The Smackers Thread

[Snitsky's back acne]

Hey, we wrestling fans kept harping on about wanting "long term storytelling in wrestling" about 10 years ago. 

Sadly, we didn't specify that we wanted compelling and good long term storytelling so we get stuff like the Death Riders and Punk v Seth (amongst others). 

It's all our fault. 😉

 

[Supremo]

After I finished watching this week’s episode, Netflix automatically started playing last year’s New Year episode, which featured Cody feuding with Kevin Owens over the Winged Eagle Belt.

It used to be better. I miss Kevin Owens.

I haven’t seen a more exciting follow up to a WWE TV show since Sky Sports 3 would randomly play a bit of porn after Raw on Friday nights in 1999.

[TheScarlettChad]

Owens getting injured ruined so much. He and Cena never got to have a match which is just criminal for the retirement tour. Owens being right about John when Cena was a heel would've been great. Alas.

[DavidB6937]

I miss Kevin but the fact he was willing to sit that close to Elias makes me fear he's lost his edge. The old KO would've been sat on the other side of the arena.

[I Bent My Wookie]

The SmackDown Preview: January 9th 2026 - Berlin, Germany 

That's right folks, as if they've realised they can make more money in foreign markets, have a more enthusiastic crowd and escape US politics for at least a few days, WWE is back on the road building to this year's Riyal Rumble from Riyadh. And where better to have a championship match where the evening may end with a British soldier of war standing tall than...Berlin, Germany...it's like their asking for satire.

Anyway, the card

3 Stages of Hell. No, not a point by point description of trying to get to a checkout at Tesco on Christmas Eve, this is in fact potentially much worse. The seventh incarnation of a Three Stages of Hell match, the match hasn't been seen within the WWE Universe since 2021 when it was last trotted out by at the time NXT commander and chief Triple H for its second time in 2 years.

Of course to say this is a Triple H trope would be blasphemous, I mean, it's not as if the first three all involved him, he'll no doubt do a voice over VT for it and the match types tonight aren't what happened in his matches because why would all our conversations be about Triple H in 2026...moving on

Cody Rhodes; The American Nightmare; a man who will find anyway to bump his way into meme of the week finally, I pray to God ends his feud with Drew McIntyre tonight. McIntyre has had more fines, suspensions and kicking outs than Roy Keane in his career chasing to win gold again, but I just don't think it is his night. 

This is the real "Finish the story" moment for Cody. Because it has been long, fading and thinly strung out, like Aleister Black's hair. If the third fall wasn't a cage match I'd have some inkling they may go for a title change, as a shock tactic and push towards Punk and Rhodes on a 180, but I just don't see a heel Drew posing on top of a steel cage, title in hand, like he's on top of the Berlin Wall waiting for it to break down to open up Mania season. 

They're both talented and both work the street fight/Falls Count Anywhere aspect really well in the past so it shouldn't be awful. It just needs to end. 

In other news, 

Trick Williams makes his in ring debut on SmackDown tonight. Let's look at the positives:

* Outstanding look

* Charisma to the 9s

* Young and fresh

* I don't have to hear his theme tune with Booker T shouting OH YEAH like the Kool-Aid Man. 

Cannon fodder for the night is Rey Fenix, who should bump and throw himself around like me in a mosh pit to make Trick look a big deal. Expect some shenanigans with Sami Zayn too. It'll be interesting to see how far they push Trick to begin with. It wasn't too long ago back in NXT that Carmelo Hayes jealous of Trick chasing titles turned Judas on him and with Hayes now holding gold, maybe a resurfacing of old grudges is on the cards. 

Its the Wyatt Sicks vs MFTs in 8 man tag action. It makes sense to throw all 8/9/10 of these together if they let it just be a wild brawl to open the show as long as its not some slow plod into a hot tag for the final 3 minutes. The key to breaking the code with the MFTs is pretty much not letting any of them have time to stand out for good or bad, short bursts, then next guy in. Protect the flaws. 

There's talk that Ciampa is letting his deal expire, which explains why Johnny Gargano jumped into the US title space instead of him recently. Gargano is scheduled to face Axiom in one on one action. A chance for a European crowd to get behind Axiom, if they don't give him a jobber entrance (or cut for time) potentially expect a strangely loud response. 

It's probably a pivotal year for Gargano as he's not getting any younger and he won't get any bigger. A US title run wouldn't be awful, if they use it to elevate a lot of their younger guys on the brand, he's a solid hand to wrestle. A few of those guys sitting under his learning tree would benefit them massively. 

On the women's side Jordynne Grace is in Germany based off Instagram and appears to be the one stepping up next to Jade Cargill. I like Grace's work, it always looks good, but she just seems to lack a little star power out the gates and I feel she's just another one who'll be added to the list of Cargill's victims until Bianca returns. However, she will potentially get Cargill's best match out of her yet. 

But yes, SmackDown, Germany, I believe a 6.30pm start time. I will ve working and then at a live karaoke band gig thing so expect some watch along thoughts tomorrow. Are you tuning in? It seems like it has all the potential to be a good show, overseas crowds always bring it too. 

And hey, after tonight the landscape of WWE may never, ever be the same again. 

 

[Supremo]

It’ll never happen, but a WWE Title change in the main event would do wonders at freshening up the product. Some might even say it could usher in a New Era.

I hoped they’d have done Hell in a Cell as the final of the Three Stages of Hell. I wonder if they went with a standard cage match because it’d be too much of a pain in the arse flying the Cell to Europe? Have they ever done a Hell in a Cell outside of North America?

I assume the finish is a Cody Moonsault off the cage. He’s still never done that in WWE, has he?

For as great as Trick Williams looked, and feeding him some jobbers is definitely the right call, you’ve got to feel sorry for Rey Fenix. The ratio of talent and potential against how he’s perceived and treated by those in power, he feels like such a throwback. A total Essa Rios. An absolute Paul London. I’m half expecting to bring back Velocity or Metal at this rate.

Presuming Rey Fenix is pitching reforming the Lucha Brothers with Penta on a weekly basis, I’m convinced they’re trolling him at this point. Penta teaming with Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee, it’s like they’ll allow everyone in the Lucha Best Friends apart from Fenix. Man clearly needs to work on schmoozing with the Powers That Be. He should turn up to work in a Motörhead T-shirt and start pitching a spooky entrance.

[SoloJones]

6 minutes ago, Supremo said:

I assume the finish is a Cody Moonsault off the cage. He’s still never done that in WWE, has he?

 

He did it in a tag against the New Age Outlaws, not sure about during his current run.

[The King of Old School]

14 minutes ago, Supremo said:

Have they ever done a Hell in a Cell outside of North America?

 

That truly awful one between Seth & Edge was in Saudi, 2021 I think?

HIAC was killed between 2009 & 2021 where they had 3 or 4 a year.

Edited January 9 by The King of Old School

[I Bent My Wookie]

7 minutes ago, SoloJones said:

He did it in a tag against the New Age Outlaws, not sure about during his current run.

And in typical Cody fashion I think that actually led to them losing. 

Interestingly the Hell Cell has never been used for this match, they've used stretchers and ladders but the cage is as far as it went. Admittedly this was back when HIAC wasn't wheeled out twice a year and really was used to close out fueds or as big name attractions. 

@Supremo never been done outside NA, I guess its a case of its easy to source a cage from any country withna relatively strong wrestling scene, hell I've even helped put a cage up at a UK show that fit an 18/20ft ring in my youth, but Cells are a whole other kettle of metal. 

Edit: @The King of Old School I actually managed to erase that from my mind... 

Edited January 9 by I Bent My Wookie

[HarmonicGenerator]

20 minutes ago, Supremo said:

I’m half expecting to bring back Velocity or Metal at this rate.

This would genuinely get me to start watching WWE again.

[FUM]

2 hours ago, Supremo said:

Have they ever done a Hell in a Cell outside of North America?

Edge v Rollins was in Saudi.

I’m glad they haven’t bothered with HIAC. I know there’s been much less of them lately but I still feel it’s too soon for another.

[air_raid]

26 minutes ago, FUM said:

Edge v Rollins was in Saudi.

Sure, if you can charge carriage and duties to the consignee, why not!

Hell In A Cell is crap. Used to be memorable every time (even the third one ever, Mankind vs Kane on a random Raw, sticks in my mind) but it’s up there with The Simpsons for “bad far outweighs good” and until War Games was the company’s most overdone gimmick match.

[TheScarlettChad]

Cardona telling Cody he's coming for his title, I'd laugh but Jinder was champion so any dullard can be now.

[Supremo]

“Hunter, the product is stale as fuck, you only have about three ideas that you endlessly recycle, so we need to put the belt on Drew to freshen things up. How shall we do it?”

”…bloke in a black hoodie and balaclava?”

[mim731]

I haven't seen the show yet, but my 7 year old is going to be crushed. Cody is her favourite, and her first WWE show is next week's SmackDown. A teachable moment I suspect.