SmackDown recap & reactions: The Truth hurts

WWE Champion John Cena was in the building for Friday Night SmackDown this week and that meant WWE Champion John Cena kicked off the broadcast for Friday Night SmackDown this week in Kentucky. Remember, folks, he'll lay your ass down for that three second tan.
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But will he lay CM Punk down for one more at Night of Champions?
That's what he was here to talk about, adding another layer to the latest chapter in their rivalry. Sure enough, he went right for the jugular. If Punk wants to take his title, he said, he's going to have to admit to the fact that he's a hypocrite.
After all, he's going to be taking blood money to even have the opportunity to battle for the belt again. Choosing to do so is going against everything he claims to stand for as a man.
But he also made sure to run the fans down again while saying the math says there will be no one worthy to earn the right to hold his championship again. That brought none other than Cody Rhodes out to the ring.
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Rhodes, you'll remember, is in the King of the Ring tournament and the winner of said tournament will be getting a title shot at SummerSlam. They could be running it back sooner than we think.
Cody put over the fact that everything Cena has said has come to fruition. But why didn't he include the fact that he was looking at the lights at Money in the Bank when Rhodes pinned him in the middle of the ring?
'I'm not part of your plan, you're part of mine. So, John Rushmore, where does that leave you and I?'
And then it was Randy Orton's turn to make his presence felt, for the first time in many weeks. The stars were out in full force here, and the fans were singing their songs loud and proud.
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Orton pointed out that he was about to beat Cena until someone showed up to save him. But he realized he has to do whatever it takes now, no matter who he has to go through, including Rhodes, who he loves like a brother. He will not hesitate, not for a second.
And then LA Knight showed up.
Yeah?
Wade Barrett sure was happy about it. Knight said he heard the cries from the fans all week, so he was here to defiantly walk down to confront the establishment in the ring as the sore thumb sticking out against them. But he likes that.
My man went out there and said he would drop all three of them, the Viper, the Nightmare, and 'the balding bitch.' Cena brushed him off and tried to walk out but Ron Killings attacked him from behind. After a commercial break, we saw Cena turning his hat around and screaming in General Manager Nick Aldis' face about what just happened. He looked like a baseball manager yelling at an umpire about a bad strike zone. That no one laughed was incredible.
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Later, Cena ran into Jimmy Uso backstage and asked if he had seen R-Truth or Ron Killings. Cena wanted it known he was headed for the ring and wanted Killings to meet him there.
'Come out here and fight me.'
Instead, Punk came out. The same guy he said earlier would have to prove he's a hypocrite to take the title from him. Classic promo response incoming?
Punk played babyface, calling himself a little bit too Obi-Wan talking to Darth Vader looking for Anakin Skywalker in there. Stop this nonsense and let the people celebrate him on the way out. Give them the happy ending.
Cena held firm — the fans don't matter, like basketball and horse racing don't matter (that really riled them up). Punk wanted the record to show he offered him and out. He didn't take it, so it's about to get real.
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It felt like Punk tripped over his promo a bit here, like he forgot what he wanted to say. He took his time getting it back and eventually came around to saying he's not as confident as Cena because he won't walk out in front of a sold out arena dressed like a toddler who just struck out at t-ball.
He didn't like the fans enjoying it too much cause it made him sound like PG John Cena. Which is funny because now Cena sounds a whole lot like CM Punk, what with the plan to ruin wrestling by taking the title home. 'You're stealing my best material, John. You're trying to follow in my footsteps.'
He actually took the title and left back then too, and it was Cena who tried to stop him and couldn't. And now here's Punk to try to save the retirement tour and make it interesting. He'll follow him all the way to hell to prove he's better.
He called Cena the GOAT but said he would spit roast him and sacrifice him to the gods of wrestling. He sees through him 'and that's the Truth.'
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Naturally, he opened the door for Killings to show up again and attack from behind. Punk told him 'sorry, but the Truth hurts' before walking off as Killings was getting more licks in.
Later, Punk ran into Rhodes backstage and they both made sure to say the quiet part out loud — they can't run from each other forever.
The way they managed to weave together so many stories here was fantastic. Well played all around.
Jacob Fatu literally only introduced himself before a commercial break to say he was about to come out, calling himself America's most wanted, and I was ready to run through a brick wall.
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Yadadamean?!?
He got a solid pop for his first entrance all on his own after turning on Solo Sikoa this past weekend. Fatu was given a microphone and some time in the ring. How would he do?
As it turns out, pretty well!
He said that just because you're family, doesn't mean you can go behind someone's back and try to snake them. Solo says he would be nothing without him? That's why he had to remind him what happens when you don't get in where you fit in.
He's getting more and more connection to the crowd with his catchphrases.
All gas, no brakes.
Naturally, Solo had a pre-tape on the Titantron saying he made the biggest mistake of his life at Money in the Bank but he could be forgiven for it. He was nothing before Sikoa brought him around. Based on the story, it's actually true, too. The former Bloodline members didn't want Jacob around.
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Solo said he's coming next week to stand in the ring with arms wide open expecting to hear four words.
'Remember, I brought you into this world and I will take you out.'
How many of us heard that as kids? Chilling stuff. I'm invested in where this goes from here, if only because Fatu is still so obviously a star who is going to come out of this much better off.
All the rest
The first King of the Ring Tournament match came after the explosive opening segment, and was an actually fun match that saw Aleister Black, Carmelo Hayes, LA Knight, and Randy Orton do the damn thing. Knight put himself in a good position late but Seth Rollins' goons showed up to take him out as payback for his getting involved in Bron Breakker's match on Raw. Hayes tried to capitalize coming off the top rope but he got RKO'd in midair on top of LA, with Orton pinning Knight right after to advance. This was great.
The Queen of the Ring tournament continued with a fairly slow 4-Way pitting Piper Niven vs. Nia Jax vs. Michin vs. Jade Cargill. Niven and Jax worked together for much of the match and then turned against each other just as Jax was about to win. Niven tried to capitalize off the Annihilator but Cargill ran in and hit her finish to score the pinfall to advance. If nothing else, this ensures we won't get a repeat winner.
Naomi got her first promo time as Ms. Money in the Bank and she laughed at everyone who doubted her. She remembered current WWE Women's Champion Tiffany Stratton as the one who used to bash her in the head when she was chasing Jax for that title some time ago. She was too nice then. But those days are over. Stratton actually showed up to answer her promo, claiming Naomi is the same person — all talk and no action. That's why she never won the title. But, hey, cash in now and prove her wrong? Good bait, but Naomi didn't fall for it. Jax showed up to take Stratton out but then wouldn't let Naomi cash in the contract. So we're already going back to this nonsense with the women's briefcase again. Awful.
The entire tag team division campaigned to Aldis to wrestle the Wyatt Sicks and the Motor City Machine Guns won out. The match was fine, not really up to the standards of recent tag action, and Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy emerged victorious after Uncle Howdy asked for them to make a statement. They got the visual with the whole crew after and worked the gimmick. I'm not really buying in much anymore.
The second Queen of the Ring match gave us a pretty big surprise — Charlotte Flair is already out of the tournament. Flair had Alba Fyre in the Figure Eight but she couldn't get her to submit fast enough. Instead, Alexa Bliss hit Sister Abigail on Candice LeRae and got the three count just moments before Fyre tapped. Flair can't stop losing, and it might actually be making her a whole lot more interesting.
The final King of the Ring tournament match of the night saw Cody Rhodes taking on Damian Priest, Andrade, and Shinsuke Nakamura. That field alone was enough to tell you who was going to win the match, and to no one's surprise Rhodes won by pinning Nakamura with the Cross Rhodes. They're setting things up rather nicely for the Final but we're also going to get some really compelling semifinals as well.
This was a strong effort from the blue brand, and it would be great if they could have this level of star power every week.
Grade: A-
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