SmackDown Applies the Last Notes Before the Royal Rumble Dress Rehearsals

How’s It Going, Enthusiasts?

 

Happy Friday! Well, there is some stuff to talk about this evening. Nothing of real concern but there’s some interest I would say. Ready to get into it? Let’s break it all down.

 

We’ll start in the Realm of AEW but not for the Death Riders Saga, though there is stuff worth commenting on there. I saw them pick on Uncle Edge and see what people are talking about with Wheeler Yuta morphing into a caricature of himself with those bangs. I think it’s the right decision for him, personally. It shows some character development. He could be seen as wayward and “losing himself” and these are distinct “changes” that someone who knew him before would be concerned about. That’s the sort of thing they should be doing right now.

 

But what really grabbed my attention is that Malakai/Aleister Black is already out of there. I thought there would be some back and forth before he jumped ship but not so. I really hope that we’ll have him at the Royal Rumble or at the very least re-debut at one of the Fallout Shows. This is great news if he returns to WWE. Shouldn’t have let him go but I get the feeling everyone realizes that now. Better late than never.

 

On the Free Agent scene, Baron Corbin, who’s now going by “Bishop Dyer”, claims that someone on WWE high wasn’t so keen on him. Naturally there is speculation of who since as far as fans were concerned, he should have been a mainstay. I don’t blame Corbin/Dyer for taking the hint and going on his way. Impasses like that are hard to overcome. Most would say there’s no point staying where you’re not wanted.

 

Many commenters feel that Corbin/Dyer would do well over in Japan and I hope that whatever didn’t work for WWE gets ironed out over there. As far as I could tell, it was the old “what to do with him” conundrum. As I said before, he’s got a sense of humor. They should have just led him into humorous spots that allowed him to stuff someone from time to time. He could have been a stable in the mid-card scene easily. Well, we’ll see if he’s ever welcomed back. It does happen.

 

In the WWE Universe, there seems to be another issue of disagreement brewing with Alexa Bliss. Word is that she was set to join the Wyatt Sicks and continue their dark antics but Bliss wanted to push for new contract terms and WWE pumped the brakes.

 

Well, anyone who reads this knows that I never cared for that aside with Bliss and Bray Wyatt. The Fiend arc just wasn’t a good idea for live television. They needed to shop that to Shudder or something. And then Bliss kinda stole it ‘cause Wyatt just didn’t have that kind of range. He was no James McAvoy. So, that was the only thing I was happy to see go. Bliss doesn’t need to revisit that anyway.

 

Most feel, if they sort things out, that Bliss should just reset as her original persona. Things as they are now, I would say Liv Morgan would be the obvious target because she was the little blonde thing before she went off to tend to her new family. I could easily see her trying to reclaim that crown, now as a more mature woman. We’ll see how it all plays out.

 

In more uplifting news, Dragon Lee has taken time off for a very good reason. His wife recently gave birth and he’s a proud Papa! Felicidades! Let him enjoy the paternity leave. There are more important things in this world and he is witnessing this firsthand. Many blessings to the new family.

 

There is also speculation of another return to the WWE Universe as there’s talk that Nikki Bella may return to the fray. Many feel that she’ll probably be an entrant for the Royal Rumble but we’ll have to wait and see.

 

This is probably a good move for her, given all the recent drama. She probably needs a good distraction and the WWE can provide it if one properly aligns oneself. She became a respectable performer over time so, don’t mind if she wants another go. Things have changed, though. We’ll see if she can adjust and keep things interesting.

 

And so, that brings us to tonight’s SmackDown. Not much is advertised but the spoilers on social media show there’s some action, nothing shocking but engaging enough. We can expect Pretty Deadly to get workshopped by the Motor City Machine Guns. LA Knight will see what Tama Tonga has got. And Cody Rhodes will sit down with Joe Tessitore for a little chat.

 

The unofficial watch party will be at 8pm PST. The nights are cold over here in SoCal. Nothing compared to those who are used to snow but to us, it’s stay in weather. Feel free to join me if you don’t care to face the elements.

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)