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WWE SmackDown results, highlights (May 9): Randy Orton stands tall over John Cena before Backlash

It was WWE Backlash eve in Dayton, Ohio, for "WWE SmackDown," and tag team action occupied the nightly spotlight. That all came before the Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena closed out the night.

"WWE Raw" has dominated the company's intrigue with a major storyline and world title featured regularly. That's always the problem when a world champion is somewhat of a part-time role, like Cena in this farewell tour. One of WWE's flagship shows always suffers, and it's been the Friday night festivities thus far.

Third time's the charm.

It's a shame WWE is cramming all the Cena and Randy Orton lore into such a short amount of time because it would be surprising to see them continue feuding post-Backlash. In Dayton, Orton stood tall for the third time after yet another RKO on the champion, setting the stage for "The Viper's" homecoming in St. Louis tomorrow night.

The closing segment of "WWE SmackDown" was mainly just a Cena promo, as he told the audience our childhoods will die at Backlash — after a fan threw a Michelob Ultra bottle at him. Additionally, an Orton loss will be the "Legend Killer" killing Orton, as Cena dug deep into insulting Orton's family background and legacy. It was brilliant work from Cena, and he was at his hottest starting with their personal history callbacks — before he began to sound a bit like an evil over-the-top supervillian. And the reason he feels that way is still the aesthetic. It just doesn't fit, man. It has become more normal, but still. Suited Hollywood Cena would feel much more appropriate acting this way.

Ultimately, Cena called Orton smart for not showing up during his promo, which led to a masked imposter taking an Attitude Adjustment. It obviously wasn't Orton because of the mask, and was utilized as a ruse to allow Orton's sneak-in for the third RKO he's hit in previous weeks. It's been simple, but effective between these two in this final stage. But, man, it could have been so much more.

Regardless, their final match should deliver plenty of fun trips down memory lane.

Blissmas came early

I'm sick of anything between Zelina Vegas and Chelsea Green. The feud is seemingly being drug out for some unknown reason despite making a joke of Green. (Yes, I know she's supposed to be a joke.) However, on this "WWE SmackDown," a match for Vega against Green and Piper Niven was used as a vehicle to welcome Alexa Bliss back onto TV after the complete blunder that was her disappearance post-Royal Rumble.

Bliss rightfully received another big pop, as she was in her hometown, but it would have happened regardless. There's been zero reason to have her sitting in the shadows. Despite how random this was, it's better to have her back than not at all.

In the ring, Bliss looked great and didn't miss a beat once she got the hot tag and eventual Sister Abigail DDT on Green. So, while the Green burial continues, Bliss and Vega shine. The fans want to cheer Bliss, but she needs to go for gold immediately. Her great title reigns feel so long ago, and her character was completely different. Whether heel or face, she could be the elevating foil to the United States title like Becky Lynch is for the Intercontinental crown going into Backlash.

Oddly enough, there was a not-so-subtle interaction with Charlotte Flair later. Maybe another strange tag-team looms? I don't love it for Bliss, but that's a unique potential duo to throw into a nonexistent division.

🤮Atrocity of the Night

I don't know what to say. Once again, I'm upset to have been right with my prediction that Naomi would cost Jade Cargill the win against Nia Jax, meaning we'll see a pointless, stupid rematch between Tiffany Stratton and Jax. What are we doing, man? Seriously. Of the two options of Naomi and Cargill for Stratton, WWE instead regurgitates an unnecessary Jax title shot.

Let's talk about Flair's appearance before Jax vs. Cargill. It was Flair's first appearance since her WrestleMania 41 loss to Stratton, and she bragged about "taking Stratton to the limit" in the "best women's WrestleMania match in history." Neither was true, but it was an interesting approach as she flubbed through her lines and asked the Dayton crowd why they disrespected her. She slammed the mic down and walked out, while Cargill walked in, telling Flair to go to the back of the line.

We've seen these Flair-Cargill teases already. I thought she might be the one to cost Cargill instead of Naomi, but then she had the Bliss interaction backstage. WWE has to match these two together at some point. When that is is anyone's guess, though.

👍FRIDAY NIGHT FIRE👍

1. LA Knight and Damian Priest defeated Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa. The match was about all it needed to be, and what you'd expect from one of the teams gearing up to face each other the following night. There was a fun back-and-forth tag-out spot at the end of the match between Knight and Priest. Despite their inability to co-exist, they still won, with Knight pinning Sikoa off a BFT. To close out the scene, Fatu stood tall by taking out each, as the crowd cheered — then Drew McIntyre had the last laugh, hitting a Claymore Kick on Fatu.

Watching outside the ring was Sikoa, who has plummeted in relevancy since The Bloodline was alive and well. He desperately needs to turn on Fatu to feel like someone to take seriously again.

2. Something interesting is happening with Aleister Black — and it's nothing related to his return or vignettes. But it doesn't feel coincidental that WWE is showing all these Black packages before or after his wife Vega's matches. So, here's to those two connecting on-screen in some fashion.

3. Speaking of Black, he's being presented as the coolest dude in the whole world. He beat Carmelo Hayes via roll-up mid-Miz distraction in a fun match, then took out Miz with a Black Mass and just walked out of the ring like it was all nothing. Hayes was protected in defeat, and Black hopefully moves on from these two.

4. Rey Fenix and Andrade defeated Los Garza and can now (hopefully) move on from each other. The latter squad appears to be at odds after Berto angrily walked out on Santos Esbobar. The team needs something fresh because all they do is lose these days.

👎DOWN & OUT👎

1. Byron Saxton interviewed McIntyre backstage after his Claymore on Fatu. The guy asked why McIntyre did that. Really? They have a title match tomorrow night. The promo, as usual, was excellent, but what a stupid question to "activate" the segment.

2. The production and intensity put into a lengthy Gunther-Pat McAfee video package couldn't have been a bigger waste of time. WWE is hyping this up way, way, way too much.

👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑

Surprise, surprise. A match between the Street Profits and Fraxiom was freaking awesome.

The story of the match was Montez Ford's bruised ribs hindering him throughout the match after his team's instant classic TLC win two weeks ago. Since this was a non-title match, the expectation was a Fraxiom upset win, and that's what we got. Honestly, I don't love the tag team champs losing their first match after that all-time TLC match. But it was just too good, and the result will give us a sequel. So, that's good news — I dare say great news.