4 – Pinfall for Carlito in WWE SmackDown:
In this week’s WWE SmackDown, Carlito teamed up with Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro to face Santos Escobar, Humberto Carrillo & Angel Garza in a six-man tag team match. In the closing moments, Santos cleverly tagged in after taking a beating from his partner, and he pinned Carlito for the win. Considering Carlito’s return and his lack of victories since, booking him to be pinned in a high-stakes tag match on SmackDown was not the right move. Hopefully, Carlito can bounce back next week in his singles match against Santos Escobar.
3 – No Singles Matches for Venus Superstars in WWE SmackDown:
Typically, WWE SmackDown features around four matches. However, this week, there were a total of five matches booked on the Blue Brand. Despite having a full roster of talented Venus division superstars, there was not a single singles match for them on this episode. This absence raises questions about the creative direction for the women’s division on SmackDown. With talented performers available, it would have been ideal to showcase their skills in singles competition.
2 – No Stipulations Added to Kevin Owens and Logan Paul’s Match:
After Kevin Owens delivered a knockout punch to Logan Paul last week, tensions escalated. The expectation was that during this week’s SmackDown, both superstars would agree to a stipulation for their anticipated United States Championship match at Royal Rumble 2024. However, the segment merely featured verbal jabs between Owens and Paul, and no stipulations were officially added to their bout. Considering the intense rivalry brewing between them, it was a missed opportunity to add more excitement to their upcoming clash.
1 – AJ Styles and LA Knight Looked Weak in WWE SmackDown:
This week on WWE SmackDown, AJ Styles and LA Knight, who recently signed contracts, faced off in a singles match backstage. During the bout, Solo Sikoa made a surprise attack, leaving Styles and Knight battered. Given that Styles and Knight are set to be part of the Fatal 4-Way Match at Royal Rumble 2024 as challengers to Roman Reigns, portraying them as weak on the show was counterproductive. In contrast, Tribal Chief Randy Orton looked dominant in his third challenger position on the Blue Brand this week.