5 Mistakes WWE made on SmackDown
The June 20, 2025, episode of WWE SmackDown was highlighted by John Cena's "pipebomb" promo to close the night. Cena captivated the fans by taking several shots at CM Punk, reminiscent of the original "pipebomb" by The Second City Saint 14 years ago.
There was a lot of good in Friday's episode, but there were also some mistakes made by WWE ahead of Night of Champions next week. Let's look at five that took place on SmackDown this week in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
#5. Chelsea Green and Alexa Bliss lost their matches
Chelsea Green and Alexa Bliss lost to Charlotte Flair and Asuka, respectively, in this week's edition of the blue brand. Bliss' loss was in the semifinals of the Queen of the Ring Tournament, while Green appears to be heading for a feud against Flair.
However, WWE could have involved The Green Regime in Bliss' match, which makes sense later during the Chelsea-Charlotte match. That would have been better for Alexa's momentum, as well as furthering the story between her and The Queen.
It's also a mistake for the former Women's United States Champion to lose too many matches since dropping her title.
#4. LA Knight outnumbered again by Seth Rollins' group
It appears that LA Knight doesn't have too many friends backstage, with the way he has been booked against Seth Rollins' group. Not one single SmackDown star came out to help The Megastar, who was getting crushed by Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker.
With rumors of Knight being transferred to RAW, it would have been better if someone like Penta or Rey Fenix came out to help. That could have made things easier for Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis to make a trade. This feud also seems to be forgetting about the brand split, with some people in the back not being utilized effectively.
#3. SmackDown's next feud seems to be Ron Killings against Aleister Black
It might be 14 years apart, but Ron Killings was involved with John Cena ahead of a major "pipebomb." Killings got a disqualification win over Cena, putting him in a good position to possibly challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship later.
However, Killings seems to be on his way to feuding with Aleister Black, who wasn't happy that Truth attacked his opponent before his match. It's a dream feud for some, but it's not the proper time to do it, especially with Killings' rising momentum and Black not fully established since his return to WWE.
#2. Karrion Kross not being used in Sami Zayn's match against Randy Orton
Sami Zayn's dream of winning a world title hit a snag on SmackDown, losing to Randy Orton in the semifinals of the King of the Ring Tournament. Zayn is now set to face Karrion Kross soon, though WWE could have ridden the momentum of both men a bit longer.
Kross could have interfered during the Zayn-Orton match, with Sami capitalizing on the interference to advance to the final. Orton gets a new feud, while Zayn battles his inner demons about doing what's best for him rather than doing the right thing.
The Herald of Doomsday has enough momentum to get promoted from Main Event to having matches on RAW. Zayn winning the KOTR via heel tactics could have made headlines as well.
#1. Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes looks likely for King of the Ring final
With Randy Orton's win against Sami Zayn on SmackDown, it's looking likely that Cody Rhodes is set to win his semifinals match over Jey Uso. Rhodes has momentum from pinning John Cena at Money in the Bank, while Jey recently lost his World Heavyweight Championship.
While Orton vs. Jey is a fresh matchup, The Viper vs. The American Nightmare is a headliner. Unless WWE was saving this for a SummerSlam or WrestleMania-scale event, it would be a mistake to have it at Night of Champions. Maybe some fans' wishes could come true with a Rhodes heel turn, but that would also be a mistake with Cena still a heel.
