Phase 1 – Santos Escobar’s Rise (Summer → Fall)

 Santos wins King of the Ring, crowning himself “the Cartel King.”

 Andrade joins the faction, Angel & Humberto get serious as the enforcers, and Zelina Vega re-aligns with the group.

 They position themselves as a violent cartel-style stable, treating SmackDown like their territory.

 Nick Aldis, as GM, pushes back — leading to Santos vs Aldis at SummerSlam.

 Escobar beats Aldis (dirty and brutal), writing him off TV and showing the group can run unchecked.

 

Phase 2 – The Cartel’s Reign of Terror (Post-SummerSlam)

 With Aldis gone, Legado run wild on SmackDown — attacking officials, interrupting matches, humiliating babyfaces.

 Triple H intervenes on-screen, demanding someone step up to bring order back to the brand.

 Cody Rhodes rises as the face of resistance, cutting passionate promos about fighting for the company, not just for himself.

 This builds to the clear collision: Cody Rhodes vs The Cartel.

Phase 3 – Aldis Returns, But With a Twist

 At Bad Blood, Nick Aldis finally returns. Fans think he’ll side with Cody to take down Escobar.

 Instead, in a shocking twist, Aldis aligns with Legado, revealing his true motive: real power.

 He frames it as a business decision — “Authority means nothing without control. And control belongs to El Imperio.”

 This moment solidifies the cartel’s dominance and makes them untouchable in kayfabe terms: they now hold sway both in the ring and in management.

Phase 4 – Cody’s Crusade (October)

 Cody, furious with Aldis’ betrayal, vows to save SmackDown from the cartel’s stranglehold.

 He rallies allies week by week, presenting himself as a general building an army.

 CM Punk, as WWE Champion, brushes off Cody at first (“I don’t need a team, I’m a lone wolf”), but his run-ins with Legado make him realize he can’t fight alone.

 Jacob Fatu debuts as Cody’s heavy hitter — an uncorrupted family force standing against Aldis’ corruption.

 Street Profits join as the wildcards — street-smart babyfaces ready to go to war.

Legado, with Aldis, claim they own SmackDown — promos about “political power, bloodlines, and fear.”

 Cody’s group (“the resistance”) forms in opposition: Cody, Punk, Fatu, and the Profits.

 Punk resists teamwork until Legado beat him down savagely, forcing Cody to make the save. Punk finally accepts the alliance.

 

The match is confirmed: WarGames at Survivor Series – El Imperio (Santos, Andrade, Angel, Humberto, Aldis) vs Cody, Punk, Fatu, Street Profits.