WWE SmackDown 1/19/2024: 3 Things We Hated And 3 Things We Loved
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s weekly review of "WWE SmackDown," the show where RKOs From Out Of Nowhere are getting handed out like candy! There's a decent amount to talk about this week, and as always in the Friday column, we'll touch on pretty much all of it, though for something more comprehensive, you're going to want to check out our live coverage/results page. That's a place for objective fact, though — this, on the other hand, is a place for subjective opinion, and we have that in spades.
So, how did the WINC writing and editorial staff feel about Friday night's women's tag title match? Did we enjoy the in-ring promo from Kevin Owens, or the backstage promo from The Final Testament? And most importantly, how hard did we collectively squee over the now-former Butch finally getting his name back and becoming Pete Dunne once again? Here are three things we hated and three things we loved about the 1/19/24 episode of "WWE SmackDown."
Hated: It's like nobody has any respect for NXT dream stigmata anymore
I probably should have noticed this prior to this week's episode, but ... is anyone else wondering where Angel and Humberto's chest tattoos went?
If you were following "WWE NXT" during the late summer/early fall of 2023, you might remember a strange storyline, told pretty much entirely in vignettes, that saw the former Los Lotharios break up exchange a few weeks' worth of dramatic text messages, then share a dream about their grandfather, the legendary Humberto Garza. Upon waking, they each had a bloody claw mark on their chests, seemingly a reference to the famous lucha libre stable Los Perros del Mal, and they re-joined the "NXT" roster as a team with the marks represented by what certainly appeared to be real tattoos.
Well either they were fake tattoos the whole time or somebody in WWE is really good at quick removal, because now that Angel and Humberto are hanging out with Santos Escobar as part of "the Legado World Order," those suckers are nowhere to be seen. It's a bummer — I thought the idea of Angel and Humberto somehow channeling Los Perros del Mal was kind of a cool idea, but it never really went anywhere on "NXT." Now they're back on the main roster and they're linked up with Santos Escobar, a man who's all about those lucha legacies. It would be such a great fit if they actually did something with the Perros del Mal thing, but instead the tattoos are magically gone and these guys don't get any character development or depth of any kind, they're just straight-up lackeys.
It's true that the whole "shared dream" storyline was deeply silly, but it was also interesting, and it seemed to be a legitimate effort to give Angel and Humberto a gimmick linked to their personal histories as part of the Garza family. It sucks that it got dropped before it even had the chance to develop, and it sucks that sometimes main roster creative still just doesn't care about "NXT" canon. Though I suppose there are people like Pretty Deadly who are literally dead in "NXT" canon, so maybe it's for the best!
Written by Miles Schneiderman
Loved: Bye bye, Butch!
Long-term storytelling is great, but sometimes, you just gotta get s*** done. After last week's fun vignette between the recently-debuted Tyler Bate and — one more time for old time's sake! — Butch, I thought we were in for a slow burn as the latter turned, methodically, back into Pete Dunne. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see the fast forward button emphatically pressed as Bate's tag team partner was announced as ... PETE F****** DUNNE! "The Bruiserweight" is back, fam!
Truth be told, Dunne's run with the "Butch" name served a solid purpose. His work alongside The Brawling Brutes was dependable and on the mark throughout. But the masses had a real hankering for the old Pete Dunne, and we thought, from time to time, we might be getting him back, especially when the Piper Nivens and LA Knights of the world were re-uniting with their previous monikers. And yet, "utch-bay" remained, and that, disappointing though it was, turned out to be okay.
We don't just do okay in WWE these days, however, and the inevitable name reversion seemed to always be in the cards. Remember, though, that we're all still dealing with the PTSD from years and years of that which makes perfect sense not being brought to life under Vince McMahon, so forgive us if we had little faith. At the same time, dance and sing with us in the rain now that it's happened, chug a pint of Guinness, slap in your mouthpiece, get a kneecap tattoo, grab your neighbor's pinky finger, and snap that little twig to pieces in celebration, for Pete Dunne is back, baby, and we're surely just getting started with this badass from Birmingham.
Written by Jon Jordan
Hated: 'The Final Testament' delivered only through videos
I love Bobby Lashley. I love the Street Profits. I love Karrion Kross and Scarlett. But this feud, set up entirely through video packages and nothing face-to-face, is just not doing it for me, so therefore, I hate it all, no matter how much I love most of the pieces.
To begin with, I really don't like Kross' faction name of "The Final Testament." I can't quite put my finger on why — maybe it just sounds cliche, but it doesn't work for me. I also am not as familiar with The Authors of Pain as maybe I should be; outside of all the news on their failed promotion. I assume Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins are meant to feud with them while Lashley feuds with Kross, and both are feuds I don't feel like I need on "SmackDown." Neither is very exciting to me, and maybe that's because it's all been set up through promos and pre-recorded videos. Next week, we're getting these teams face-to-face, but during Kross' video tonight, he didn't specify if they were having a match or just going to have a promo battle in the middle of the ring. I'm usually all for story and set-up, but I just want to see these guys fight and get it over with, if that's what we're doing.
It also worries me for Kross and Scarlett. I feel like they've been packaged, repackaged, released, rehired, and repackaged again so many times that it's to the point of ridiculous. Pairing them with AOP, who have apparently been signed to the company and not used for almost a full year, if reports are to be believed, just seems like a death sentence, for lack of a better term. And leave it to me to look farther in to the future than maybe necessary, but where the heck do Kross, Akam, and Rezar go after facing Lashley and the Profits?
Since getting rehired, Kross and Scarlett have just been floundering and not doing much, which is unfortunate with how strongly Kross was booked on "NXT" and the fact that Scarlett would actually mix it up in the ring herself in the indies. They are probably the most disappointing re-signing of the Triple H era for me, and I can't decide whether WWE is trying too hard or not trying hard enough to make this "Final Testament" stable work.
Written by Daisy Ruth
Loved: Kevin Owens gets real with Logan Paul
Logan Paul is many things (Google has a lot to tell you about him), including being brash and having a loud mouth. The latter gets him in trouble often, especially with veterans like Kevin Owens.
Two weeks ago, Owens defeated Santos Escobar to become the No. 1 contender for the U.S. Championship. He also punched Paul in the face, which was satisfying. Last week, Paul was mad that Owens had punched him with a weapon (his cast). Owens invited the champ on to "The KO Show," where Paul immediately bragged about being the greatest U.S. Champion of all time. After a couple of minutes of running his mouth, the host cut him off to get some things off his chest. He did compliment his guest to let him know that he became better at wrestling than anyone expected, but for all he's accomplished, according to Owens, Paul isn't one of boys.
There always seems to be a lot of truth in Owens's promos, particularly with people who have questionable characters in real life. He's no nonsense and has no problem telling it like it is. I'm always down for more of Kevin Owens beating people up and seeing people like Paul get their comeuppance. Hopefully, Paul gets his, and Owen walks out of Royal Rumble with the title.
Written by Samantha Schipman
Hated: No time for the women's tag titles
Look, I didn't expect the Women's Tag Team Championship match between Kayden Carter and Katana Chance and The Unholy Union to go on for 20 minutes or anything, but giving it just under three minutes of screen time felt disappointing.
Keeping the match short did help keep Carter and Chance look strong, especially with every tag team in the division keeping a close eye on the two and their women's tag titles. However, with how short the match was, it almost felt like an afterthought. It came off looking like the whole point of giving Chance and Carter another successful defense was so they can tease a higher profile match between them and The Kabuki Warriors. Furthermore, this was The Unholy Union's return to televised competition for the first time since June of last year — seems like it should've been a bigger deal than it was, with Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn even entering after Carter and Chance did.
But nope. Three minutes.
Written by Olivia Quinlan
Loved: Randy Orton is an unbothered king
There is a singular focus that is associated with success. Multi-time champions in any industry do not entertain the fleeting arguments or gossip; they commit all their attention to winning gold. Anything else is white noise. All of this fighting between AJ Styles and LA Knight — it might as well have been Randy Orton's white noise Friday night. Orton's sights are set, singularly, on becoming the Undisputed Universal WWE Champion. Orton is unbothered, and he is the coolest person in that ring for it.
The Styles/Knight/Orton storyline has been gripping, but it can sometimes get a bit messy and convoluted. It's to be expected; there are so many big personalities that are involved in this build-up, and that's without Reigns, who also has to have some stake in the storyline. There are so many moving parts involved in this build-up that watching it unfold without time to process it can feel overwhelming. That's why Orton's casual attitude and his effortless ability to focus on his own end goal is so refreshing. Knight and Styles' petty arguments simply don't matter to Orton.
When Orton singled out Heyman and called him out on the debris he was kicking up in benefit of his Tribal Chief, his unpretentious tone spoke volumes. It communicated years of experience and of success, and it let the entire WWE Universe know that Orton is self-assured enough that he doesn't let the small things distract him from the big picture. If I were a non-wrestling fan tuning into "WWE SmackDown" for the first time, with no prior knowledge about WWE or Orton's career, I would have instantly known that Orton was an experienced veteran who could put his words to action. To have that impression without explicitly saying it is a remarkable thing. It's even more impressive that Orton is able to show it in such a subtle way.
Orton's quiet, grizzled confidence reminds me of other legendary athletes, like Lewis Hamilton or Cristiano Ronaldo. They are above the madness and the drama — they are there to do what they do best: win. Orton exudes that exact same coolheadedness. The greats don't care about the white noise that surround them; their eyes are fixed on the glimmer of gold. Hopefully, come Royal Rumble, Orton walks out holding his gold, the Undisputed Universal WWE Championship, in his hands.
Even if he doesn't, he'll still be the coolest in the ring.
Written by Angeline Phu