9 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 Sept - Results & Review)
2. Cody Rhodes Is “Done”
Remember that point about wrestlers teasing a bit of realism and acting like walking, talking human beings? It came into full effect when Cody Rhodes temporarily rebuffed Nick Aldis' grand plan for SmackDown's showpiece match at Bad Blood. Cody butted in on Nick's promo to say he had no intention of signing the contract for a tag-team match.
Why? Well, "The Bloodline is Roman Reigns' problem". Cody also said: "I'm done".
That'd change come the end of the show, but this was a human moment from Rhodes. He still isn't sure if he can trust Roman after everything they've been through, and has had enough of Solo Sikoa's troops too. This puzzle for GM Aldis to solve kept the show-long narrative going and gave fans something to think about.
It's amazing how much can be achieved in a short, 90-second long backstage promo. Aldis had the air sucked out of his promoter's balloon, and it'd take some arrogance from Reigns to lure Cody back into the situation. Oh yeah, about that...