SmackDown delivered surprises after Saturday Night's Main Event, but four glaring mistakes left fans questioning WWE's direction.

Cody Rhodes has long been presented as the embodiment of a fighting champion. He even fought Drew McIntyre in a suit weeks ago after Jacob Fatu's ambush. Yet on SmackDown, Rhodes claimed he was finished with McIntyre and suggested he might sit in the stands to watch who deserves the next shot. For someone positioned as WWE's top hero, this was a puzzling stance. Thankfully, Aleister Black interrupted, forcing Rhodes back into action in the main event. Still, the idea of the company's leading babyface avoiding competition felt off.

Jade Cargill's entrance on SmackDown lasted longer than her first promo after dethroning Tiffany Stratton at Saturday Night's Main Event. While brevity can sometimes be powerful, fans expected more from The Storm. Before she could say much, chants of“You deserve it” were cut short. The segment seemed designed more to tease Charlotte Flair than to showcase Cargill's voice as champion. Compared to her confident promos before winning the belt, this felt underwhelming.

Chelsea Green challenged Giulia for the Women's United States Championship after Giulia surpassed her previous reign. Despite cowering backstage when Jade Cargill confronted her, Green managed to reclaim the title. The problem? The match was blink-and-you-miss-it short, with interference from Alba Fyre and Kiana James. While Green remains one of WWE's most popular stars, the rushed nature of the bout made the title change feel like an afterthought rather than a major moment.

LA Knight's streak of bad luck continued. He has repeatedly lost without being pinned in World Heavyweight title pursuits, and instead of a one-on-one shot against CM Punk, Jey Uso got the nod. On RAW, Knight then lost cleanly to Bron Breakker. SmackDown added another curveball when Nick Aldis announced Knight would face a mystery opponent in the tournament to determine John Cena's final challenger. With Miz vs. Jey Uso set as the other pairing, Knight's draw feels like punishment. Why not let Jey face the mystery star instead?

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