The newer crop of WWE talent is getting more opportunities. On the most recent episode of SmackDown, young talent was at the forefront. Many fans have complained about newer talent not having opportunities to shine once receiving the call-up. Perhaps WWE management heard these outcries and decided to give more spotlight to the new breed. Here’s a look back at those moments.
The first match was a Money in the Bank qualifying match. It featured Charlotte Flair, the United States Champion Zelina Vega, and WWE SmackDown’s newest talent, Giulia.
“The Queen” Charlotte Flair was in control and looked well on her way to victory. Giulia was down outside the ring and Flair had Vega locked in the figure eight submission. Then Giulia got up, made her way to the top rope, and delivered a double stomp to the surgically repaired knee of Flair. Giulia then finished the job by hitting Vega with a Northern Lights Bomb and punched her ticket to MITB.
An impressive SmackDown in-ring debut for Giulia to say the least. She joined Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, and Roxanne Perez in the upcoming MITB ladder match next month.
During a backstage segment later that night, Carmelo Hayes revealed he would have a Money in the Bank qualifying match. Little did he know that The Miz was approached by WWE SmackDown GM Nick Aldis first with the option of choosing between him and Hayes. The veteran Miz decided the up-and-coming young superstar should have the opportunity.
“I chose you. It is your time to shine.”
The Miz continued stressing the importance of MITB to Carmelo calling it “the gateway to superstardom.” This looked like a passing of the torch from the two-time WWE Champion and Hayes looked ready to take it.
Hayes looks to be on an upward trend following a string of missed opportunities during his first year on the main roster. In 2024, Hayes was part of the King of the Ring tournament and MITB ladder match but was unsuccessful in both. He also participated in a Triple Threat Match at Crown Jewel last November for the United States Championship along with L.A. Knight and Andrade. He was pinned by the champion, Knight, after being hit by his BFT finisher.
Now, Hayes will look to build on his Andre The Giant Memorial Tournament win from last month. He will have a tall task in front of him, however. Before qualifying, Hayes has to get through a familiar foe in Andrade, and the Samoan Werewolf, Jacob Fatu.
Fraxiom has been on absolute fire since joining WWE SmackDown last month. The team, which consists of Nathan Frazier and Axiom, had won their first four tag-team matches on the main roster. These included victories against, Los Garza, Pretty Deadly, The Street Profits (non-title match), and DIY.
With those wins on their resume, it was only right that Fraxiom received a shot at the WWE Tag Team Championship belts versus The Street Profits. They received that opportunity on the most recent episode of SmackDown. After plenty of non-stop back-and-forth action, the match would end in a no-contest. Now, here’s a recap of that main event.
As all four participants laid the ring, DIY attempted to interfere in the competition. Once they got up on the apron, they would be intercepted by Motor City Machine Gun. DIY and MCMG would now battle outside the ring until one half on the Street Profits, Montez Ford, took out all four superstars after diving over the top turnbuckle.
The profits looked on their way to victory from there. The powerhouse, Angelo Dawkins, proceeded to hit Frazier with a spine-buster. Ford recovered from his diving attack and climbed the top rope as he looked to put the match away. Suddenly, everything went black and when the lights came back on The Wyatt Sicks stood in the middle of the ring! Dexter Lumis would jump up and take out Ford, forcing referee Charles Robinson to ring the bell and thus ending the match.
Unfortunately, that meant the winning streak was also over Fraxiom. Since they technically did not lose, a title rematch could be on the horizon. Expect more in the coming weeks as Fraxiom continues making waves in the tag-team division.
You have to love seeing the new talent getting their chance to shine. Sometimes, they get lost in the sauce as the WWE continues to showcase the veterans. Perhaps, the veterans were reluctant to put the younger talent over. This trend looks to be changing now as young stars like Roxanne Perez and Giulia have won matches over Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. We shall see if this trend continues in the weeks to come.
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