WWE SmackDown results May 16: Jeff Cobb comes across as an after-thought a week after debuting at Backlash
WWE SmackDown results May 16: Jeff Cobb, who will be known as JC Mateo in the WWE, made his first appearance on SmackDown tonight. He, however, made limited impact as the focus was primarily on Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu¡¯s tense equation.
WWE SmackDown results May 16: JC Cobb made his WWE debut at Backlash when he assaulted LA Knight and helped Jacob Fatu retain the US title in a fatal-4-way match, which also involved Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest. On SmackDown, Solo Sikoa formally introduced the star to the WWE Universe and revealed that he will be known as JC Mateo in the Stamford-based promotion. However, the former NJPW star didn¡¯t quite make as strong an impact as many expected during his first appearance on the blue brand.
Jeff Cobb (AKA JC Mateo) makes a limited impact on SmackDown
Solo Sikoa made his way to the ring with Jacob Fatu and Jeff Cobb during the opening segment of SmackDown. He then introduced the audience to the former ¡®hottest free agent¡¯ before taking a dig at Roman Reigns for losing to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. Sikoa then implied that he played a role in helping ¡®The Samoan Werewolf¡¯ win the US title. This upset Fatu who said that he was going to rule and conquer with or without his help. Solo then asked Jacob Fatu to prove his loyalty and subtly reminded him of their past equation.
Solo Sikoa got Jacob Fatu to say ¡°I love you Solo¡± but it didn¡¯t hit the same as it used to.#SmackDown
¡ª Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) May 17, 2025
pic.twitter.com/mAha5td0XC
As the focus was on these two, JC Mateo was soon forgotten. To make it worse, he did not say a word. LA Knight soon made an appearance and assaulted Mateo.
Cobb¡¯s first match was underwhelming
Later in the night, Mateo was at the ringside when Solo Sikoa beat Jimmy Uso and Rey Fenix to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. He, however, did not do much. Later, he made his in-ring debut against LA Knight in an impromptu match. Mateo put on a good show and impressed with his offence.
He eventually got the three count after nailing with Tour of the Islands, his finisher. However, the impromptu nature of the match diluted the impact of what should have been a special moment. It remains to be seen wether WWE is able to make up for his underwhelming start in the coming weeks.
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Roktim Rajpal is a Principal Digital Content Producer at Indiatimes. He has been an entertainment journalist for a decade. Roktim is a movie buff and specialises in covering South cinema and Bollywood. He also takes a keen interest in web series.
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