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The Rock returned to SmackDown on Friday night to address Cody Rhodes’ challenge for a one-on-one match.
What important news would occur when The Great One returned to the blue brand?
Would Rhodes make an unscheduled appearance immediately following his declaration that he is hunting The Bloodline?
Find out with this recap of the March 1 episode, which also featured the culmination of the feud between Carlito and Santos Escobar when they faced off in a street fight.
Announced in advance for Friday’s show were:
- The return of The Rock
- Bayley and Dakota Kai vs. Kairi Sane and Asuka
- Street fight: Carlito vs. Santos Escobar
- Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton
The Bloodline kicked off Friday’s show, first with WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns asking for recognition, as he often does, followed by the return of The Rock.
One-liners were thrown, fans booed, and we finally got to the meat of the segment about 30 minutes into the broadcast when The Great One countered Cody Rhodes’ challenge for a match by issuing his own challenge. for the largest tag team match in WrestleMania history.
On the big stage, it will be Rock and Reigns vs. Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the main event of Night One of WrestleMania 40, with two huge stipulations. A victory for the latter team and The American Nightmare’s match against The Tribal Chief will be free of The Bloodline.
A victory for the heels and it will be Bloodline Rules, which means anything goes, for Rhodes vs. Reigns.
The Head of the Table didn’t seem too excited about any of the stipulations and interrupted The Rock’s signature catchphrase, saying he would do anything for the family but… he wanted recognition from his famous cousin.
Rock did so and The Bloodline stood tall to close out an explosive segment that took forever to get anywhere, but once it did, it delivered. In a big way.
Reigns was the star here. Rock spoke into the microphone, but it was the Tribal Chief’s facial expressions and body language that told the story. He was a guy forced to sit back and watch his most famous relative take center stage, shouting orders and issuing challenges, and paranoia and lack of self-confidence washed over him.
He necessary Rock to recognize him so he could return to whatever place of power he thought he had in the family. When The Great One did it, Reigns was oozing confidence. As The Bloodline took center stage and raised his fingers toward the sky, it was not lost on this writer that Rock caused his thumb to stick out again, forming an “L” in the direction of the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion.
There are so many layers to this story and this segment presented at least two more.
Epic, epic stuff from everyone involved, including Reigns, who is literally on a different level than everyone else when it comes to character work and storytelling.
Qualification
TO
Main moments and conclusions
- Rock remembered sleeves this week. In Arizona.
- Paul Heyman expressed his intimidation toward Rock, his star and his undeniable power, telling Reigns, “We can’t leave yet. He… he’s leaving.”
- “It’s been decades, but pro wrestling is great,” Rock said before taking credit.
- “If you don’t accept our challenge, The Rock and Roman Reigns will end your story… tragically,” said the former.
Before the first match of the night, a backstage vignette set up Randy Orton vs. Austin Theory for the night’s main event.
In the sand. Tiffany Stratton headed to the ring to battle Naomi, who was already in the ring and looking to avenge her loss to the former NXT Women’s Champion inside the Elimination Chamber last Saturday.
What followed was a solid back-and-forth match, clearly hampered by time constraints, that concluded with Stratton performing the most beautiful Moonsault of all time for a hard-fought victory.
It can be argued that Naomi shouldn’t lose that much upon her return to the company, but Stratton is red-hot coming off the Elimination Chamber and the overwhelmingly positive response she received in Perth.
It makes sense that WWE Creative would want to emphasize her here. Hopefully this isn’t the end of the issues between the two competitors, because there is some chemistry there and it would be nice to see it grow in the coming weeks.
Result
Stratton pinned Naomi
Qualification
C+
Main moments and conclusions
- Naomi’s clean defeat was an interesting choice because it essentially eliminates any real problems that could arise from this point.
- The crowd is definitely behind Stratton at this point. So much so that one has to wonder if there is a chance of him finally becoming a babyface.
The deception and betrayal within Damage CTRL surfaced again when Dakota Kai faced Bayley on Friday night, dropping the apron just as the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner was about to make a much-needed tag.
Bayley powered up, fended off Asuka and Kairi Sane, and then turned her fury on Kai. She unloaded, but the heels had the numerical advantage in her favor and finally left her down to close the segment.
Was it predictable that Kai, known for her betrayal of Tegan Nox in a War Games match during her time in NXT, would turn on Bayley? Sure, but it made sense and positions the number one contender to the WWE Women’s Championship as an even more sympathetic babyface who fans will want to see get revenge.
This worked well and set the stage for a Bayley vs. The World in time for WrestleMania 40.
Result
Do not answer
Qualification
TO
Main moments and conclusions
- Kai conveniently not getting in the ring for the entire contest should have proven him right, but it was still executed remarkably well.
- Iyo Sky took a running knee, title over his shoulder, and the thing never once moved. Smooth.
- Backstage, a celebratory damage CTRL met Jade Cargill for the first time, only for Nick Aldis to act as peacemaker and usher the latter into his office to do business.
Bron Breakker made his second in-ring appearance on Friday night, taking on Xyon Quinn.
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, he exploded across the ring at the opening bell and destroyed Quinn with a spear, pinning him and securing the victory in seconds.
It was an absolute domination and the crowd in Glendale responded favorably, indicating that the squash match format can do wonders for the second-generation star as he transitions from NXT to the main roster.
Result
Breakker defeated Quinn
Qualification
TO
Main moments and conclusions
- Breakker is done. Wait until main roster fans experience what he’s capable of beyond that crushing spear.
- After the match, a pre-recorded vignette featuring Santos Escobar and Legado del Fantasma animated the next match of the night.
Rey Mysterio returned from injury on Friday night, unloading on Ángel Garza and Humberto Carrillo en route to helping his LWO teammate Carlito in a victory over Santos Escobar.
The street fight was extremely well done, with an intense fight at the beginning, interference from Angel and Humberto from there, the save from Cruz Del Toro and Joaquín Wilde, and the eventual return of the Hall of Famer.
The crowd was red hot from it all, with Mysterio blowing the roof off the place. The 619 finish on a Carlito spinbuster, through a table, was great and the perfect exclamation point in the contest.
This was a perfectly constructed match and angle that will ultimately set up Mysterio vs. Escobar or a multi-man match between the two segments that should result in the Hall of Famer’s second consecutive major match on the WrestleMania stage, something that is well deserved after his tumultuous history at the event.
Result
Carlito defeated Escobar
Qualification
TO
Main moments and conclusions
- Street fights are much better when the fighters come to the fight in street clothes and not in their traditional ring. Carlito received the memo.
- “We want apples” was the most unique chant of the night.
- Carlito was ejected after a beatdown by Humberto and Ángel, prompting Cruz Del Toro and Joaquín Wilde to run to the ring to even the odds.
- The pop of Mysterio’s return was otherworldly.
Before the night’s main event, Nick Aldis confronted an enraged LA Knight, informing him that he had ordered AJ Styles not to be on the show. The Megastar swore revenge against The Phenomenal and told the SmackDown general manager that no one, not even him, would stop him from achieving it.
From there, Kevin Owens joined Corey Graves and Wade Barrett on commentary as Randy Orton took on Austin Theory in a match set up by Grayson Waller, who inadvertently (?) threw his friend under the bus. earlier in the evening.
In a surprisingly good and competitive match, Orton gave Theory some quality offense before a fiery finish that included table slams, a blistering Owens, and one of the best RKOs of all time to the cocky heel.
The Viper secured the victory, Owens joined him to dispatch the heels one last time and the two babyfaces stood tall to close the show.
This was a match that kept Orton and Owens in the spotlight on a night when shared enemy Logan Paul was unavailable. It should also serve as the latest chapter in a deteriorating friendship between Theory and Waller, which could be one of the funniest storylines after WrestleMania 40.
Result
Theory set by Orton
Qualification
B+
Main moments and conclusions
- The last adlib KO? Claiming that you combined your insurance with Geico and that everything is working well, a nod to the show’s sponsor.
- Owens cheered happily as Owens delivered the side suplex to Theory, over the announce table. He reacted equally giddily when The Viper added another to Waller.
WWE is heading towards WrestleMania 40 and producing some of its best shows in a long time.
The layers and drama involved in the Bloodline/Cody Rhodes/Seth Rollins storyline are on another level and the opening promo for tonight’s show only made it better, thanks to the sudden tension between The Rock and Roman Reigns.
How that plays out will be key in the coming weeks and could determine the outcome of WrestleMania 40.
The Bayley-Damage CTRL storyline moved along nicely, the street fight between Carlito and Santos Escobar was great television emphasized by the return of Rey Mysterio, and the main event was a fun match.
Not everything was perfect (Naomi and Tiffany Stratton were criminally low), but this was the most complete show WWE has ever produced on a really good television series.
Overall grade: A