WWE's Booking Decision to Save LA Knight, AEW's Grand Plan for MJF and More Reaction
Despite enduring countless questionable booking decisions, LA Knight has managed to maintain his immense level of popularity over the last two years and is finally being rewarded with another run at the main event level.
Although it will likely last only through Clash in Paris on August 31, the two-time United States champion is in a better spot now that he's arrived on Raw, seemingly in exchange for SmackDown securing Sami Zayn. Both will benefit in the long run from switching shows.
MJF is also on the ascent again, having earned an AEW World Championship opportunity at any time by winning the men's Casino Gauntlet match at All In and deciding to cash it in against "Hangman" Adam Page at Forbidden Door.
From floundering in a feud with Jeff Jarrett to joining and quickly being booted from The Hurt Syndicate, MJF's 2025 as a whole has been all over the place, but All Elite Wrestling's grand plan for him should soon become clear.
These are the top takeaways and reactions from the week that was in wrestling.
LA Knight, Sami Zayn Will Benefit Equally from Switching Shows
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Fans have felt for some time that LA Knight and Sami Zayn have been stuck at a certain level on their respective brands with little room to grow by staying where they were.
For Knight, his SmackDown stint peaked when he challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and held the United States Championship, while Zayn did some of his strongest work while battling for the Intercontinental Championship.
With both being directionless post-SummerSlam, it was the right call for them to switch shows when they did.
Knight had been exclusive to the blue brand since debuting on the main roster three years ago, so even at a time when the Brand Split doesn't mean much, a move to Monday nights is a major development for him.
Already, he finds himself in the hunt for the World Heavyweight Championship, and once that runs its course, he can mix it up with fresh faces such as CM Punk, Gunther, Dominik Mysterio and others.
Zayn's chances of eventually capturing a world title also skyrocketed as soon as he joined SmackDown. He should be considered a front-runner to win the 2025 men's Royal Rumble and would be a compelling opponent for Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre or whoever is holding the top title by then.
A full-fledged draft isn't necessary when mutually beneficial trades can be made every so often.
Bianca Belair Sorely Missed in SmackDown Women's Division
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Friday's SmackDown saw WWE women's champion Tiffany Stratton field challenges from Jade Cargill and Nia Jax, two women she's already beaten decisively.
Cargill fell short against Stratton at SummerSlam, while Jax has failed to dethrone her former friend on three separate occasions.
New blood is needed in the title scene, and the Women's United States Championship picture could also use a boost with Giulia doing little of note since capturing the title in late June.
In many ways, it seems as if the SmackDown women's division is stuck in a holding pattern until the injured Bianca Belair is ready to return.
Beyond Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss developing instant chemistry as tag team partners, there's been little else about the blue brand's women's division that has been worthwhile as of late.
Belair was on the brink of breaking back into the top title picture when she suffered a finger injury during the exceptional Triple Threat match on Night 2 of WrestleMania 41.
The EST of WWE's involvement in Cargill vs. Naomi as the special guest referee at Evolution suggested her return to the ring was imminent, but there's been no update on television since then. She later told CBS Sports the injury it wasn't healing as quickly as expected—a not-so-encouraging sign for the SmackDown women's scene.
Regardless of whether she's a babyface or a heel, Belair belongs at the forefront of the division once she's cleared to compete, and her absence has most definitely been felt.
Booking the Women's World Championship Picture Without Naomi
3 of 5While SmackDown struggles without Bianca Belair, the Raw women's division may be forced to pivot for the second time in two months if Naomi is out of action indefinitely.
Liv Morgan had been the focal point of the scene up until her injury in June. That led to WWE shifting the Women's World Championship over to Naomi at Evolution and crowning her the new top female heel on the show.
The Glow has excelled in the role so far and even retained her title in a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam. The cancellation of her championship clash with Iyo Sky on the August 11 edition of Raw has caused uncertainty regarding her status, and her appearance on this week's episode should clear up the confusion.
Regardless of the reason, Naomi having to vacate the title would be a big blow to the division if it comes to that, but the immediate future of the title picture wouldn't need to change all that drastically.
Stephanie Vaquer was already guaranteed a title shot at Clash in Paris, and since Sky was supposed to take on Naomi one-on-one, a third encounter between Vaquer and Sky with the potentially vacant title on the line at the event would make the most sense, with The Genius of the Sky reigning supreme.
Rhea Ripley regaining the gold in her native Australia at Crown Jewel in October always looked to be the endgame, and thus that can be where she finally defeats Sky to get the belt back.
Naomi holding it until then would be ideal, but it depends entirely on the severity of her situation and how much time she's expected to miss.
WWE Has Little to Gain from Continuing to Thwart AEW
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Competition within wrestling is very much a great thing and should push both WWE and AEW to deliver the best product possible, with the fans having the most to gain.
There's little to be gained, though, from WWE continuing to run events opposite of AEW's, whether it's an NXT live special or a signature premium live event (such as the rumored return of Bad Blood on Sept. 20, the same night as All Out).
Business-wise, it's hardly hurt AEW up to this point, and from a perception standpoint, the AEW events are significantly more satisfying almost every single time.
If sheer pettiness is WWE's sole reason for running a show, it's doomed to fail. Case in point, the July installment of Saturday Night's Main Event only existed to take away from All In's buzz that weekend, but All In was a far more memorable show while Saturday Night's Main Event made headlines for the wrong reasons.
This is in addition to a recent report from Sports Illustrated revealing WWE might be interested in landing TNA on a bigger network so Impact can rival Dynamite on Wednesday nights. It'd undoubtedly be a bigger viewing audience than the one TNA is pulling in now, but it also wouldn't have the adverse effect on AEW that WWE is aiming for.
If WWE didn't view AEW as legitimate competition on some level, it wouldn't be attempting these tactics.
Predicting AEW's Grand Plan For MJF
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MJF remains one of the most must-see characters in all of AEW, even six years removed from signing with the promotion.
He was wasted in a rivalry with Jeff Jarrett to start 2025 but then corrected course by feuding with "Hangman" Adam Page going into Revolution. His interactions with The Hurt Syndicate were a recurring highlight on Dynamite through the spring into the summer, but that alliance has already dissolved and his focus has instead shifted back to the AEW World Championship.
It's a precarious position for The Salt of the Earth to be in. A loss to Page hardly harms his credibility, but it wouldn't leave him with much left to do, begging the question of why it was necessary for him to cash in his guaranteed title shot from All In now and not later.
Hangman shouldn't be dropping the prestigious prize so soon, either, so there's a lot riding on the outcome to the Forbidden Door main event. MJF won't win, but he can still be salvaged if a reunion with FTR is in the cards for him.
FTR should be the ones to take the AEW World Tag Team Championship from The Hurt Syndicate with an assist from MJF out of retaliation for them exiling him from the group.
The story can be that FTR are the only ones MJF feels he can trust, and although that wouldn't turn any of them babyface, it would create the need for a six-man tag team match in the coming weeks.
Ultimately, a contest against Bobby Lashley should be where MJF is headed. If not, the only other explanation for their falling out is that it was a ruse and The Hurt Syndicate will actually help him steal the AEW world title from Page.
There's a handful of different directions AEW can go in with him at the moment, but at the very least, it's imperative MJF is prominently featured beyond Forbidden Door and that his Hurt Syndicate story is forgotten about as quickly as it started.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
