Top-3 Hits from WWE SmackDown (07/12/24): Rhodes, Orton bodied by Bloodline, Knight gets title shot?

Patrik Walker

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Top-3 Hits from WWE SmackDown (07/12/24): Rhodes, Orton bodied by Bloodline, Knight gets title shot? image

So, what do you wanna talk about? We could begin by discussing the fact Solo Sikoa is one of only four WWE superstars to have pinned Cody Rhodes in a match since The American Nightmare’s return to the promotion — supposedly sending a message that he is indeed the new Tribal Chief that needs to be acknowledged.

We could talk about how Jimmy Uso has been medically cleared to return to action only hours ahead of this week’s SmackDown, following Money in the Bank weekend, and how his return now looms large on the heels of Paul Heyman being hospitalized by this version of The Bloodline and the disrespect Sikoa has offered up to Roman Reigns. 

WATCH: NEW WWE PODCAST TALKS RHEA’S RETURN + MITB

Rhodes wants his revenge for what happened in Toronto and in the weeks prior, along with Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, that much is certain. 

And while the men battle it out in their division, including Logan Paul and LA Knight, as well as newly-crowned WWE Tag Team Champions DIY in their first title defense against the very duo they took it from last weekend, A Town Down Under — the women have their own smoke to pass out within theirs.

LOOK: FULL RECAP OF MITB MATCHES, MORE

Tiffany Stratton has proven it’s Tiffy Time and returns to SmackDown with briefcase in hand, Stratton’s bodyguard, 2024 Queen of the Ring Nia Jax, finally gets to throw hands with Michin, but Jax has made a lot of enemies over the past several weeks, as has Michin; and it makes you wonder if any of them would make their presence felt on Friday.

The top-3 storylines coming out of this week’s SmackDown were must-see TV.

3. You're on Tiffy Time

Stratton got right to work putting all three of the WWE brands on notice, even calling out NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, as being in danger of her cashing in the briefcase against them.

Not one to be silent for long during a Stratton moment, Bayley interrupted to send a message of her own to the up-and-comer.

The two would exchange barbs that featured Bayley attacking Stratton’s inexperience and youth before Stratton then returned the favor by effectively calling the champion old and outdated, and accusing her of being a couch potato that has “no friends”.

Naomi would disagree, but one of Stratton’s friends is who appeared thereafter.

Nia Jax came out to raucous boos and confronted Bayley for talking down to “my little Barbie”, being forced to confront the reality that Bayley offered up: how does Jax know that, if she defeats Bayley at Summerslam, that Stratton won’t cash in against her?

To that, Stratton retreated to the corner of the ring in terror.

Bayley warned Jax “this isn’t NXT Hugger Bayley” and that this version will do whatever she has to do to keep her belt, but the threat ended a “BBL Bayley” allegation and in the champion being jumped by Jax and her Barbie before Michin ran to save the day (also having and losing the very next match against Jax, losing an eyelash in the process).

Jax and Stratton then dismantled Bayley after the victory by Jax, and that was that, until Stratton nearly shocked the world by cashing in the briefcase on a battered Bayley, despite Jax wanting to take the belt off of Bayley on Aug. 3 at Summerslam.

Jax stepped in front of Stratton to stop Tiffy Time in its tracks though, but it's now no secret that her Barbie has ulterior motives. 

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The suspense was thick enough to cut with one of Eminem's chainsaws. 

Things are gonna get beautifully ugly in Cleveland.

2. Knight Rider

It wasn’t his night in Toronto at Money in the Bank, but LA Knight isn’t making excuses for not securing the briefcase. If anything, he couldn't care less after the fact, because he’s already on to the next thing that needs to be taken care of, which is also the last thing that needed to be taken care of: a singles match with Logan Paul for the WWE United States Championship.

In one hand was a microphone and in the other hand was a binder holding a contract for a Summerslam match between the two, signed by SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, needing only Paul’s signature to make it official. 

The champ was, of course, not in the building. 

But Paul proved one thing in his feud with AJ Styles and recently to Paul, and that’s the fact he’s not afraid to pull up to someone’s front door and … um … their pool. 

“One way or another, I will get this contract signed,” said Knight. 

He also showed a clip of his last non-PLE match, one that saw him pin Paul in the MITB qualifier to earn a trip to the ladder match in the first place, 

“Every single person in this building right now, every single person at home saw this man move on to Money in the Bank, but let’s look a little deeper,” he said. “ … What happened right there is I pinned the United States Champion.”

He wants a chance to repeat that business in Cleveland, but he’ll first have to hunt Paul down to get the contract signed and, based upon Paul’s usual shenanigans, don’t expect that to be an easy task.

Though nothing in Knight’s career has been thus far, so he’s quite used to doing it the hard way.

Paul is scheduled to appear next week on SmackDown, now let's see if he does.

1. The RHODES to Summerslam

Sikoa had a promo video ready to cook for the opening scene of SmackDown, continuing to demand acknowledgement while also issuing a threat to Rhodes. Never one to back down from neither a challenge or anyone in The Bloodline, any version, with the guts to toss one his way, the champion still planned to take to the ring toward the end of the show and say his piece.

He was warned by Randy Orton that he’d likely be met by several angry Samoans, who also acknowledged The American Nightmare would wave off any assistance from The Viper or anyone else — at least for this night. 

And then something a bit awkward happened, because the future Hall of Famer assured Rhodes of something. 

“Everything comes to an end — everything” said Orton. “So when this business with The Bloodline is finally over, you’re gonna have a lot of men in this locker room coming after than championship, and I’m gonna your back then, too.” 

That’s quite the mixed message, because if everything comes to an end, so must Orton’s alliance with Rhodes as The Legend Killer continues to thirst for his 15th championship.

Later for that, though.

For now: The Bloodline.

DIY found out the hard way that they were in the building and out for blood, when Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano retained their tag team titles against a floundering A Town Down Under only to be demolished by Jacob Fatu, and only Jacob Fatu, and it was basically like watching a snuff film starring the Samoan Werewolf. 

As their nearly-dead bodies lay in the ring, out came Solo Sikoa, applauding the carnage, and demanding more acknowledgement from everybody. 

“And Roman Reigns decides to come back, he will acknowledge me as his Tribal Chief,” said Sikoa, stacking onto his already prominent levels of disrespect toward Reigns. “And Cody Rhodes will acknowledge me.”

Spoiler: Nah.

Rhodes entered to a deafening pop from the crowd and in the face of not one, but four Samoans, one of which was still dripping stains of DIY’s blood.

Still, surrounded by the faction, struck Sikoa anyway in a bout of blind courage and he paid for it, but Orton didn’t keep his word to stay out of it — rushing to Rhodes’ aid and laying waste before being victimized himself because of the numbers game.

And the carnage continued at the expense of them both.

Rhodes was tied up in the ring ropes and forced to watch Orton be put through an announcer’s table, and there was nothing the WWE Champion could do about it.

At least not until Summerslam, when he’ll likely accept all the help he can get.

But … who might that be??

Hmmm … 

Patrik Walker

Patrik Walker Photo

Patrik [No C] Walker is an accredited, award-winning journalist and podcaster who has worked to become one of the most respected and recognizable forces covering the Dallas Cowboys. Having never lost his lifelong passion for the wrestling, the one-of-a-kind analyst is using his talents to complete a journey that began as a rambunctious kid wearing a championship belt fashioned from cardboard and aluminum foil, to the ranks of covering an industry that's had his heart pinned to the mat for decades now. Follow him on Twitter/X: VoiceOfTheStar.