For as tumultuous as WWE's road to Survivor Series has been, it's also featured its fair share of monumental moments, including CM Punk returning to joining the O.G. Bloodline's WarGames team.

The shocking reveal closed Friday's SmackDown on a high note and successfully shook up what seemed to be a fairly predictable path to WarGames. The seismic shift it creates means its ramifications could be felt for months—and potentially years—to come.

As of now, Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens are not scheduled to have their next highly anticipated encounter at Survivor Series, yet the build to the bout has been a big part of SmackDown since KO's betrayal at Bad Blood on Oct. 5.

Everything that has transpired between the two has made for must-see television and resulted in Rhodes' best feud as undisputed WWE champion so far.

This installment of Quick Takes will delve into how Owens has reinvigorated Rhodes' reign, the key to Mercedes Moné regaining her aura, the many different directions WWE can go in with Jade Cargill's backstage attack, and more.

WWE Disrupts Everything With CM Punk Joining OG Bloodline Squad

Despite making multiple vows that he refused to team with the tyrannical Roman Reigns for WarGames at Survivor Series, all signs pointed to Seth Rollins ultimately agreeing to bury the hatchet with his former Shield stablemate—if only so he could get his hands on archrival Bronson Reed, who joined Team Bloodline on the Nov. 13 edition of SmackDown.

WWE instead swerved viewers by revealing the returning CM Punk as O.G. Bloodline's fifth man on the latest SmackDown, presumably as a favor to his longtime friend, Paul Heyman.

Considering their own checkered past, Punk and Reigns are far from friendly, and Heyman being their one mutual friend will no doubt pose a problem when the WWE Hall of Famer is forced to choose between the two.

In the meantime, The Second City Saint taking the final spot in the men's WarGames match will have a direct effect on his looming rivalry with Rollins.

Punk was on a collision course with The Visionary en route to WrestleMania 40 before the former All Elite Wrestling star got sidelined with an injury, and they have yet to resolve their issues with each other.

Rollins' reaction to Punk's drastic decision to temporarily align with Reigns should be what kick-starts their WrestleMania program for the spring, while simultaneously prolonging the inevitable reunion of The OTC and his former Shield teammate that thankfully won't be rushed into.

This one development alone has made the men's WarGames match infinitely more intriguing.

Great Matches Are the Key to Mercedes Moné Regaining Her Aura

The fanfare surrounding Mercedes Moné's AEW arrival in March was an encouraging indicator that the women's division was on the verge of being elevated to another level.

Although that's exactly what happened in the subsequent months, she had a lot less to do with the rise of women's wrestling in AEW than originally expected.

Her first few matches with the likes of Willow Nightingale and Stephanie Vaquer on pay-per-view were critically acclaimed and got her reign as TBS champion off to a solid start. Everything that followed, though, from subpar promos and lackluster matches, was supremely disappointing.

Tepid crowd reactions in recent weeks are proof Moné has lost a lot of her aura compared to her time in WWE. But it isn't impossible for her to find her footing again, as evidenced by her excellent encounter with Kris Statlander for the TBS title at Full Gear 2024.

It marked Moné's best bout in many months and served as a reminder of what she's capable of inside the squared circle. More matches of that caliber will go a long way in helping The CEO regain that je ne sais quoi that made her such an attraction in WWE.

WWE Has Multiple Intriguing Options After Jade Cargill Attack

WWE has done an effective job lately of making the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship feel important by giving the holders Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill an array of competition to defend against.

The mystery behind who attacked The Storm on Friday's SmackDown will do more to create conversation around the tag titles than anything else.

Cargill's injury will open up a spot not only in the tournament to crown the inaugural women's United States champion but also on Rhea Ripley's team for WarGames at Survivor Series.

Bayley is the most obvious choice to step up given her history with the heels on Liv Morgan's squad, but whether she'll be revealed as the attacker remains to be seen.

The Role Model returned to her roots as a babyface less than a year ago and won't benefit from going back to being a heel so quickly. Naomi would be a better fit for that role, if only because it would freshen up her character for a possible program with Bayley heading into WrestleMania season.

The SmackDown Superstar most in need of a heel turn is Belair. She and Cargill should be in line for a singles match at WrestleMania 41, and this angle could be what sets up their split and subsequent storyline.

Kyle Fletcher Officially Arrives as Singles Star with Win over Will Ospreay

As one of AEW's best booked wrestlers since signing with the promotion a year ago, there is significant value in scoring a win over Will Ospreay.

Only an elite few can lay claim to having done it: Swerve Strickland, MJF, Konosuke Takeshita and now Kyle Fletcher, who beat his former friend in shockingly clean fashion at Full Gear.

His stellar performance in their outstanding match would have been enough for fans to argue that he gained something in defeat had he lost, but he gains so much more from beating the two-time international champion decisively.

This is AEW's opportunity to pull the trigger on Fletcher as a singles competitor and push him as a legitimate threat toward the top of the card.

The company has always struggled to capitalize on certain stars at the peak of their popularity (Wardlow being the most infamous example), but it would be a waste of Fletcher's straightforward victory versus The Aerial Assassin if that were to happen with him.

Their feud should unquestionably continue, and even if Ospreay eventually avenges the loss, Fletcher must remain in or near the upper-midcard mix. He's made great strides on the mic and is a thrill to watch, so the potential is there for him to be something special if he's backed by the booking.

Kevin Owens Will Give Cody Rhodes His Best Feud as WWE Champion

While Cody Rhodes' reign as undisputed WWE champion has been strong overall, it previously lacked that one defining feud.

Kevin Owens has been at odds with The American Nightmare on and off for over three months and has already proved to be his best rival yet.

That was especially evident during their exchange on Friday's SmackDown when the two took turns explaining their disdain for one another and speaking with exceptional intensity.

The twisted logic behind KO's betrayal—blaming Rhodes for agreeing to team with Roman Reigns, the man who attempted to end his career on countless occasions—and The American Nightmare's passionate response have played a pivotal role in their program being as personal and as compelling as it's been.

They have set the stage for what will be a heated rematch, which has been heavily hinted at for Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 14. An Owens win would allow the rivalry to resume through the Royal Rumble but isn't imperative.

Regardless of the outcome, their storyline on SmackDown has finally given Rhodes something to sink his teeth into and is exactly the boost his title run needed to avoid stagnation.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.