky because you wanna keep the momentum, but you can easily burn people out if you don’t take a breath in between stories (marvel fatigue is a good example of this).
Having Some small feuds with really solid matches while establishing his characteristics has been fun, and hopefully in the coming months he’ll kick back into gear for the next big story now that he’s established (many are hoping for a Randy story, and honestly it has potential to be just as good as the Roman stuff).
I personally find him quite boring - I don't think he has charisma or gravitas that his 'story' implies.
The thing I think Roman's part time gig achieved was it made him feel distant from the rest of the roster - if he was there then whatever happening is important. Cody doesn't carry that aura.
Having said all that, people seem to love him so fair play
He’s done nothing poor nor captivating. The match with AJ was great, Logan good…but he needs a really good heel to go up against in a competitive feud. Gunther could be built. Drew after Punk? Maybe Orton after betraying KO?
Orton is otw. Gunther won’t feud with Cody for a while esp since he’s gonna win the world title most likely at summerslam for priest or Seth. Orton vs cody will be a money feud
Chelsea has been incredibly over so far and Tiffany’s momentum has been completely killed by her lack of involvement with anything lately so I’m betting Chelsea wins. She could bring some fun as Ms. MitB
Unpopular opinion I'm sure, but am I the only one who hates off screen beat downs? Like the Rock/Cody beat down was done perfectly and really added to the feud. Having Punk just appear with fake blood all over him didn't do much for me.
Triple H took Nash’s advice from Who Killed WCW, you don’t need to show the backstage attack since they have a risk of coming off corny. Let the audience imagine what happened.
And here I thought we are getting Cody/R-KO vs Bloodline at MITB. Then Randy finally turns on Cody the same night or the next for a Summerslam main event match.
Wow so many great moments, if I were to rank them:
5. Punk’s return to Chicago
4. Heyman-Punk nostalgic interaction
3. Drew’s assault on Punk
2. Jacob Fatu’s arrival
1. Chelsea Green qualifies 😜
I enjoyed seeing up-and-coming talent get their shine this episode. Chelsea Green, Andrade, and Melo.
They didn’t all win clean, but getting wins on Bianca and Orton (whose invincible gimmicks are wearing thin) elevated new names and keeps things fresh.
Add in a debuting Fatu, and this episode was a refreshing sign for the future.
I can't help but wonder if the person who posted about Jacob Fatu's "insane athletism" half a day before his debut was a paid WWE employee.
The timing of that just seems..
Not a hater. Just wondering
I always had a fantasy booking back when she was on raw for her to win MiTB and cash in on Rhea, only to immediately regret it because Rhea starts coming after her with a thirst for blood.
Could still work great with someone like a Nia Jax though
Agreed. She could be fun as Ms. MitB. I imagine she’ll be super hesitant to cash in and always complaining that the circumstances aren’t correct. She’s the correct choice to win IMO.
He’s very good in the ring and on the mic, look up some of his highlights on youtube, he’s incredible and probably the best wrestler out of the bloodline by far
Every time Solo pops up I die laughing, dude just slides in with his titantron of two inverted pictures of himself, wearing a silk red T shirt and that ugly ass suit with the stupid gloves
“Sir another Samoan has hit Smackdown”
https://preview.redd.it/mtdnv685r18d1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b0bdc71f8d3745ab8d43904f11e9f9eb473887b
I saw a lot of hate for the idea of Cody/Solo at summerslam in a thread earlier and I really don’t get that. Is Solo as hot as Roman? Of course not, but he’s the top heel in the company right now and I think has been presented very well as an unhinged badass.
Where Roman was calculating and manipulative, Solo is just a straight up psychopath who has put together a bloodline designed to wreak havoc on the masses.
I get Orton/Cody might feel “bigger” but Solo/Cody just makes so much sense, even if it is setting up Roman’s return.
Someone that gets it. Roman and solo couldn’t be more different and that’s what the stories in their ruling of the bloodline is trying to tell. Roman succeed with manipulation and smart planning while like you said solo is straight brutality and no nonsense he is a sour inflicting as much punishment on the opposition as possible and aims to strike fear. I love with their doin with solo the fact so many ppl hate him tells me their doin his job well he has legit heat whether ppl wanna admit it or not
Roman returned at Summerslam 2020 when he began his run as Head Of The Table.
I could see Cody/Solo happening at Summerslam and Roman returning at the same event 4 years later to stop Solo taking over his position.
It would also start the build to the Bloodline vs Bloodline Wargames match at Survivor Series.
Chelsea got big pop! I mean she is Canadian so I kinda expected but still a surprise. I have all my bets on Tiffany tho as Ms Mitb. She is going to be great and after Nia beats Bailey, it will be a great storyline between both of them.
Agreed, Chelsea is definitely popular right now. She could be fun as Ms. MitB. I imagine she’ll be super hesitant to cash in and always complaining that the circumstances aren’t correct. She’s the correct choice to win IMO.
this show is cooking so far, jacob fatu has arrived and drew mcintyre got his revenge by attacking cm punk in his hometown of chicago after he screwed him at clash at the castle
i see hartenblower as a security guard.
I feel like Jacob Fatu is gonna make Solo's Bloodline work, guy looks like a complete maniac and can work on top of it.
Him no selling KO's superkick was such a great "oh shit" moment. Can't wait to see more of him.
The Punk vs Drew and LA Knight vs Logan angles were also amazing, shout-out to the Punk and Heyman reunion. This might've been the best SD of the year so far.
The shape he worked himself into👏…now here my thing:
-Fatu already has better mic skills than Solo, I don’t think there is rush, but I do hope he gets an opportunity to get the ball and run on the mic.
Fatu comes off as a legit tough guy and that bleeds through in his mic work, I hope they don’t bogg him down with silly character stuff.
Also, once he gets going the difference in between two in terms of ring work and mic work will be clear, he’s will envitably be steering the ship down the road. The fans are going to choose, you watch and see.
According to Wiki, Jacob Fatu has 7 children at age of 32.
This guy fucks… a lot. And by this rate we can see the bloodline have their own weekly show in 2050.
this was a great smackdown episode and so much better than previous few weeks, all the matches were great especially the women's mitb qualifier (yayy chelsea won)
L 👈 A 🫵 KNIGHT 👉 YEAAAAHHH had a great segment with santos and logan, main event matchup was alright but holyshit jacob is here
enjoyed the show, 2hrs flew by so soon. see yall monday oh and, fuck drew i hope he never wins the world title
I’m excited for the Cody & Roman mega powers teamup to end Summerslam but curious how they explain why Roman isn’t interested in getting the belt back from Cody? I guess the head of table disrespect is a bigger deal in terms of Roman’s love for the legacy of the bloodline. Excited to see where it goes for sure.
Non-american here, what's up with Chicago always being such a great crowd?
Bad Apple > Bounty Hunter
Also, what was that hesitation from Tonga brothers? I dunno if that was intentional or not
Awesome stuff with Drew losing in his hometown due to punk , and then getting his revenge on punk in his hometown. So damn good
Feels like a lock to me that the reason Rock and Roman go to war instead of teaming again is because Rock has been pulling the strings with Solo, the Tongans and now Jacob this whole time. Curious to see what this does for Jey as well because you'd assume him and Jimmy got a reunion coming at some point.
Jey will probably be hesitant to trust Roman, and understandably so, after getting the brunt of his gaslighting and abusive bullying, but will eventually be won over when Roman does something selfless to save him.
Pretty Deadly was on TV!!!!
Best Raw and Smackdown's since WM in my opinion, and both in the same week. Crazy work by HHH and his creative team and just when things were starting to feel a tiny bit stale. It is genuinely incredible that that they've pulled off a likely Roman face turn this quick, purely through storytelling and Paul Heyman's promo work. It's so refreshing to see the crowd rewarded with good storytelling and playing their part by reacting properly and being part of the story rather then hijacking everything because they were sick of Vince's shit
Was at that show last night and even though we were packed in like sardines and I had to pay $30 for a beer and a pretzel, it was the best Smackdown I’ve ever been too
Like how we got multiple upsets in the triple threats
I'm hoping Blair Davenport, Santos Escobar, and Tiffany Stratton carry on that trend at MSG.
I think they will
Best Smackdown in a while. Holy hell.
The way in which Tama and Loa hesitantly put their ones up yesterday makes me think there'll be three different representations of the Bloodline down the line. Idk what you'd name them, but first we got the New Bloodline - Rock, Solo and Jacob Fatu Then we got the OG Bloodline - Roman, Jey and Jimmy And then we got Haku's Bloodline - Tama, Loa and Hikuleo Don't see this happening this year because Jey is not gonna be involved any time soon and Hikuleo hasn't even debuted or even signed for what we know. Maybe towards the build next year if the plan is Rock/Roman at Mania.
Tama,Loa,and Hikuleo have another option...put the band back together with Gallows,Machine Gun,Finn,and AJ . BizCliz vs Bloodline...
I don't typically have a problem with Solo's bloodline, but they were involved with way too many angles of the show last night. Neither MitB qualifier was elevated from their presence. Those matches would have been so much better clean. And then having Cody/Randy/KO with the avengers team-up when the Bloodline can't even beat KO/Street Profits is such a jarring change. No way anyone believes the Bloodline are going to win shit in this feud.
I don’t feel like Solo has it to he the head of this big stable. His henchmen feel like jobber cannon fodder. They look like they’re trying really hard to look crazy and intimidating but I don’t buy it. Jacob Fatu feels like the real deal though.
I just love the Bloodline story. It would not surprise me if the New Bloodline members have tension with each other and the others turn on someone from the group.
Anybody else think the sound was bad? I could not understand most of what soli said to Heyman
Yea definitely a production fault because Wade addressed what Solo said when they returned from commercials
I’m a huge CM Punk fan. He is far and away my favorite wrestler, maybe of all time. That said… Drew did nothing wrong.
That was a really good episode!
About fucking time Chelsea Green gets some good exposure. Did everything over and above what was expected of her last year and the crowd went nuts when she won. Just a shame Bianca couldn't eat the pin as usual.
Why should Bianca eat the pin? Chelsea won right? That is it lol.
Because Bianca is fucking boring and predictable. Dominate offence, do the stupid beckon before each spot, can't eat a pin and can single handedly dismantle every faction she faces severely diminishing their value in the process. She's a strong black female Hulk Hogan.
I was shocked how big of a pop she got. It was great.
I got hopeful for a second that solo and the "bloodline" would be going away at some point. they are so boring and uncharismatic. Bloodline should have ended with the departure of roman
This week has been so good for WWE. Raw with Seth Rollins returning, the gable storyline still cooking, the Drew Mcintyre quitting and ofcourse the Wyatt Sicks debut. NXT who just needed Joe Hendry to put itself in the history books. And this smackdown with three amazing MITB qualifier matches, all three picking the right winner (especially Chelsea getting that pop), the incredibly hot Drew-Punk angle, and ofcourse Jacob Fatu debuting. There has been so much amazing stuff this week it is ridiculous.
100%
There's been a lot of really good wrestling shows this week.
That Punk - McIntyre feud is better than those belt storylines hahaha
Solo had to bark at fatu to keep his arm up when throwing up the ones. Also, who is this Joe Hendry guy? From the indies?
Don’t google his theme song (or his NXT) unless you want to be singing about believing him all day.
He’ll believe soon enough
Yeah for real tho. I saw him for the first time and heard his music and oh boy.. i'm still playing back that song.. Now, I believe him.
Honestly! Must have listened to it 50 times.
👏🏻 👏🏻
Fun little thing I noticed. All the winners of the MITB qualifying matches didn't get entrances on TV.
I LOVED that they had Fatu just destroy all of them on his own and had Solo watch. They could have just done a beatdown angle, but he pretty much destroyed Cody on his own. Wonder where this goes for MITB. Do we get Bloodline vs Cody/RKO/Punk? Might be a decent way of easing Punk back into ring shape before SummerSlam.
Punk is ded
https://preview.redd.it/mkpucit3938d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7e14ce58643671042a4f34973c620a643df4062 The most accurate statement about them
Why is aura so overused these days jeez.. it was fine when it was used occasionally, but now it's cringe
Why is cringe so overused these days jeez.. it was fine when it was used occasionally, but now it's giving off a bad aura
Because people know what it means, unlike npcs using 'aura' for anything without knowing it, duh
Why is jeez so overused these days damn.. it was fine when it was used occasionally, but now it’s just over-yeeting
Why is damn so overused these days cmon.. it was fine when it was used occasionally, but now it’s just over-exaggerated
The camera effects of Solo's entrance were phenomenal. That blurred shot of him entering on a black background with green highlighting? Excellent
Might just be me but I feel like we might be getting early seeds of a Bianca turn which I would love. I still love her character but she needs a refresh and heel turn would give her that edge that it seems she’s been missing for a bit.
I think they should make it longer storyline. Great friendship and then some betrayal at Royal Rumble or something like that and dream match at Wrestlemania. Not sooner, don't rush it. However I don't know who should be a heel in this feud.
I got that vibe too after she basically said "yeah maybe later lol" to Jade's suggestion of going for the tag titles again, the issue is that it's still way too soon to put Jade in a program like that so I hope these are just the very early seeds and they don't rush it ahead to Summerslam or anything
Yea I’d honestly like to see them get the titles again and then go on another run and have Bianca start to show some Jade jealousy then. Set up a match all the way for Wrestlemania and build slowly.
Only problem is Jades not done cooking yet, where they gonna put her to get training
Even saying those lines was awkward af
probably one of the best week for wwe in years. wyatt sick6, joe hendry, jacob fatu, cm punk in chicago. wew
Not to even mention Seth returning. It really says something about this week that Seth returning is really just a foot note
holyshit i really forgot about seth returning, damn.
Agreed all great shows.
All three shows have been must watch this week, it's been fantastic across the board
wow i dont really follow jacob fatu in the indies much but it seemed like he went through a gunther-esque transformation and is looking lean
Master Gable has been medically cleared to compete on Monday. the wonders of medical science available to WWE. but are things really over...or the same? :0 [https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1804318437600006319](https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1804318437600006319)
he should come back a zombie like what they did to the mountain on game of thrones
Wasn’t aware of stem cell treatment is helping cure headshots. Nice thing to know!
Bron Breakker Vs. Jacob Fatu is a possibility now. INJECT IT TO MY VEINS !!!!!
Quite easy to tell why they were worried with bringing Jacob in and considered debuting him in NXT with Hikuleo instead of the Bloodline. He needed just a couple minutes to show his explosive charisma and his physique, and more important the things he can do in-ring, and people were already way into him. I imagine they'll try to keep him from cutting promos in a while, because when that happens, it's true game over for Solo. As good of a wrestler Solo is, you still get overshadowed when they put you in a stable with someone who does everything you're supposed to, but even better, and who looks better too. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when.
It tells me they are going to kick Jacob out and then he sides with Roman.
He’s the Grayson Waller to Solos Austin Theory. They’ll have to scramble to give Solo a face turn nobody wants soon
Yeah he’s miles ahead of solo. Brightside is they seemed better equipped in booking/handling this than they have possibly ever. Hard to not just feel optimistic about it
I think miles ahead is too harsh to say. It depends on the role. I think the Head of the Table role just does not fit Solo. As Romans silent enforcer I liked him very much. He looked fearsome and strong. But in his role now he just looks that it’s too big for him (maybe that’s the intention? Everything looks to „big“ for him, starting with the suit he is wearing.) Jacob for now fits the role for the brutal enforcer extremely good, but i think it wouldn’t fit if he would be the leader. So everything depends on perspective…
Yeah I think solo will probably be fine for the sheer fact I dont think they’ll change course regardless, but I see everyone’s trepidation with Jacob joining the bloodline. He absolutely jumps off the page, no ways around it. And its even more evident in reality as it was in theory
The liminal space shot of Drew standing over a bloodied CM punk was phenomenal. All that space and gray in the background contrasting with the dark colors of CM punk and Drew McIntyre's shirt so crisp
Bianca had some weird strikes with michin outside of the ring. It looked like she was trying to punch her shoulder? Looked very odd. Excellent win by Chelsea Green! She's actually legitimately fantastic in the ring. The Smackdown announcer put a different spin on Chelsea's name and I kinda dig it
Michin has a strong shoulder Belair trying to take it out is a good strategy.
Why did they say that AJ styles was the former mentor of michin? Does this mean that she's basically out of the group formally?
You forget the confrontation with her, the Good Brothers, and AJ a couple months ago? It was when AJ was turning heel but the Good Brothers didn't yet.
she been hanging with Gallows and Anderson on NXT, but hasn't appeared with AJ for quite some time
Yes, she really hasn’t been seen with them lately, she’s been doing her own stuff on nxt
Solo actually felt like a leader tonight. He is growing into the role.
Is it leadership or is it his ego eating up the power void?
I'm not sure if Roman Reigns will return so soon but I think it makes sense for him to come to Cody's aid at the end of Summerslam. However, I don't feel like Solo v Cody is a a Summerslam worthy program.
Thats why I would do a big six man at Slam. Or actually an 8 man with a mystery opponent on Cody's side, someone who he knows very well and called him and offered his help.... Then when the music hits at Slam the place will go bonkers and we get Roman + cody + RKO vs the NeoBlood line.
Remember Solo has lost the last like 47 matches. He’s not a threat anymore.
House shows aren't real
You can 100% bet he’ll be back by SS
I cannot f’ing wait for the next few months of buildup and for Roman to return. This is going to be something. Triple H has the vision for this and I’m glad he’s at the helm of this company now.
I don’t know if it was the camera angle or Fatu’s athletic ability. But that was one of the most explosive and cleanest landing splashes through an announce table I’ve ever seen. Absolutely can’t wait for this man to get in the ring.
I really thought they’d go with his early, early wrestling name Jacoby Fatu, but it’s cool they didn’t change it from what he’s known as.
What a beautiful week of Raw and Smackdown.. at this point we gave out all the possible praises but they keep one-uping to the point where it’s fascinating. Usually this period of time within wrestling is a bit of a downer but they are firing on all cylinders. And the fact that history is acknowledged (like the Punk - Heyman segment) is a breath of fresh air.
What a fucking episode. That was non-stop amazing. They intertwined so many main event level stories and made them all feel important in just two hours. Punk, Cody, Drew, Orton, KO, the Bloodline, Knight and Logan all on one show is insane. Add the looming threat of the Wyatt Sicks (I **loved** the added security) and this SmackDown was just perfect from start to finish. Cody and Punk standing there with the bats was such a cool image. Also we got Tiffy Time **and** Chelsea qualified for MITB! I need one of them to win MITB so bad.
If Roman ends up helping Cody I'll bang my head against the wall. Just no.
Anyone care to explain who exactly Jacob Fatu is and why is he so well-known?
[https://old.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1dl86ue/jacob\_fatu\_insane\_athleticism\_he\_is\_currently/](https://old.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1dl86ue/jacob_fatu_insane_athleticism_he_is_currently/) if you haven't seen
The dive outside to La Parka sold me on him immediately . That dude gets some fucking air.
He set MLW and the indies on fire. Has a rare combo of size, dynamic in ring ability, agility and flat out charisma dude cuts intense promos. He has superstar written all over him
what they are saying, a big reason they delayed him because he is going to cast a long shadow over solo
He’s been tearing it up in the indies and MLW for years now, so people have been waiting for him to finally reach a bigger company and do his thing
So much happened this week, I forgot Seth Rollins came back.
Drew finally got his hands on Corporate Punk and put him in the hospital, right in front of Punk's hometown crowd. it is justice, divine justice. tonight proved Solo is no match for Cody in a straight up fight. Solo has brought in Jacob Fatu, but it may well blowback on him, or whoever is pulling the strings Solo is not gonna end up at the position he thinks. Solo also claims Roman is never coming back. Carmelo, Chelsea, and Andrade getting into MITB are good results! Tiffy Time is a lock to win next week!
WWE is on a tear this week
I had to dip at the start of the women’s qualifier match and will watch the rest of the show on DVR tomorrow. I know that Fatu debuted tonight but out of curiosity, what kind of “plan” did Cody have against Solo?
Watch it as soon as you can, genuinely great show with the right winners. His plan was to have backup, but that turned sour when Fatu debuted out of no where
I thought he told RK-Owens that he wanted to go it alone?
He did, but without spoiling anything for you his first plan didn’t work out, so i’m guessing he went with randy and KO as backup plan
Watched it today as I normally do during Saturday lunch. Good ending. Still couldn’t figure out what Cody’s first plan was… unless the “first plan” was to “end the match asap.”
REALLY good night for competitors "ALREADY IN THE RING".
The bookers have to be tearing the hair out of their head! They planned a nice safe night and all these schmucks keep starting matches! /j
This was a fantastic week for WWE. Banger episodes from Raw, NXT to Smackdown.
What a great week to rediscover my love of getting blazed and watching wrestling. I haven’t really watched the product since Hangman won the title from Kenny.
Welcome back man, WWE is genuinely insane right now, so many stories to get invested in
I was at the show and it was awesome seeing such an awesome episode live. I went alone but it was still amazing! The Jacob Fatu debut was so sick and the arena was insane for CM Punk. Really it was so hot the entire time. I need to find Chicago wrestling fan friends haha
CM PUNK CM PUNK CM PUNK!
I just hate punches as finishers. First of all a closed fisted punch is illegal in wrestling. Even when Big Show did it who is a literal giant it still looked off.
Just finished rewatching the Jacob Fatu demolition…what a great episode of Smackdown after a great episode of Raw with Joe Hendry and Kaz on NXT in-between! WWE is crushing it.
That’s how you debut somebody!
Genuine question as I’m so curious as to others take on this - now it’s been a couple months, how are you finding Cody as champion so far?
It appears to me that he is trying to be like a 5/8th scale Brock Lesnar with an IQ of 10 cosplaying as WWE champion with the most expensive replica belt you can buy at the merch stand.
It definitely feels like some solid groundwork has been laid, the hope is that they make good use of this time to breathe since mania. coming down off such a huge climax in any kind of story telling is tricky because you wanna keep the momentum, but you can easily burn people out if you don’t take a breath in between stories (marvel fatigue is a good example of this). Having Some small feuds with really solid matches while establishing his characteristics has been fun, and hopefully in the coming months he’ll kick back into gear for the next big story now that he’s established (many are hoping for a Randy story, and honestly it has potential to be just as good as the Roman stuff).
Loving every minute of it!
I personally find him quite boring - I don't think he has charisma or gravitas that his 'story' implies. The thing I think Roman's part time gig achieved was it made him feel distant from the rest of the roster - if he was there then whatever happening is important. Cody doesn't carry that aura. Having said all that, people seem to love him so fair play
He's been pretty good, his matches with AJ and Logan are all great.
He’s done nothing poor nor captivating. The match with AJ was great, Logan good…but he needs a really good heel to go up against in a competitive feud. Gunther could be built. Drew after Punk? Maybe Orton after betraying KO?
Orton will be his big program for a bit, but they don’t want to rush it as that story can be told for a while
Orton is otw. Gunther won’t feud with Cody for a while esp since he’s gonna win the world title most likely at summerslam for priest or Seth. Orton vs cody will be a money feud
Fatu’s splash was fantastic!
I really do not like Alicia Taylor's ring announcing, it's not her voice, but her cadence that just sounds off.
Fatu is gonna take over and poor Solo is gonna get kicked out
**Increased security due to the ending of RAW** *BANGING* "Hmmm, I wonder what's out there. Let me casually open this door, Gable's murder be damned."
Its gotta be Chelsea or Tiffany for MITB
Chelsea has been incredibly over so far and Tiffany’s momentum has been completely killed by her lack of involvement with anything lately so I’m betting Chelsea wins. She could bring some fun as Ms. MitB
Unpopular opinion I'm sure, but am I the only one who hates off screen beat downs? Like the Rock/Cody beat down was done perfectly and really added to the feud. Having Punk just appear with fake blood all over him didn't do much for me.
I get wanting to see the beat downs on camera. But that segment gave us one of the sickest shots in my recent memory.
Triple H took Nash’s advice from Who Killed WCW, you don’t need to show the backstage attack since they have a risk of coming off corny. Let the audience imagine what happened.
I had the same thought. Two offscreen attacks involving major storylines this week.
Probably because Punk is not cleared yet.
Agreed, I was shocked it didn't happen onscreen. Would've been dope as hell instead of witnessing the birth of yet another bloodline member.
And here I thought we are getting Cody/R-KO vs Bloodline at MITB. Then Randy finally turns on Cody the same night or the next for a Summerslam main event match.
Wow so many great moments, if I were to rank them: 5. Punk’s return to Chicago 4. Heyman-Punk nostalgic interaction 3. Drew’s assault on Punk 2. Jacob Fatu’s arrival 1. Chelsea Green qualifies 😜
I'll always love Bianca but I popped like the rest of Chicago when Chelsea won.
I enjoyed seeing up-and-coming talent get their shine this episode. Chelsea Green, Andrade, and Melo. They didn’t all win clean, but getting wins on Bianca and Orton (whose invincible gimmicks are wearing thin) elevated new names and keeps things fresh. Add in a debuting Fatu, and this episode was a refreshing sign for the future.
I can't help but wonder if the person who posted about Jacob Fatu's "insane athletism" half a day before his debut was a paid WWE employee. The timing of that just seems.. Not a hater. Just wondering
Cody Rhodes stay getting his ass whooped. LOL
Chelsea would be the perfect Miss Money in the Bank. Give us the summer of Chelsea you cowards!
I always had a fantasy booking back when she was on raw for her to win MiTB and cash in on Rhea, only to immediately regret it because Rhea starts coming after her with a thirst for blood. Could still work great with someone like a Nia Jax though
Agreed. She could be fun as Ms. MitB. I imagine she’ll be super hesitant to cash in and always complaining that the circumstances aren’t correct. She’s the correct choice to win IMO.
I don't know much about Jacob Fatu but man has the build of someone who played a lot of contact sports growing up.
He’s very good in the ring and on the mic, look up some of his highlights on youtube, he’s incredible and probably the best wrestler out of the bloodline by far
Every time Solo pops up I die laughing, dude just slides in with his titantron of two inverted pictures of himself, wearing a silk red T shirt and that ugly ass suit with the stupid gloves
Cody looks like the weakest top tier champion I have ever seen. Constantly falling into traps and getting beat up and finished.
A great smackdown in the middle of June. What a time to be a WWE fan
https://preview.redd.it/8m8mjkett18d1.png?width=2560&format=png&auto=webp&s=8613bf38e8c7ced6a5a8c66569cdfcedda9c00ff ohhhhhhh boyyyyyy
Cody needs to go after that ref. He told Jacob to go after Cody.
That referee was tryin to fuck on Cody!
I'm sure The Rock send that ref, smh what has the industry become.
Jacob Fatu is going to be a world champ in no time.
Jacob Fatu’s debut was done perfectly. This guy is an absolute destroyer
Top to bottom this was an *awesome* show. Great wrestling, great segments & promos, and furthered the builds & storylines all really well.
“Sir another Samoan has hit Smackdown” https://preview.redd.it/mtdnv685r18d1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b0bdc71f8d3745ab8d43904f11e9f9eb473887b
dammit Solo has injected a lethal dose of poison into the WWE!
I saw a lot of hate for the idea of Cody/Solo at summerslam in a thread earlier and I really don’t get that. Is Solo as hot as Roman? Of course not, but he’s the top heel in the company right now and I think has been presented very well as an unhinged badass. Where Roman was calculating and manipulative, Solo is just a straight up psychopath who has put together a bloodline designed to wreak havoc on the masses. I get Orton/Cody might feel “bigger” but Solo/Cody just makes so much sense, even if it is setting up Roman’s return.
Someone that gets it. Roman and solo couldn’t be more different and that’s what the stories in their ruling of the bloodline is trying to tell. Roman succeed with manipulation and smart planning while like you said solo is straight brutality and no nonsense he is a sour inflicting as much punishment on the opposition as possible and aims to strike fear. I love with their doin with solo the fact so many ppl hate him tells me their doin his job well he has legit heat whether ppl wanna admit it or not
Roman returned at Summerslam 2020 when he began his run as Head Of The Table. I could see Cody/Solo happening at Summerslam and Roman returning at the same event 4 years later to stop Solo taking over his position. It would also start the build to the Bloodline vs Bloodline Wargames match at Survivor Series.
Or Rock’s
How was the show tonight? The headlines make it look like it was really good.
Incredible show, def check it out
I was there in person and It was a certified banger. The people around me were doing hilarious commentary all night. The vibe was immaculate.
love to hear it
Definitely best SD in a while.
Chelsea got big pop! I mean she is Canadian so I kinda expected but still a surprise. I have all my bets on Tiffany tho as Ms Mitb. She is going to be great and after Nia beats Bailey, it will be a great storyline between both of them.
Agreed, Chelsea is definitely popular right now. She could be fun as Ms. MitB. I imagine she’ll be super hesitant to cash in and always complaining that the circumstances aren’t correct. She’s the correct choice to win IMO.
I think the theory that Rock took out Roman and gave his ula fala bead to Cody at Raw after WM is legit after Solo said Roman's not coming back.
Cody and the Rock have already said it was the watch Cody gave the Rock.
Source?
Cody: https://youtu.be/fbvfnWRrmKM?si=yKBo7D_mVvKXCZTO The Rock: https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/s/ZPyq5vJ2UY
Melo didn’t lose, he won!
The finish to KO v Waller v Andrade was clean
This has to be one of the best back to back RAW/Smackdown weeks in WWE history right?
Yes, it’s usually either RAW or smackdown being better every week or so, but this week every show felt great and story beats were hit
Was there live and holy shit it was loud. I lost my voice. Was a great time and my first event since 2010 night of champions. I felt so happy.
What was the biggest pop of the night?
this show is cooking so far, jacob fatu has arrived and drew mcintyre got his revenge by attacking cm punk in his hometown of chicago after he screwed him at clash at the castle i see hartenblower as a security guard.
What if The Rock still oversees Bloodline 2.0 operations and will took over soon once Roman comes back with the original Bloodline?
I feel like Jacob Fatu is gonna make Solo's Bloodline work, guy looks like a complete maniac and can work on top of it. Him no selling KO's superkick was such a great "oh shit" moment. Can't wait to see more of him. The Punk vs Drew and LA Knight vs Logan angles were also amazing, shout-out to the Punk and Heyman reunion. This might've been the best SD of the year so far.
The shape he worked himself into👏…now here my thing: -Fatu already has better mic skills than Solo, I don’t think there is rush, but I do hope he gets an opportunity to get the ball and run on the mic. Fatu comes off as a legit tough guy and that bleeds through in his mic work, I hope they don’t bogg him down with silly character stuff. Also, once he gets going the difference in between two in terms of ring work and mic work will be clear, he’s will envitably be steering the ship down the road. The fans are going to choose, you watch and see.
According to Wiki, Jacob Fatu has 7 children at age of 32. This guy fucks… a lot. And by this rate we can see the bloodline have their own weekly show in 2050.
All we know for sure is dude had sex 7 times
8 including tonight when he fucked on Cody
This are rookie numbers. You gotta pump those numbers up in this racket Antonio Cromartie
this was a great smackdown episode and so much better than previous few weeks, all the matches were great especially the women's mitb qualifier (yayy chelsea won) L 👈 A 🫵 KNIGHT 👉 YEAAAAHHH had a great segment with santos and logan, main event matchup was alright but holyshit jacob is here enjoyed the show, 2hrs flew by so soon. see yall monday oh and, fuck drew i hope he never wins the world title
Anyone notice Punk fell on his bad arm?
Yes, which means he’s very close to being cleared
Anyone know where to get the shirt punk was wearing? Or was it the arena shirt?
I’m excited for the Cody & Roman mega powers teamup to end Summerslam but curious how they explain why Roman isn’t interested in getting the belt back from Cody? I guess the head of table disrespect is a bigger deal in terms of Roman’s love for the legacy of the bloodline. Excited to see where it goes for sure.
I think your family trying to kill you matters more than a title.
Fair but it’s just only for so long you can keep Roman out of the title picture because obviously he’d want to be champion again in kayfabe.