Friday Night SmackDown Review - September 27, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Bloodline Interrupted Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens

Orton wasn't on SmackDown this week to react to Rhodes and Roman Reigns joining forces to combat The Bloodline at Bad Blood, and while he wasn't totally in favor of their alliance here, he did say it wouldn't be a problem for him. Owens again didn't have a chance to say anything before The Bloodline came out, so I continue to think that Orton will be the one to swerve everyone and turn on Rhodes because Owens' frustration has been well documented. This was a solid way to tease tension between the babyfaces and set up the tag team main event.

Bayley def. Naomi in a WWE Women's Championship No. 1 Contender's Match

We previously saw these two go one-on-one earlier this year, but thankfully, this had a clean finish unlike that encounter. I'm glad they weren't hurt by the babyface vs. babyface dynamic as they worked well together and had a very good match. I know Nia Jax vs. Bayley isn't the most exciting match on paper, but it makes sense to finish that feud before Jax moves onto something new.

Carmelo Hayes def. Andrade

This was the sixth singles match Andrade and Hayes have had since July and it may have been their best yet. They were allotted plenty of time and it was an excellent outing. Their chemistry is just fantastic. LA Knight's interference was logical given what happened backstage beforehand and further plants the seeds for an eventual Triple Threat with the United States Championship on the line.

Michin def. Piper Niven

These two had their time cut short a few weeks ago on the USA Network premiere episode, so I appreciated that they had a chance to run it back here. This one actually went through a commercial break and received considerably more time. Granted, it wasn't an instant classic by any means, but what we got was good and Michin winning again was the right call ahead of her Dumpster match with Chelsea Green next week.

The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu) def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton

It's unfair to call this a "warm-up" for The Bloodline before they face Rhodes and Reigns at Bad Blood because Owens and Orton weren't no-name opponents. It was a competitive, well-wrestled main event. Predictably, Rhodes' presence at ringside cost Owens and Orton the victory, leading to them arguing afterward. This new development was desperately needed to make the Bloodline saga (and the Undisputed WWE Championship picture) interesting again.

Overall Show

This edition of SmackDown provided the perfect use of the two-hour format. The two hours aren't always the most thrilling, but this was one of the better episodes in recent weeks as I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. They bookended the night with the Bloodline drama per usual and it was compelling, while the rest of the show was filled out nicely. Next week's episode looks loaded between the return of AJ Styles, the Dumpster match between Michin and Green, and that Triple Threat tag team Ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship.

SEE MORE: SmackDown Reviews