 Matt Cardona Attacked Randy OrtonOrton continues to references the "voices" in his head without actually doing anything to turn the fans against him. It's clear that him attacking Cardona, Cody Rhodes and even Jelly Roll (more on that later) isn't enough. Maybe it would have been at one point, but not now. That said, I appreciated that this was simple stuff to set up the bout between these two later on in the night. The Bella Twins def. Alexa Bliss and Charlotte FlairBliss and Flair as well as the Bellas got disqualified in WWE Women's Tag Team Championship matches with The Irresistible Forces, so in a very basic booking move, they faced each other. Unfortunately, this was about as mundane as those matchups were, with a predictable finish with The Irresistible Forces getting involved at ringside and that leading to the Bellas picking up the win. Hey, it was better than doing another disqualification. We're obviously headed toward a big multi-team match for the tag titles at WrestleMania 42, but the build has left a lot to be desired. Rhea Ripley def. B-Fab by DisqualificationB-Fab and Michin's explanation for aligning with Jade Cargill wasn't anything special, but at least they bothered to offer something of an explanation. The mic work in this feud between Ripley and Cargill really hasn't lit the world on fire and as a result, I can't say I'm overly anticipating their WrestleMania match. Ripley vs. B-Fab ended almost immediately, which was probably for the best. Jelly Roll def. Kit WilsonI'm glad they delivered the match instead of doing some sort of an angle to set up something else for WrestleMania. I'm sure we'll still get a match with Jelly Roll at 'Mania, but this was a nice way for him to get in the ring before then and show what he can do on his own, with Wilson being the perfect opponent for him. They had an acceptable outing with the crowd being behind Jelly Roll throughout. Sami Zayn def. Carmelo Hayes to Win the United States ChampionshipNick Aldis informed Zayn right before this bout that he didn't have a spot for him at WrestleMania, leading to Zayn accepting Hayes' open challenge and capturing the title. It was an interesting swerve. I've seen a lot of hate for the move online, but I'm okay with it if it furthers this story they're telling with Zayn, specifically with him gradually turning heel and/or getting more desperate. The match itself was as great as you'd expect. Post-match, we found out it will be Zayn vs. Trick Williams for the United States Championship at WrestleMania. That's cool, but it'd be criminal to not include Hayes in some form or fashion, especially since Williams factored into the finish here and Hayes didn't lose clean. Nick Aldis Made Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre in an Unsanctioned Match Official for WrestleMania 42Aldis kept the WrestleMania match announcements rolling here and I was in full favor of this one. It was rumored on social media coming into the show that WWE was looking to do a Hell in a Cell for Fatu vs. McIntyre, but I'm happy they went with Unsanctioned instead. It's more fitting in my opinion. This segment accomplished what it needed to and it left me looking forward to the matchup. Women's United States Champion Giulia def. Tiffany Stratton (Non-Title)Man, I didn't think it was possible for Giulia and Stratton to have a bad match together given how talented both women are. I'm sorry but this sucked. There were several spots that did not look good, they didn't have chemistry at all, and the crowd simply did not care. Honestly, this was sad to watch. Giulia vs. Stratton seemed to be WrestleMania direction, but with Giulia winning here, I don't know if either of them make the card now. Randy Orton def. Matt CardonaWell, this wasn't much of a match, now was it? Orton spent the entire time decimating Cardona and targeting his "injuries." It wasn't a thrilling main event by any means, nor was it competitive, but with Orton being the focal point of SmackDown right now, I understand why they booked it the way they did. The post-match brawl between Orton and the returning Rhodes was fine, but it could have been hotter. The best part about it was easily Jelly Roll coming out and eating an RKO from Orton. Overall ShowIt's hard to call this a throwaway show when two 'Mania matches were made official and the United States Championship changed hands, but the three hours were certainly more of a chore to sit through this week. I'm more excited for the event than I was previously, but WWE has to do a better job with some of these stories on Friday night. The creative is incredibly inconsistent and not at the level it should be most weeks considering we're weeks away from WrestleMania.
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