4 mistakes WWE made on SmackDown before Saturday Night's Main Event
The latest episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown is now in the books. The episode was the final edition of the blue brand ahead of Saturday Night's Main Event and the program had a lot of intriguing moments.
Despite that, there were some hiccups along the way. Some were more egregious than others, affecting a major rivalry, a big return, and even an upcoming title match.
This article will take a look at four mistakes World Wrestling Entertainment made on the final SmackDown ahead of Saturday Night's Main Event, while also exploring why Triple H may have made the decisions that he did.
Below are four mistakes WWE made on SmackDown before Saturday Night's Main Event.
#4. Braun Strowman shouldn't have been WWE's choice for Carmelo Hayes' mystery opponent
WWE had fans hooked over a major mystery angle. During last week's edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Carmelo Hayes and Nick Aldis went back and forth, ultimately leading to Aldis revealing The A-Champ would face a mystery competitor.
It later came out that it would be a new signing to SmackDown and fans instantly thought it'd be former AEW star Penta El Zero Miedo, who many believe is WWE-bound soon. Instead, the surprise was former Universal Champion Braun Strowman.
This was quite disappointing, as while Braun is popular, it wasn't the surprise fans wanted. Triple H may have done this because Penta isn't yet signed, hasn't passed a medical test, or The Game has a different idea in mind on how to bring the former AAA star into the fold. Regardless, having Braun be the mystery opponent felt like a mistake.
#3. Carmelo Hayes shouldn't have been squashed
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only mistake Triple H and WWE made when it came to both Braun Strowman and Carmelo Hayes. Braun being the mystery opponent was a letdown, but how the match played out was worse.
The bout was extremely short. While Carmelo got a few bits of offense in, the match was effectively a squash with Braun Strowman defeating HIM with a vicious Powerslam in quick fashion. One look at social media will tell you that WWE fans are not happy with this decision.
In Triple H's defense, there is a chance that this is part of a bigger story and the two will wrestle again with Hayes ultimately overcoming the monster.
For now, though, all fans know for sure is that a brilliant up-and-coming performer lost embarrassingly. That's a huge miss by The Game.
#2. Bayley should have advanced to the finals of the Women's United States Championship Tournament
WWE Friday Night SmackDown featured two Women's United States Championship Semi-Final matches. In one bout, Michin defeated Tiffany Stratton to advance to the finals, which will be held at Saturday Night's Main Event tonight.
The other match featured Chelsea Green taking on Bayley. In a move that shocked many WWE fans, Chelsea actually defeated The Role Model and did so relatively cleanly, at least in terms of how the finish was executed.
This was a mistake on Triple H's part. While having a heel and babyface clash at the big show makes sense, Bayley is a legend and fans want to see her in the spot.
Not only that, but she will help to produce a better match. While Chelsea is highly entertaining, Bayley should have been the one to go to the finals with Michin.
#1. Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa shouldn't have been announced through a pre-tape
A cinematic promo took place on WWE SmackDown. Roman Reigns, accompanied by a silent Paul Heyman, addressed his setbacks in 2024 and then challenged Solo Sikoa to Tribal Combat on the January 6 edition of Monday Night RAW.
Of course, that show is the Netflix premiere and it is a big deal, so a Reigns match taking place makes sense. The issue, however, is that a match of that magnitude should have been made through a face-to-face in-ring interaction, not a pre-tape video package.
While Triple H likely did this due to Roman Reigns' limited schedule, it was still a major miss. If WWE wants the RAW Netflix premiere to be as big as possible, the build to the match has to be big too. A simple pre-tape just doesn't cut it.