4 Booking Blunders Made On WWE SmackDown Following SummerSlam 2025 Episode

The SmackDown after SummerSlam delivered big moments, but these choices left many fans questioning WWE’s direction.

Uneven spotlight for SmackDown’s women’s champions

Giulia scored a win over Zelina Vega the week before, and Tiffany Stratton defeated Jade Cargill at SummerSlam. Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss won the Women’s Tag Team Titles at the big event and retained them on RAW.

On SmackDown, Giulia and Stratton only appeared backstage together, with Cargill demanding another title shot despite questionable tactics in her last challenge.

Flair and Bliss, on the other hand, had multiple segments, including an in-ring promo, a brief backstage exchange about a “birthday present,” and Flair defeating Chelsea Green. The imbalance in screen time was hard to ignore.

John Cena’s Paris opponent raises questions

Cena’s retirement tour has mostly been positive, but SmackDown’s opening segment marked a misstep. Logan Paul interrupted Cena, initially refusing to fight him in Montreal, only to have their Clash in Paris match confirmed minutes later.

After teaming with Drew McIntyre to attack Cena, the two clashed in the main event. Many fans felt Cena’s limited appearances should be saved for opponents like Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Gunther, or Roman Reigns, and not The Maverick.

Solo Sikoa’s credibility takes another hit

Following his SummerSlam victory, Solo Sikoa addressed the crowd after his allies defeated the Motor City Machine Guns. Claiming no one wanted to challenge him for the US Title, he was quickly proven wrong when Sami Zayn, fueled by the Montreal crowd, stepped up.

Despite interference from three allies, Sikoa was rolled up for the loss. Dropping a match so soon after a big win further damages his momentum and the prestige of the US Championship he holds.

Jacob Fatu’s puzzling absence

Jacob Fatu lost his Steel Cage match to Solo Sikoa at SummerSlam, but his performance was anything but weak. Multiple moonsaults, including one from the top of the cage, left him looking dominant even in defeat.

With no major injuries or storyline beatdowns to explain it, his absence from the next SmackDown was surprising. Fatu could have confronted Sikoa after walking away relatively unscathed, and the crowd reaction shows he’s too popular to be sidelined without reason.