Friday night’s WWE SmackDown delivered a perplexing mix of entertainment, leaving fans with more questions than answers as WrestleMania 42 looms. The show featured the return of Jelly Roll, a curious appearance by Kit Wilson, and a continued storyline involving The Miz and Danhausen. While the night had its moments, several elements felt disjointed and ultimately detracted from the overall experience. Here’s a breakdown of three things that worked and three things that didn’t, as WWE navigates the road to Philadelphia.
The core of the evening revolved around a segment featuring Grammy-winning artist Jelly Roll and The Miz, following Roll’s appearance on Miz TV. However, the path to get there, and the subsequent fallout, proved to be a bumpy ride. The show attempted to build toward a potential WrestleMania match, but the execution felt muddled, relying on a series of odd character interactions and questionable motivations. The overarching narrative of Jelly Roll’s WWE involvement is still taking shape, but the current direction leaves much to be desired.
Three Things We Hated
First, the introduction of Kit Wilson into the Jelly Roll/Miz storyline felt completely out of left field. While Wilson’s character has been developing a persona centered around “toxicity,” his sudden involvement in a confrontation with Jelly Roll felt forced and lacked a clear connection. Wilson accused Jelly Roll of being “toxic” due to his face tattoos and past “felonies,” a line of reasoning that felt contrived and didn’t organically flow from previous storylines.
Secondly, the handling of Danhausen’s involvement was underwhelming. The “very nice, very evil” one’s pre-show curse on The Miz, as reported by 411mania.com, was a fun setup, but his absence from the actual Miz TV segment was a missed opportunity. The expectation was set for a more significant role, and his non-appearance felt like a tease that didn’t pay off.
Finally, the overall lack of clarity regarding WrestleMania plans is frustrating. With only four weeks remaining until WrestleMania 42, the direction of this storyline remains unclear. The announcement that Kit Wilson will “call out” Jelly Roll next week, as reported by multiple sources including Cageside Seats, feels repetitive and doesn’t advance the narrative. It leaves fans wondering if What we have is all building to a legitimate match or simply a series of chaotic encounters.
Three Things We Loved
Despite the frustrations, the backstage segment featuring Danhausen cursing The Miz was a highlight. The comedic timing and Danhausen’s unique character provided a much-needed dose of levity. The setup, with Danhausen attempting to rename Miz TV to “Jam Jelly,” was genuinely amusing and set a positive tone for the evening, even if the payoff wasn’t fully realized.
Jelly Roll’s initial interaction with The Miz also showed promise. Roll’s refusal of Miz’s mentorship offer and his quick retort about Miz’s tendency to turn on his partners demonstrated a strong understanding of WWE storytelling. He effectively played the role of the outsider who isn’t easily swayed by The Miz’s manipulative tactics.
The accidental knockout of The Miz by Jelly Roll, while chaotic, was undeniably entertaining. The moment, captured in a YouTube video, created a genuine surprise and injected some much-needed energy into the segment. While the circumstances were accidental, it provided a clear catalyst for further conflict and a potential path toward a WrestleMania match.
Looking ahead, the next episode of SmackDown, scheduled for Raleigh, North Carolina, will be crucial in clarifying the direction of this storyline. Whether Jelly Roll will appear remains to be seen, but Kit Wilson’s “call out” will undoubtedly be a focal point. The success of WrestleMania 42 may hinge on WWE’s ability to transform this current chaos into a compelling and logical narrative.
What are your thoughts on the events of SmackDown? Share your opinions in the comments below and let us know what you think WWE should do with these characters moving forward.
