Solo Sikoa Isn't Main Event-Ready Yet, WWE's Long-Term Booking, More Quick Takes (2024)

Although Clash at the Castle successfully set the stage for WWE's next two premium live events, the fan feedback to Cody Rhodes' next Undisputed WWE Championship program has been largely divisive—and understandably so.

Despite being prominently featured on SmackDown in the absence of Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa has been booked as anything but a main event player. The audience shouldn't be expected to take him seriously as a legitimate threat to the top title on such short notice.

Triple H's long-term booking approach since taking over WWE's creative reins would normally dictate Rhodes vs. Sikoa is the play for SummerSlam, but changing course is necessary in situations such as this one to give fans what they'd rather see.

The same can be said for the conclusion to Clash at the Castle. It played out predictably and logically in order to set up something bigger for August 3, but short-term gains and adapting booking on the fly can occasionally be the way to go.

This installment of Quick Takes will analyze what WWE should attempt to avoid by booking unsatisfying finishes, the Samoa Joe pairing being exactly what Hook needs right now, a potential final run for The Hardy Boyz in WWE, and more.

All signs point to Solo Sikoa being next in line for an opportunity at Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship following their confrontation at Clash at the Castle, but it's not a spot he's ready for yet.

Sikoa developing his character as part of this latest chapter for The Bloodline was long overdue. He's fitted nicely into the role of temporary Tribal Chief but hasn't proved he's a worthy challenger for Rhodes on a grand stage.

That's primarily due to his in-ring limitations and work-in-progress promos. Rhodes and Sikoa are capable of delivering a quality contest, but the heel isn't the "big boss" for The American Nightmare that WWE might think he is.

SmackDown's main event scene being as shallow as it is doesn't help matters, but there will be more appealing options as Rhodes' potential opponent at SummerSlam, notably Randy Orton.

The Viper has expressed a renewed interest in the WWE title as of late, so the seeds have already been planted. Rhodes, Orton and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline would be better off as an attraction on SmackDown so Rhodes vs. Sikoa can be blown off at MITB and not saved for SummerSlam.

All Elite Wrestling has largely followed the same formula with Hook since his in-ring debut in late 2021. And although it's gotten him a certain level of popularity, he was never going to ascend the card until he escaped the FTW Championship picture.

Failing to regain the gold from Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing was the best thing that could have happened to the 25-year-old.

He subsequently joined forces with Samoa Joe—someone he took to the limit earlier this year on Dynamite—and it's led to some of his most interesting work in what feels like ages.

Of course, the alliance is a significant step down for Joe following his loss of the AEW World Championship back at Dynasty, but the veteran now finds himself in a prime position to put over a younger talent simply by associating with him.

Their tandem should eventually earn itself a shot at the AEW World Tag Team Championship, if only to freshen things up in the division.

Hook immediately jumping to the top of the midcard would do his career no favors, but a short stint in the tag team division should be exactly what he needs to get back on track.

The Hardy Boyz have officially wrapped up with AEW, per Fightful Select. Matt Hardy entered free agency in April and Jeff Hardy followed suit last week after months of inactivity.

Additionally, the outlet noted that the future Hall of Famers are currently working without contracts despite appearing together at TNA's Against All Odds event on June 14.

That would open the door for a potential WWE return run at some point, though they're seven years older than when they last came back in 2017 and have much more mileage on them.

In-ring retirement is on the horizon for both men, so it's unknown how much they'd be able to contribute to WWE physically if they were brought back into the fold. While a full-time run likely wouldn't be possible at this point, having the Hardys involved in any capacity would be an instant boost to the tag team division.

A tag team title reign wouldn't be necessary, but The Hardy Boyz still have major name value and have enough left in the tank to make a return worthwhile.

Capitalizing on their recent buzz by spending time in TNA and the independent scene is a logical move, but it's bound to be more a matter of when than if they'll be back in WWE.

R-Truth's lengthy storyline with The Judgment Day culminated in excellent fashion at WrestleMania 40 with Awesome Truth dethroning them as world tag team champions.

They remain over with the audience, but their reign thus far has hardly been special.

The biggest problem with their booking is that in addition to excelling as a comedy duo and not being actual threats, they haven't been treated as the focal point of the tag team division. They've had a handful of title defenses but have mostly been positioned as background players in their matches.

That's why they should be beaten for the belts sooner rather than later, and The Creed Brothers are the perfect team to do it.

The Creeds have also been overlooked since the draft and would benefit greatly from turning heel and aligning with Chad Gable. Once that happens, they can continue to build momentum by becoming the titleholders.

This should be an imminent development to prevent the tag team belts from losing any more prestige than they already have.

Triple H's style of booking WWE TV has stories play out for months—sometimes years—before getting a feel-good payoff. It's made shows such as SummerSlam and WrestleMania mean more when fans are being rewarded for being invested from week to week.

However, it has simultaneously created an issue where the events in between don't feel remotely as important.

Clash at the Castle was a fun, solid show on the whole, but it was hard to imagine Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest losing their respective world titles with bigger bouts being saved for the bigger stages for them.

CM Punk costing Drew McIntyre the World Heavyweight Championship was logical, but the reaction for the Scot winning in his home nation would have been off the charts.

Surprise storyline developments and title changes are needed to ensure WWE TV doesn't become too predictable and formulaic.

The company is riding high with a streak of strong PPVs, but it's important to make every event feel special—electric international atmospheres aside—and react to the crowd in real time without having to wait until the tentpole shows to deliver satisfying finishes to stories.