WWE SmackDown delivered surprises and strong booking decisions this week, reshaping rivalries and tournament momentum.

LA Knight had been drifting without direction in recent weeks, his push seemingly stalled. Triple H corrected that by booking him to defeat Zack Ryder in the opening round of the“Last Time is Now” tournament. The clean victory gave Knight a much‐needed boost, restoring his momentum and putting him back in the spotlight. It was the right call to protect his run and give him something meaningful to chase in the coming weeks.

The biggest shock of the night came when Zack Ryder returned to the main roster as LA Knight's mystery opponent. The moment his entrance music hit, the arena erupted in nostalgia. Fans had been waiting months for a surprise of this magnitude, and Ryder's involvement added intrigue to John Cena's tournament. His presence gave SmackDown the surprise factor it had been missing.

Another strong decision was inserting Drew McIntyre into the Men's WarGames Match. The Scottish Warrior became the fourth member of Bron Breakker's team, aligning with the heel side. McIntyre's history with The Usos, his animosity toward CM Punk, and his rivalry with Cody Rhodes made his inclusion logical and compelling. His presence raises the stakes and ensures the WarGames clash will be intense and dramatic.

Triple H also resisted the temptation to gloss over the long‐standing rivalry between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley. On SmackDown, Flair refused to team up with Ripley and IYO SKY, citing her bitter history with The Eradicator. This nod to their past animosity made the storyline feel authentic. Instead of forcing them together unrealistically, WWE allowed the tension to remain, keeping things natural and believable for fans.

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