8 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (16 Jan - Results & Review)
1. It’s Tough To Care About This Mask Business
Right, on the subject of not compelling!
Axiom is chasing Johnny Gargano to get his mask back, but…he’s wearing another one and clearly has loads of them because Nathan Frazer showed up in this skit wearing one too. So, why does Axiom care so much? Some may argue that it’s the disrespect from Gargano, but it’s a flimsy story and a poor way to keep these guys involved on TV.
Listen, this writer would be the first to bitch and moan if they weren't around at all for weeks on end, but it's fair to say that none of the personalities involved in this storyline can carry it. Gargano's 'prankster dad' gimmick is tame, Candice LeRae rarely says much of note other than twittering empty words alongside him, Tommaso Ciampa is a goner, Axiom comes across like a geography teacher, and Frazer is a bit nerdy.
Where's the spice? Fraxiom are chasing a replica mask that they themselves just revealed is ten a penny. This is akin to Bret Hart chasing Jean-Pierre LaFitte for his leather jacket again. Just...buy another jacket, 'Hitman'. OK, so that had sentimental value to Hart back in 1995, which makes things even worse for this 2026 tale. Axiom doesn't have that same emotional connection to the mask.
Or, at least, that hasn't been explained on television. Therefore, fans watching SmackDown have no real reason to give a toss about anything that's going on. Cue matches with no stakes, or a dreaded 'Mask On A Pole' situation that'd turn Friday nights into the worst of WCW Nitro.