Styles Taken Out, Cena Now Needs A Partner
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During the September 22 edition of SmackDown, John Cena aimed to form a team with AJ Styles to face off against The Bloodline. Additionally, the show highlighted a WWE Women's Championship clash pitting Asuka (the champion) against Iyo Sky. Another thrilling contest featured Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar squaring off against The Street Profits. And, in an unexpected bout, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller teamed up to take on the Brawling Brutes.
There was some solid action and a cliffhanger at the end of the show that leaves room for a huge surprise heading into Fastlane. Here are your winners and losers for SmackDown, September 22, 2023:
Winner: Cena Pumps Up The Crowd, Challenges The Bloodline
John Cena commenced the evening's program with his trademark charisma and energy, injecting a unique dynamism into the proceedings. When the crowd tried to hijack his promo with "What?!" chants, he came up with possibly the best response ever from a WWE Superstar by playing into it with different ways of saying the same thing, then telling the crowd they won because he ran out of ideas. His opening segment served as a teaser for a main event match against Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso.
When Solo and Jimmy came out and then backed away because they weren't ready to fight a pumped-up Styles and Cena, the teaser was set.
Winner: Street Profits Disappoint Bobby Lashley
In a highly anticipated showdown, Rey Mysterio and his LWO protégé, Santos Escobar, squared off against The Street Profits. The Profits, fresh off their win over the LWO last week, aimed to secure another victory against the red-hot faction. They were not successful in that endeavor. Thanks to a distraction caused by a miscommunication between Angelo Dawkins and Lashley, The Street Profits could not sustain their winning streak, falling to the experienced luchador and his tag team partner.
The match itself delivered and the unexpected twist of friction between Lashley and his hand-picked tag team disciples makes for an interesting swerve in their storyline. The future for Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins, and Bobby Lashley remains uncertain as Lashley reamed them out in the locker room after the match. Lashley's stern coaching could be a big part of where WWE is going with this trio. "I want the watches, I want the suits, I want the rings, I want EVERYTHING. I want it all back!," Lashley yelled. Expect The Street Profits to respond.
Winner: Iyo Sky Retains Against Asuka
The WWE Women's Championship Match between Iyo Sky and Asuka was the big featured match of the night. The fact that this was the first time these two had ever fought in a singles match made it an exciting match among fans. Anyone who had high expectations didn't leave disappointed. The champion and challenger had immediate chemistry and they clearly tried to send a statement with the limited time they had to put on a show.
While the action was fantastic, the creative booking wasn't great. Charlotte Flair interfered, causing a distraction long enough for Sky to hit a moonsault for the win. This would have been much better if a clean winner had been determined. The strikes exchanged between Asuka and Sky brought a different level of intensity and physicality to the bout that isn't often seen in women's matches.
Winner: Waller and Theory Defeat The Brawling Brutes
WWE is clearly interested in pushing the tandem of Grayson Waller and Austin Theory, so it makes sense they would put them in a match against a formidable tag team and pick up the win. The match was set up as a result of a backstage altercation when Adam Pearce didn't love the fact Theory flipped out when the company showed highlights of The Rock returning to WWE last week. Despite the fact this was framed as a potential punishment, the heels managed to overcome the resilience of their babyface opponents, with Waller executing a devastating stunner on Holland after smashing Butch into the ring post. Theory seized the opportunity and secured the pinfall victory with his A-Town Down finisher.
This effective positioned Waller and Theory as a championship threat in the tag team division. That could come as soon as the winner of the match between Judgment Day vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn bout on Raw is determined. Even if it's not the long-term play, expect big things out of this duo. WWE seems to like the heels together for now.
Winner: Who Will Tag With John Cena?
The contract signing was the last segment of the show, but prior to it, The Bloodline attacked AJ Styles backstage, seemingly injuring him to the point that he won't be able to team with Cena to take on Jimmy and Solo at Fastlane. Without the help of a parnter, Cena was ruthlessly decimated and left laying, with Jimmy and Solo signing the contract over his fallen body. The match is set, but, if we're to believe that what went down takes Styles out of the equation, Cena doesn't have a partner.
This sequence notably improved upon the first segment of the night, which, was little more than a tease.The attack sets the stage of a surprise of major proportions. Could WWE go in heavy and bring back The Rock? Or, will the role go to a lower-profile star, but soon to be megastar in LA Knight? If Knight is WWE's choice, it certainly sets him up for a major push.
