5 Mistakes WWE made on SmackDown from Berlin

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Jordynne Grace toppled Alba Fyre in her official main-roster debut. Despite great action in nearly every match, WWE made the next five mistakes on SmackDown from Berlin.

#5. WWE Creative doesn’t have much for you

Randy Orton returned to SmackDown last week after several months off TV. The Viper kicked things off from Berlin so the fans could sing along to his theme. Trick Williams cut him off.

Instead of Trick Willy getting one over on the Legend, Orton stood tall to close the segment. He also fended off the Miz, which was the most likely ending to the encounter.

Officials probably booked it that way because Trick was going to defeat Fenix in the ensuing match. It feels like WWE Creative doesn’t know what to do with one of their favorite sons, and that he appeared for the sake of appearing.

#4. Rey Fenix loses his first match back on SmackDown after months

Rey Fenix was one of the more exciting additions to WWE in 2025. After a decent run in AEW, he fell into the background as big-name free agents like Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay joined the company.

The former AEW star last competed on SmackDown on November 21 on the losing end of a traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination contest. Fenix faced Trick Williams in his SmackDown debut this week.

For the most part, the match was close. WWE booking one of the more exciting stars to lose in his first match back in over a month is a misstep. Even having Trick pull the tights in the finish doesn’t help Fenix’s position.

#3. Making it seem like Alexa Bliss can’t win without Charlotte

While it’s true Alexa Bliss was outnumbered on SmackDown since Charlotte Flair was “absent” with a cold, the narrative feels a bit strange.

Bliss claimed she didn’t know she was getting a random match with Women’s US Champion Giulia, which was another strange reveal during the show.

While she was on the phone with The Queen, Nia Jax and Lash Legend walked over to bully Bliss. They essentially made it four on one in the ring by costing her against The Beautiful Madness.

Even if Flair had been present, it would have been four on two. The numbers game explanation usually works better if it were two on one.

#2. Is one win enough for a potential shot at the Undisputed WWE title?

Before the main event between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis revealed that Saturday Night’s Main Event will host a fatal four-way to determine who will face the Undisputed WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble.

Former World Champions like Damian Priest, the Miz, and Randy Orton were included, along with Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn, and Ilja Dragunov. Trick Williams was also included, as he’ll face Matt Cardona.

Cardona is at least a long-time veteran. It feels like one win is all it takes to get someone a title shot. Rey Fenix, Shinsuke Nakamura, Carmelo Hayes, and Aleister Black were not chosen.

#1. Drew McIntyre can’t win via pinfall?

This is more of a nitpick, but it is an issue nonetheless. Bookers protect their top stars by not having them eat pinfalls, unless a big change is coming. Cody Rhodes assumed Roman Reigns’ role as the face of the company and is rarely pinned.

Rhodes pinned McIntyre in their last encounter, but The Scottish Warrior only won on SmackDown by escaping the cage. It’s technically a way to win, but officials should have allowed McIntyre to definitively pin his hated rival to win the title.

Jacob Fatu’s emergence will explain and protect The American Nightmare, but he was standing at the end of the three stages. Having McIntyre win a grueling match with three falls should have ended with a pin on his rival.

It paints Cody as Super Cena and protects him more than it makes McIntyre seem like a monster. Even CM Punk ate a pinfall during WarGames.