WWE SmackDown continued to travel the road to WrestleMania 40 this week. The March 22, 2024, episode of the blue brand emanated from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The show featured cameos from several RAW superstars as well.
This week, SmackDown featured some solid tag team matches. The team of Austin Theory and Grayson Waller got one step closer to punching their ticket to WrestleMania. So did The Street Profits.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest hits and misses from WWE SmackDown.
Miss – Brand hopper Dominik Mysterio
WWE SmackDown kicked off with singles action between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar. This match came months after Escobar put Mysterio on the shelf. The WWE Hall of Famer narrowly avoided a potential injury during the second rope crossbody spot.
Mysterio came close to winning the match but was denied his victory by Dominik Mysterio. The Judgment Day star showed up to cause a major distraction for his father, allowing Escobar to pick up the win.
First of all, I thought we were done with the father versus son feud at WrestleMania 39. It seems Triple H wants to do a second match between the Mysterios at WrestleMania this year. If that’s the case, then why not have Dominik sign exclusively with SmackDown instead of booking the cross-brand shenanigans over and over again?
Hit – Jade Cargill signs with WWE SmackDown
Yes, you read that right. The storm is headed right toward SmackDown. Jade Cargill appeared in a great video package on the blue brand tonight. The former AEW star announced she will make her first official appearance as SmackDown’s exclusive signing next week.
Jade has yet to make her in-ring debut on weekly television. She made her WWE in-ring debut at the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble match. Her signing with the blue had been anticipated for weeks.
I believe I’m not the only one excited to see how Jade Cargill fares on the blue brand.
Miss – IYO SKY vs. Naomi
Naomi has officially inserted herself in the feud between Damage CTRL and Bayley. The former WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion came to the aid of Bayley against her former faction last Friday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best night to pick up a fight with Damage CTRL.
Naomi competed against IYO SKY in singles competition this week on SmackDown. I might add that this wasn’t the best match of the night. Naomi seemed to be having trouble adjusting to IYO’s pace.
Some spots apparently didn’t go as planned, hurting the match flow. However, the match slightly improved toward the end. The WWE Women’s Champion picked up the win following Damage CTRL’s interference.
Hit – The fireflies are forever
Corey Graves told the WWE Universe about the upcoming docuseries on Bray Wyatt. The new project drops on April 1. It will feature comments from the likes of John Cena, Seth Rollins, and Bray’s family members.
I think WWE has done a pretty good job continuing Bray’s legacy so far. The whole arena lit up with fireflies, and Bray’s entrance music played in the background during the docuseries presentation.
Corey Graves aptly described the moment when he said: “the fireflies are forever…”
Miss – The main event promo segment
WWE SmackDown brought together the champion and the challenger this week. Roman Reigns arrived to the ring accompanied by Paul Heyman. The Tribal Chief introduced his WrestleMania opponent, Cody Rhodes.
Reigns then dropped a series of truth bombs on Rhodes. I like how they subtly teased a heel turn for Seth Rollins with the whole Shield reference. That being said, the overall segment felt underwhelming.
Reigns was the better man on the mic this week. The often voluble Rhodes didn’t have the most articulate response to the Tribal Chief on WWE SmackDown. The American Nightmare did, however, outsmart Reigns by bringing Rollins as Jey Uso as his backup.
Hit – LA Knight gets arrested on WWE SmackDown
LA Knight versus AJ Styles got the cops involved on WWE SmackDown this week. The Megastar invaded the Phenomenal One’s home. Even though fans didn’t catch the brawl, they learned that it happened afterward.
It appears Styles’ wife Wendy called the cops on Knight, who was taken into custody shortly following his home invasion. WWE has thus far done a great job of building fan interest in Knight versus Styles for WrestleMania 40.
Oh, and Styles didn’t press charges against Knight. Let’s see what happens next between the two men next Friday on SmackDown.
READ MORE: WWE RAW Hits & Misses (3/18/24)
