6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (16 Aug - Results & Review)

Roman Reigns gets wrecked; KO resists the urge to go heel; SmackDown gets it right in-ring and out.

by Jamie Kennedy
Roman Reigns OTC
WWE.com

Nobody can match the aura Roman Reigns has right now.

Spare a thought for Cody Rhodes, because he's currently being overshadowed by the man he toppled back at WrestleMania 40. That was always going to be unavoidable though. Reigns is back as a babyface, people are delighted to see him, and Roman reclaiming The Bloodline is WWE's biggest story by a mile.

This week, Solo Sikoa and troops bit back at the original 'Tribal Chief', and it was an injured Jacob Fatu who made the difference. Moon boot or not, Jacob matched up well against the biggest star in the biz. That's very, very promising, so now Reigns vs. Fatu is a match Triple H can shove in his back pockets for late-2024/early-2025.

New title contenders were confirmed on SmackDown too, and Kevin Owens toyed with the thought of turning heel following a Cody save. There was lots to enjoy, but an opening segment struggled to kick the show off properly, and another match showed chemistry between wrestlers counts.

Here's all the good and bad from the latest episode before WWE reaches Germany for Bash In Berlin.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.