5 Mistakes WWE made on SmackDown this week

This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown kicked off the company’s European Tour. Held in Barcelona’s Olimpic Arena, the episode saw several high-voltage moments.

This included Axiom’s match against World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, in which the Spaniard put up a great fight in front of his home crowd before eventually losing. We also saw The Street Profits emerge as the new WWE Tag Team Champions.

However, the show was also riddled with several shortcomings. Here are five mistakes WWE made on the Friday night show just weeks ahead of WrestleMania 41:

#5. Bringing back Shinsuke Nakamura right after his title loss

LA Knight dethroned Shinsuke Nakamura to become the new United States Champion in last week’s episode of SmackDown. The King of Strong Style made an appearance in Barcelona last night. However, he did not have any interaction with Knight. The Japanese star did demand a rematch against The Megastar, but Nick Aldis instead booked him in a match against Damian Priest.

Eventually, this match became a stepping stone for the rivalry between The Punisher and Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Psychopath’s interference and subsequent attack on Priest forced the referee to call for the bell. Nakamura then landed a Kinshasa on The Archer of Infamy to give Drew an advantage. The former three-time US Champion could have been used in a better way or should have been given a break.

#4. Rey Fenix’s WWE debut teaser

The WWE Universe has been waiting for Rey Fenix to make his entry in the Stamford-based promotion for months. Fans did get a teaser of his imminent arrival this week, but the creative team chose to air it on SmackDown instead of Monday Night RAW.

Notably, Penta El Zero Miedo has earned immense praise since his WWE debut on the red brand's show in January, and given The Lucha Brothers' massive popularity, his brother Fenix should also compete on the flagship show once he makes his debut.

However, it seems that the luchador will be heading to Friday Night SmackDown. This counts as a missed opportunity for WWE to include Fenix in Chad Gable’s current stance against the luchadors. However, it has yet to be revealed if the lucha libre wrestler behind the American flag mask was indeed Fenix.

#3. No CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns

Paul Heyman had a short in-ring segment last night in which The Wiseman talked about the release of WWE 2K25. He also spoke about Seth Rollins and CM Punk having issues with Roman Reigns being on the game’s cover. The Hall of Famer seemed detached or unaware of the events that went down just a few days ago at Madison Square Garden on RAW.

The segment made little contribution to the show despite Heyman being a legendary speaker. He said that the OTC would make an appearance next week in Bologna, Italy. When the crowd booed him, Paul said it was easy to reach the venue since Mussolini wasn't there to stop them at the border.

While these words hinted at a subtle heel turn from The Wiseman, neither CM Punk nor Seth Rollins interrupted his segment. Hence, besides the video game promotion, this promo could be safely cast aside from the show.

#2. Jimmy Uso being pushed back into the Bloodline drama

Jey Uso came face to face with the new Bloodline shortly after becoming the Intercontinental Champion. While this was a set-up to take the title off The YEET Master and get him involved in the Bloodline Civil War, the same can’t be said for Jimmy Uso's latest involvement in the family saga.

Big Jim was cut off mid-speech when he was challenging LA Knight for the US Championship last night. While interference from another wrestler aiming for the title, like Andrade, would have made sense, it was Solo Sikoa’s crew that entered the arena. Additionally, the former Ula Fala wielder pitched Jacob Fatu as the deserving challenger for the gold.

However, a six-man tag team match that followed saw The Samoan Werewolf destroying Braun Strowman, who had come to help Knight and Big Jim against Solo and Co during the brawl. The Tribal Wolf is now set to face the former Universal Champion next week. Thus, it seems confusing as to which direction WWE wants to push Fatu in. Moreover, Jimmy Uso should also be released from The Bloodline drama now that the civil war is over.

#1. Kevin Owens made a wasteful appearance

Randy Orton took on Carmelo Hayes in his first match since his return to WWE at Elimination Chamber: Toronto after several months of inactivity. The match progressed without interruptions, with The Viper eventually picking up the win after landing an RKO. The Apex Predator offered a handshake to Melo, but the latter shoved him. This angered Orton, who landed another RKO before nearly nailing a Punt Kick.

However, before he could land the blow, Kevin Owens saved Hayes by pulling him out of the ring. Surprisingly, KO didn’t attempt to attack The Viper and tried to escape from the crowd before Orton got hold of him. After taking several punches from Randy, he drove the 14-time World Champion into a ring post and jumped the barricade to run away. This was a wasteful appearance, as KO not attempting to seek revenge on his former ally made no sense.

Additionally, his interference would have carried more impact if it had cost Orton the match against an opportunist like Hayes. Lastly, it didn’t make sense for the former WWE Universal Champion to save Melo when the two aren’t friends on the show.

​