[7.0] "An actual wrestling focused episode of 2026 Smackdown that has actual good wrestlers? Well color me shocked. Its obviously not perfect, could have did without the midshow promo train with Sami, I do not care anything about this Gubther and Danhausen stuff, and Carmelo Hayes is mysteriously absent. But overall, decent episode... can't wait for things to go back to normal mext week."

[6.0] "Another decent episode of Smackdown even without CM Punk. The opening womens trios match was pretty good with some very high octane action especially the closing sequence. I do understand WWE wanting to put Tiffany Stratton in the ladder match as she thrives in ladder matches but I would've preferred to see the other two more. That being said Stratton absolutely deserves it, far more than Lash Legend, I have no idea who decided to put her in this match considering how bad her performance was at the Mania ladder match. We got a trios tag that really doesn't mean anything because WWE doesn't care about its tag teams and Fenix vs Saints is a weird AAA/WWE feud that I really don't care to see, Saints has been a non-factor on the main roster, someone I can honestly see being on the release list next year after Mania, crazy how this company can't utilize him. Monroe vs Giulia was going really well, until it ended in the most anti-climactic way, fuck Giulia I guess. The Sami Zayn promo was a mess, it lost its purpose when we played the "everyone comes out to confront the champion because they're in the rumble/MITB ladder match" gimmick. The triple threat was the best part of the show, KO wins and is apart of the ladder match which is great, I just for the life of me don't understand why Gargano isn't also in this match. This was an alright episode overall, some good, very little bad, a decent 6/10."

[9.0] "A very good, if not excellent, SD; the few segments or matches we got were very good. LeRae/Tiffy/Pax is cool. It really was a triple threat with lots of three-way sequences. The in-ring action was super. The finish is really cool. The result is a bit of a let-down. Stratton didn't need to be in this match; Pax would have made more sense. FraxiomFenix/SaintsRaiders is cool too. Again, there's good chemistry. Fenix, despite his big botch, recovered very well. Saints pinning Fenix is good. The clip of Priest is really cool. The scene with Priest in NYC is brilliantly done. The bit where Priest explains that he put others before himself and had to go back to where he came from to remember who he is is brilliant. The middle segment was good. Zayn was excellent again, saying he doesn't understand the crowd's reaction - the very same people who wanted to see Zayn as champion - and pointing out that he's overcome obstacles to reach this title. Evans was fine, with Evans once again coming across as overconfident and almost in a world of his own. Penta was a bit random. The bit where Trick mocks Zayn was poor. Awkward and straight out of the PG era. Where's the Trick from earlier this year who was delivering very credible promos? The follow-up with Zayn is very good, with him saying that everyone made a mockery of him but he's now the champion. His headbutt on Trick looked real. The Balor/Gunther/Zayn brawl is cool. Giulia/Monroe is decent. Giulia and Blake were decent. Blake was convincing for a first match on the main roster. The match is a bit short and the finish is odd. The Zayn/Gargano backstage segment is brilliant, with Zayn looking for an excuse not to help Johnny by saying that Aldis told him that if he helps Gargano, he'll get into trouble. That bastard Sami Zayn. The Main Event is very good. The in-ring action was good. Gargano's counter to KO's piledriver is very well done. There's a good sequence: sunset flip powerbomb - swanton - superkick. The table spot is very nice. The exchange of blows between KO and Cody is very good. Cody stopping Robinson from making the three-count is very well done. What's interesting towards the end of the match is that Cody, instead of winning the match, goes after Orton. Orton has got into Cody's head. KO winning the match is a bit of a surprise, but why not? Yes, Johnny would have been a better choice, but you can justify it by the fact that Zayn didn't come to help him."

[7.0] "Solid episode, although it's a shame that they of course water down Blake Monroe and Giulia, but this is probably just the beginning so idk. 1st MITB qualifier great and I'd prefer Tatum qualifying, I don't mind the winner. So it's either Roxanne or Tiffy(with Tiffy turning on Chelsea and taking the title as a heel). 2nd MITB qualifier was tad weaker, now here it's less obvious, Bron can win the case and come after Oba (if he has a title) and Owens and Trick come after Sami. Tag match was ok, despite the Fenix botch. And Ricky Saints actually got the W, hope they somehow use him at MITB so he gains something at his homesoil"

"There were no wasted segments, no painful filler, and zero reliance on lazy comedy distractions. Every single match served a purpose--either advancing a major storyline or elevating rising talent through workrate-heavy performances. But I do not understand why they have 90 minutes for show plus 30 minutes for ads thats not enough and I think they are also aware it is not enough cause they share exclusive contents on the social media accounts. Beside of it that's really really good show and it's the smartest thing to put MITB in October, because we do not feel the emptiness of the era of Post SummerSlam to Royal Rumble. IT was very very good show of SmackDown and it's fire everywhere and damn I want to see this in RAW, too. But whatever, at least we can see that they are doing something hellof fire. Rating: 9/10"

[9.0] "It is fair to say that this was the best SmackDown show in recent months. We saw four good matches, and the card was put together very intelligently; each match featured some of WWE's top wrestlers, ensuring high quality across the board. The mid-show promo was also solid, making for a truly well-rounded show."

[8.0] "Good Smackdown with really cool fights. The only minus for me was Tiffany winning. It should be Tatum. Then it would be full NXT woman ladder match."

[4.0] "The matches were generally satisfactory, aside from the forgettable 3v3 bout. However, the angles were rather weak--particularly the mid-show promo, which didn't add much. I like Zayn's character, but he seemed to be running on autopilot, while his opponents were bland or--in Williams' case--downright ridiculous. A strong finish salvaged the show somewhat, though Orton's appearance wasn't exactly surprising. Match quality: 3.25/6.5. Angles and non-match segments: 1/3.5. Bonus/penalty: none. Total: 4.25/10. Watched on Netflix (FR)."

[7.0] "Two very good qualifying matches that showcased excellent wrestling--even though I didn't care for some of the results (for instance, I think Johnny should have won), the in-ring action was top-notch. The finish to the Blake vs. Giulia match was a total letdown, though--what was that all about? Poor Giulia. Overall, it was an excellent episode of SmackDown; the tag team match really added a lot to the show. 7-7.5/10."

"Both qualifiers were really good. Wasn't expecting Tiffany to win, but the match was very good quality. I do think Tatum and Gargano should've won. The Blake Guilia match was weird, didn't like the finish at all. 6 man tag was slow in the first half but once Fraxiom and fenix started getting offence the match became alot better and faster. I also enjoyed the Sami promo segment showing some of the mitb contestants - Jevon is very funny."

[6.0] "It was just 'there', felt like a bit of a nothing show but the in-ring was better than usual. Very good main event, first couple of matches good, Giulia/Blake meh, wasn't worth the wait and the finish was shite. Not bad but not anything you're going to remember either. Except Trick's promo on Sami, I'll remember that because it was absolutely fucking pitiful, the sort of insults a small child dishes out. Je'Von was also remarkably unlikeable on this show."

[10.0] "What a episode straight up man, back to back good episodes of Raw and Smackdown in the same week, that's a rare occurrence man, hate to be like that, I've been watching pro wrestling for nearly 20 years, it's no as common for bad to back consistently great shows booked and delivered. I am hoping this is a good streak tarting to happen ot the next 4 weeks the shows will be under a 6 or lower, who really knows tbh, but man, this was really great, amazing stuff and amazing work all around. Good job."