Jay White’s AEW Rampage Debut, Sami Zayn Wins IC Title and More Friday Fallout

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Credit: WWE.com

With the NBA bumping Rampage from its usual timeslot this week, AEW went on before SmackDown to give fans an earlier end to the night’s wrestling festivities.

The blue brand featured a contract signing with Ronda Rousey, Naomi, Sonya Deville and Charlotte, and we got to see the beginning of what could be the end for Sheamus and Ridge Holland’s alliance.

However, all of that was trumped by Sami Zayn defeating Shinsuke Nakamura in a show-stealing performance to win the Intercontinental Championship for the third time.

On Rampage, Adam Cole took on Preston Vance of The Dark Order, while his friend and AEW newcomer, Jay White, battled Trent Beretta in the closing match.

Let’s look at some of the biggest moments from Friday’s episodes of Rampage and SmackDown. 

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This week’s SmackDown opened with a contract signing for the women’s tag match that will take place Saturday during Elimination Chamber.

Deville was still wearing a sling to sell her arm injury, but that did not keep her safe. After a tense exchange, Naomi and Rousey took out their rivals and left them laying in the ring.

This was the first time Rousey has acted like a babyface since returning at The Royal Rumble. She still had the same kind of attitude, but all her aggression was directed at two clear heels.

It will be interesting to see how WWE books her after Saturday. Her initial promo indicated a heel run, but that does not seem like a guarantee anymore. It’s possible the reaction she gets in her next couple of appearances will dictate how WWE uses her moving forward. 

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Ridge Holland and Sheamus have only been together for a few months, but they are already starting to show signs of a quick breakup.

During a pre-match segment backstage, Sheamus criticized Holland for some of his recent failures. After The Celtic Warrior lost to Ricochet a few minutes later, he shoved Holland to the mat and seemed to blame him for the loss.

It looked like WWE might use Sheamus and Holland in the tag team division as recently as last month, but that no longer appears to be the case.

This looks to be heading toward a face turn for Holland and a singles feud with Sheamus, which might actually be the best thing for him.

Before he was out for a year with an injury, Holland was impressing in NXT. If he can put on some good matches with Sheamus, it could solidify his spot on the main roster. Right now, he feels like a side character.

Beating a former WWE champion would elevate his status immediately, but it’s how WWE follows up on that success that really matters. 

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WWE taped this week’s SmackDown right after last week’s show, so spoilers about the result of Zayn vs. Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship have been out there for several days.

Even with knowledge of the result, a lot of fans were likely looking forward to seeing Zayn and Nakamura mix it up in the ring again.

Not only do these two have a long history in WWE, but their first encounter at NXT TakeOver: Dallas back in 2016 is widely considered to be one of the best WWE matches of the last decade. 

While this week’s bout may not have reached the same levels of excitement, Zayn and Nakamura easily stole the show with their performance. Zayn was even pulling out moves he hasn’t used in years in an attempt to win the belt.

After a hard-fought battle, Zayn emerged as the winner and new IC champion, which means Johnny Knoxville is probably going to face him for the title at WrestleMania 38. Based on all of the segments we have seen with them in recent weeks, it’s the only logical outcome. 

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This week’s Rampage opened and closed with former and current members of Bullet Club getting impressive wins over members of Best Friends/Chaos and The Dark Order.

In the opening bout, Cole scored a win over 10 in what might be the Dark Order member’s best singles match to date. Later in the night, White defeated Beretta in a fun, competitive showcase.

Some questioned how this group would cope without Kenny Omega for a spell, but the additions of Cole, White, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly have strengthened the group. However, these new members may also lead to a split.

There has been notable tension with The Young Bucks and other members of the expanded group. Cole has tried to play peacemaker, but it feels like something is going to give eventually.

Until then, we can enjoy a proto version of Bullet Club in AEW. We don’t know how long White will stick around, but if he keeps impressing like he did on Friday, Tony Khan might have to open up his checkbook and attempt to sign him to a full-time deal.