 The Usos and The MFTs Confronted Jacob FatuThis gave big Bloodline vibes, and that's not a good thing. I have minimal interest in WWE returning to that well already, so hopefully this segment was solely designed to set up Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa for later on in the night and nothing more. The interaction was intriguing, but that doesn't mean I want to see The MFTs involved in any of what Fatu is doing. I also don't want to see Fatu join The Usos and Roman Reigns, nor do I think he will. Tiffany Stratton def. Giulia to Win the United States ChampionshipThe Women's United States Championship has been nearly nonexistent for months now, but Stratton did defeat Jordynne Grace on last week's SmackDown to become number one contender. The last match these two had fell well below my expectations, but this was an improvement. I have no issue with Stratton taking the title since Giulia's second reign was irrelevant, anyway. WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Brie Bella and Paige vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss Ended in a No ContestThe segment started out with Bella and Paige addressing the audience before Bliss and Flair interrupted them, leading to an impromptu title match. It didn't last very long before Fatal Influence showed up and laid everyone out. Jacy Jane getting the main roster call-up looked likely following her loss of the NXT Women's Championship, but I'm glad Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid are joining her. She'll benefit from having them around. How far they'll go remains to be seen, but this was a solid start. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes Addressed the AudienceThis wasn't nearly as strong as Rhodes' segment with CM Punk on Monday's Raw, but it would've been silly for SmackDown to not have the Undisputed WWE Champion appear following his successful title defense at WrestleMania 42. He addressed the "outside forces" but didn't spend a ton of time talking about Randy Orton. Does that mean their feud is over for the time being, despite Orton punting him in the head at WrestleMania? WWE Tag Team Champions Damian Priest and R-Truth def. The MFTs (JC Mateo and Tama Tonga)This is the state of your tag team division, ladies and gentlemen. I get that Priest and Truth are popular together, but they aren't doing the tag titles any favors by holding them. This happening on the same day as The Motor City Machine Guns and The Wyatt Sicks getting release was downright depressing. At any rate, the match was total filler, but I guess it existed to establish more tension between Tonga and the rest of The MFTs. Sami Zayn Attacked United States Champion Trick Williams and Lil YachtyWilliams' championship celebration was well done. Lil Yatchy declared that he's here to stay, and although I think he plays his role well, I don't know if it's necessary to have him with Williams long-term if he's annoying and Williams is supposed to be a babyface (at least at some point soon). You had to know Zayn would be revealed as the one in the gingerbread man costume since they brought it back after last week and there wasn't a reason why otherwise. Danhausen def. The MizWe also got segments earlier in the night with Danhausen invading Miz's home, which were funny. I'd say the same for the match, too. It wasn't much of a match, nor did it need to be, but it was harmless comedy. Danhausen will be better in small doses going forward, but I enjoyed what they did with him here. Miz and Kit Wilson are the perfect foils for him out of the gate. Fatal Influence Confronted WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley; Ripley def. Jane by Disqualification (Non-Title)Fatal Influence got a ton of screen time on this show and were handled exceptionally well. In addition to their attack during the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match, they interrupted Ripley here, got massive heat from the crowd and Jane went on to have a competitive contest with Ripley. Sol Ruca eating a pinfall loss in her Raw debut on Monday night was fine, but I appreciated that Jane was protected in defeat via the disqualification. They had a hell of a debut and I hope WWE can keep it up with them because the division will benefit big time from having them in the mix if they're going to be presented as actual threats. Jacob Fatu def. Solo SikoaFatu and Sikoa had two singles matches last year and Sikoa won both of them, so this gave Fatu a chance to put their rivalry to rest finally so he can firmly focus on Roman Reigns come Backlash. I wouldn't say this was worthy of the main event slot, but it was decent enough. Fatu looked like a total badass while destroying The MFTs afterward. Fatu telling The Usos that he'll see Reigns on Raw this Monday was an effective hook for that show. Overall ShowAlong with Fatal Influence, we also found out in vignette form that SmackDown will be getting two other NXT call-ups in the coming weeks: Ricky Saints and Blake Monroe. The blue brand desperately needed a shot in the arm, so adding some fresh faces is a step in the right direction. This wasn't as eventful as the post-WrestleMania Raw, and the three hours were a drag as always, but it was an adequate episode on the whole. That said, it was hard to be entertained when so many talents were released (some needlessly so) just hours before. There was just an off vibe all night because of it.
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