 Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton Exchanged WordsI was among those watching the show live on Netflix internationally as it aired live, so the segment cut out for me and I had to catch what I missed later on when it aired in the United States. I thought it was cool how they acknowledged the technical issues and proceeded to air footage that was filmed on a different type of camera near ringside. The exchange itself was great and they did a nice job recapping their history as well as emphasizing what winning King of the Ring would mean to them. JC Mateo def. Jimmy UsoThis was a rematch from a few weeks ago. With Uso and Jacob Fatu seemingly joining forces, I was worried Uso might beat Mateo for a second straight time, but I'm glad that wasn't the case. The match was decent and the outcome was the correct out. Uso again rejected Solo Sikoa afterward before Jacob Fatu made the save for Uso. I have to imagine the feud will continue with Sikoa winning at Night of Champions because there's more they can do. Giulia def. Zelina Vega to Win the Women's United States ChampionshipIt wasn't always pretty, but this turned out to be a quality contest on the whole. It was evident during last month's Money in the Bank qualifier that Giulia was going to be gunning for the Women's United States Championship, but I didn't think she'd be winning it so soon. Hey, no complaints. I applaud Giulia for being real during the pre-match vignette when saying that the title is merely a stepping stone to her because, honestly, that's all it needs to be. Her ascent has officially begun. Naomi Interrupted Jade Cargill and Asuka Before Asuka Attacked CargillI appreciate the attempt to make this match feel bigger by having them face off and exchange words, but the opening segment was much better. Rhodes and Orton benefited from having history together, whereas Asuka and Cargill are seemingly both babyfaces and it's an odd dynamic. Naomi played her role well and it left me wondering if we could see her cost Cargill the win at Night of Champions to further that feud and set up a rematch at Evolution two weeks later. Andrade and Rey Fenix def. #DIYI am absolutely for Fenix and Andrade becoming a tag team for a bit if there's no plan in place for either of them on their own. They work wonderfully as partners and they'd be an awesome addition to an already-stacked division. This was all action and the crowd was super into it. #DIY aren't over most weeks, but they can wake up the audience in attendance if given time. I don't know where this is leading, but this was a blast. Aleister Black Attacked R-TruthIt's weird how everyone on the show keeps referring to Truth as Ron Killings (as they should be) yet he's officially recognized by WWE as R-Truth. Nonetheless, this was a logical development after Truth interrupted Black's scheduled match last week and interrupted him backstage on this show. It may have come off like a heel move, but Black was justified. I'm happy both men seem to have direction going forward, though I am curious if Black will actually go heel for it. WWE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits vs. The Wyatt Sicks Ends in a No ContestWell, this was underwhelming. I can't say I was expecting much from the match, but what we got was nothing out of the ordinary and the interference finish that resulted in the no contest sucked. For many months, I didn't have an issue with the entire SmackDown tag team division being featured weekly, but it's getting to a point where it's just lazy and there's no story. Most title defenses the Profits have had have ended in some sort of non-finish and that's a problem. WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton def. Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing MatchThese two have had excellent chemistry in the past, yet I didn't think this was their best bout. Last Man Standing matches have a tendency to be dull, so they were hindered by the stipulation more than anything. Despite that, they put forth a commendable effort. Perhaps it was because it was predictable Stratton would retain, even with the teased cash-in from Naomi. On the bright side, the Stratton vs. Jax feud is finally over and we can now move on. CM Punk Delivered a “Basic Punkanomics” Rap to John CenaThis received quite the polarizing reaction online when it originally aired and understandably so. Although I've enjoyed the most recent iteration of their rivalry this month, this was their weakest segment together, unfortunately. Yes, I'm well aware that Punk turning the tables on Cena was intentional after Cena ripped off his "pipebomb" promo last week, but this rap was so uncharacteristic of Punk's current character that it fell flat in my opinion, and the material wasn't all that strong, either. Hearing "Basic Thuganomics" again was fun, but the segment was a swing and a miss. Overall ShowThis was the real Night of Champions with three title matches, whereas the actual pay-per-view will feature only two title matches, hilariously enough. Even with a title change and that closing segment, the biggest news coming out of this episode was that SmackDown will be returning to two hours starting next week. Hallelujah! In all seriousness, this was an above-average show by SmackDown standards. Storylines were furthered, Night of Champions was hyped, that first tag team match kicked ass and most stuff mattered. WWE ended the three-hour era of the blue brand on a high note.
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