Articles
WWE: 3 MVPs From Tonight’s SmackDown (Sept 12)
As WWE’s big ESPN kickoff looms ever closer, the final pieces of WrestlePalooza were being cemented in place during tonight’s SmackDown, and the night would get started with the return of Brock Lesnar. Over the course of the night, there were two Championship matches, a creepy vignette from the Wyatt Sicks, and the return of one of WWE’s biggest stars, though a few moments of disappointment were mixed in as well. We’re breaking down the top 3 MVPs of tonight’s SmackDown, though let’s start with a few of the nitpicks first.
One of the biggest issues of the night was the fact that both Championship matches ended without a winner. While one ending in some sort of disqualification or draw would have been fine, to have both matches end without winners decided is too much, especially when the matches are so close together.
Speaking of those matches, it feels like Kiana James just can’t buy a win here, as she’s been the punching bag since returning, even in the promising alliance with Giulia. Hopefully, there’s an endgame for that particular angle and story, because otherwise it just feels like an odd choice for someone who so recently returned to action. Alright, let’s get to the good stuff now, shall we?
3. Erick Rowan
The Wyatt Sicks have a message for The Street Profits…
pic.twitter.com/suYzm9wsKK
— WWE (@WWE) September 13, 2025
It’s been fun to watch the chaos caused by The Wyatt Sicks on SmackDown, especially amongst the Tag Team Division. That campaign continued tonight with another creepy vignette, but this one stood out immediately, and it was thanks to the often silent powerhouse known as Erick Rowan.
While Uncle Howdy started the promo, Rowan would take over shortly after, and it immediately raised the intensity by 10. Rowan doesn’t often jump into promos, but his more composed and direct nature here somehow made his threats towards the Street Profits land with ten times the impact, and it was a perfect contrast to Uncle Howdy’s unique delivery. In short, we need more Rowan on the mic, because that ruled.
2. Tiffany Stratton
In past MVP columns, I highlighted both superstars if the match between them was excellent, though that does technically mean we have way more than just 3 MVPs by the end of it. That’s why from now on I’m only going to highlight 3 individual superstars, so while Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill had a great match, I have to give the nod to Stratton. While the match wasn’t always the smoothest, it had a grit and physicality that deserve to be praised.
Stratton delivered a completely well-rounded performance over the course of the match, and her selling made Cargill’s offense look even better as she tried to weather the storm, so to speak. Stratton delivered on the offensive front as well, including a monster dropkick that she hit at a serious height as she countered a power bomb attempt. If they are given real time, the next match has the potential to be their best, even if it ends up becoming a Triple Threat.
1. Rey Fenix
The match between Sami Zayn and Rey Fenix was always going to be great, but there was a bevy of standout moments during the match, and it was enough to buy in just enough that Fenix could walk away with the win. If you can do that, you’ve got a great match, and while both had their moments here, I’ve got to give Fenix the nod.
Fenix has impressed from the minute he stepped into WWE, and with every match, it feels like he gets even smoother in the ring, which is unreal if you think about it. Tonight was no exception, as he made even the most complicated of moves look effortless throughout the match, and the height and speed at which he executes those moves is just insane. Hitting that double stomp up on the top rope and then hitting the flip off the opposite turnbuckle right after was one of several huge moments, and even in a loss, Fenix once again impressed and made Zayn look like a million bucks at the same time. Hell of a match, and hopefully we’ll get a round 2 somewhere down the line.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
The post WWE: 3 MVPs From Tonight’s SmackDown (Sept 12) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
