4 Mistakes WWE made on SmackDown (November 21, 2025)

After some big additions to the WarGames teams on RAW, SmackDown tried to follow up with two more revelations to end the night. AJ Lee joined Team Ripley but was upstaged by Becky Lynch, who aligned with the heels.

Lee distracted Lynch on RAW, allowing Maxxine Dupri to win the Women's Intercontinental title. Ilja Dragunov put on another great showing in the Open Challenge series against JD McDonagh.

Penta and Carmelo Hayes advanced in the Last Time is Now Tournament, which finally had a bracket to show progress. On a story-driven night, WWE made the next four mistakes on SmackDown.

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#4. The WWE Tag Team titles are non-existent

It's clear writers are holding off for the big MFT/Wyatt Sicks match for the WWE Tag Team titles until after the business with Sami Zayn has concluded. It still doesn't mean that the titleholders should be absent from SmackDown.

The last time Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy put the titles on the line was on October 10th ahead of Crown Jewel in Perth. The creepy faction has barely appeared on programming.

When they do, it's in the background or for a brief backstage moment. It's hard to focus on every champion each week, but this has been a consistent issue ever since the Sicks won the belts.

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#3. Roman Reigns and CM Punk don't back up their teams

After the predictable reveal of Roman Reigns as the final member of Team Punk on RAW, he no-showed on SmackDown. The Best in the World did the same thing, failing to show up in Colorado.

The Tribal Chief and Punk aren't competing in the advantage match, so they could have easily appeared on SmackDown. Reigns doing so would have meant more since he'll probably take off after WarGames yet again.

Brock Lesnar not appearing makes sense because he's the ultimate free agent. IYO SKY, Rhea Ripley, Asuka, and Kairi Sane, who are members of RAW, accompanied their teams.

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#2. Multiple issues with the SmackDown Women's Division

Every episode of a wrestling program should feature at least one female contest on each show. The latest episode of SmackDown came and went without two women facing off in an official match.

Bookers continued the focus on the WarGames teams, giving the build three full segments, including the main event. That's fine, but not having any wrestling bouts and just a brawl is a weird look.

Charlotte's waffling is also an odd decision and is done every year for the cage match. If that wasn't bad enough, the division's major Champions, Jade Cargill and Chelsea Green, were relegated to a quick backstage segment.

Focusing on WarGames is understandable, but treating the WWE Women's title just like the Women's United States title is a huge misfire.

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#1. Truly treating Cody Rhodes like Superman

Whenever a heel attacks a face, the hero usually misses a few weeks or months of action. SmackDown opened with the revelation that Drew McIntyre attacked Cody Rhodes in his bus.

It made it seem as if The American Nightmare would miss WarGames, which would have created doubt around whether Team Punk could win. Returning next week would have made sense, but that's not the direction writers took.

Instead of building suspense for a week or even for the day of the PLE, Rhodes returned less than an hour later during the Carmelo Hayes/Bronson Reed match.

His interference cost Reed the victory, just so he could appear superhuman. The McIntyre attack seems more like a stubbed toe instead of a storyline tactic to build sympathy for the heroes.

Edited by Matthew Serocki