4 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 Dec - Results & Review)

1. This Ain’t It For Carmelo

What in the name of hell are WWE playing at?!

Nick Aldis lined up a mystery opponent for Carmelo Hayes on this week’s SmackDown. That turned out to be new blue brand recruit Braun Strowman, and he made short work of Melo. As usual, most can see what WWE wanted to do here with Braun, but it’s a rough spot for Hayes. They’re giving him nothing to work with, and that's plain sad for someone who was hyped up so much after moving on from NXT.

This was a little too 2019 Vince McMahon. You know the drill: Making potential stars look like chumps then being surprised when they aren’t clicking. Triple H's thinking probably doesn't run that deep, but yeah - this was awful, and especially so because Braun defo doesn’t need squashes at this stage in his career. Pressing the reset button on him in December 2024 is certainly a choice.

Strowman would be better placed as part of a big man/little man tag-team like he was with Ricochet before injuries wrecked that tandem. Surely, if nothing else, WWE can see that Hayes looked like a lowly jobber on Friday night. If they can't and think this is the best road for him, then that's even more worrying.

Braun doesn't need to be a focal point like he was back when winning so-called "Greatest" Royal Rumbles and Universal Titles in 2019 and 2020. He could be useful here or there on Fridays, but it feels senseless to job Carmelo out like he's some extra headed for AEW Rampage's graveyard shift.