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Randy Orton may have underestimated how badly Cody Rhodes wants to hurt him. On WWE SmackDown, Rhodes took his anger out on Baron Corbin, tapping into a darkness Orton didn't know he had.
Orton and Rhodes have been feuding since before WrestleMania. In April, Orton legitimately shattered Rhodes' face with a punt. Rhodes has teased returning the favor over the last few weeks. Orton didn't believe that his former pupil had it in him, but he should re-evaluate after Rhodes' actions on Friday.
Elsewhere on WWE SmackDown, Sami Zayn feels control of the undisputed WWE championship slipping away from him. Penta is an immediate threat after winning Money in the Bank. Zayn tried to steer Penta toward world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns and used Rey Fenix as a pawn in his plan.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.
Rhodes punts Corbin, shocks Orton
The WWE universe was promised a face-to-face meeting between Rhodes and Orton. It nearly didn't happen. Rhodes tracked down SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis earlier in the evening, praying and hoping he'd seen Orton. The boss confessed he hadn't spotted "The Viper."
Rhodes stormed down in the ring demanding his former mentor. Instead, he got Baron Corbin. The two-time United States champion wanted to steal some shine from Rhodes. "The American Nightmare" said he'd normally delight in shutting Corbin up, but Friday wasn't the night. Corbin wouldn't take the hint and attempted to strike Rhodes unprovoked. He didn't land the strike, eating one in return, but he got the match he wanted.
Rhodes, wearing his civilian clothes, beat the brakes off Corbin for the majority of their short encounter. With a few minutes left in the program, Orton struck. He yanked Rhodes out from under the ring as a brawl ensued. Orton repeatedly bounced Rhodes' head off the commentary table before rolling him into the ring. Rhodes dodged the punt, the same one that shattered his face at WrestleMania, before planting him with a Cody Cutter. Rhodes was seething. He revved up a punt in the corner, but Corbin intercepted him. Orton fled the ring as the remaining two men battled. Rhodes flipped through an End of Days and dropped Corbin with another Cody Cutter. He lined up Corbin for a punt. Orton watched and shouted from the walkway, not believing Rhodes would do it. He was wrong. Rhodes punted Corbin in the head before staring daggers through Orton.
SmackDown's closing segment lacked intensity, despite the performers' efforts. The sequence made sense. Orton underestimated how badly Rhodes wanted to hurt him. If Rhodes was willing to do that to Corbin, imagine what he'll do to the man who betrayed him. It just lacked fire. It seems as if we're nearing the end of this feud. Hopefully, they can end it on a high note. Grade: B
What else happened on WWE SmackDown
- Trick Williams def. Johnny Gargano via pinfall with a Book End. This all came to a head after Williams interrupted undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn and Johnny Gargano. A promising win for Williams over Gargano, the latter of whom has recently been in the world title mix, even if he's mostly there as the fall guy.
- Paige def. Brie Bella via pinfall with a rope-assisted folding press. A fine match between two veterans in the women's division. Injuries have delayed their storyline, but it would be great to see these two established names mix it up with younger superstars. They've been intertwined with each other since WrestleMania.
- CM Punk and Kevin Owens demanded a match against each other. Aldis promised he'd book it after both men were medically cleared from their Money in the Bank match. This feud is still fresh and hasn't had a definitive conclusion. Happy to see the promotion is digging into it more.
- R-Truth vs. Damian Priest ended in a no-contest after an apparent injury. Post-match, Fraxiom saved Truth from Priest and a steel chair. Truth appeared to legitimately injure himself off a top-rope dropkick. Props to the referee for stopping the match and to the superstars involved for quickly and seamlessly covering it with an angle.
- Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley laid out Fatal Influence after the trio tried to attack them. No notes for this segment, but Bliss and Paxley seem like a natural fit as a tag team. Hopefully, WWE gives them a lengthy run.
- Zayn tried to cozy up to Rey Fenix. Earlier this evening, Zayn congratulated Penta for winning the Money in the Bank briefcase, and attempted to steer him towards Roman Reigns. This was another shallow attempt from Zayn to protect his title.
- AAA Cruiserweight Championship -- Rey Fenix (c) def. Ricky Saints via disqualification to retain the title. Saints appeared to have the match won, but referee Charles Robinson refused to count the pinfall after Saints shoved Robinson into the ropes, causing Fenix to lose his balance. Fair play, Saints put his hands on the referee after all. Post-match, Saints flattened Fenix with a second Roshambo.
