Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax defending against one half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Naomi, Andrade battles United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in a non-title match. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
WWE SmackDown Card:
- WWE Women’s Championship Match: Nia Jax vs. Naomi
- United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Andrade
WWE SmackDown Results:
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Footage of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes challenging Kevin Owens to a ladder match is shown.
The Champ has Arrived
Cody Rhodes puts over WWE for all of the exciting things happening right now (SmackDown moving to three hours, the Monday Night Raw Netflix Premiere) but laments not being able to be involved. Rhodes admits that after Kevin Owens’ attack, Rhodes isn’t medically cleared to wrestle. Drew McIntyre interrupts. McIntyre gets in the ring and hugs Rhodes. Rhodes looks confused. McIntyre says he isn’t here to hurt Rhodes; he’s here to help him. Rhodes seems very confused. McIntyre notes that Rhodes isn’t on his list. McIntyre doesn’t want Rhodes to ruin his legacy.
The crowd laughs as McIntyre says a clown is running around with a replica championship like one of the idiots in the crowd. McIntyre thinks they should help each other. Rhodes cuts McIntyre off. Rhodes says he doesn’t believe McIntyre, and if he wants a fight or a title shot, McIntyre can come get it. McIntyre says he is telling the truth; he’s here to help Rhodes, not hurt him. McIntyre leaves the ring and tells Rhodes to watch his back. Owens appears and attacks Rhodes. McIntyre walks up the ramp and leaves as Owens beats down Rhodes. Rhodes fires back. Referees and officials break it up.
Grade: B
Good opening segment. Instead of your standard Rhodes promo, we got a surprise appearance from Drew McIntyre. With the history between both men, having McIntyre as a potential foil is a great choice. McIntyre proved he isn’t a liar. He said he wasn’t there to hurt Rhodes. He even warned Rhodes before Owens attacked. What a guy…
United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Andrade
As soon as the bell rings, Nakamura attacks. Andrade sends Nakamura flying with a rana. Nakamura rolls out to the apron. A dropkick by Andrade causes Nakamura to fall out to the floor. Triangle Moondsault by Andrade. After the break, Nakamura is working over Andrade. Andrade fires up. Nakamura ties Andrade up in the rope and lands a sliding German suplex. Diving Kinshasa by Nakamura. Andrade kicks out. Nakamura exposes the turnbuckle.
Andrade dropkicks Nakamura into the exposed turnbuckle. Nakamura drops. Andrade lands a corner double knee strike. Nakamura kicks out. Andrade tries a top rope moonsault. Nakamura rolls out of the way. Andrade lands on his feet and hits a standing moonsault. Nakamura kicks out again. After a series of reversals, Andrade drops Nakamura with a feint back elbow. Andrade sets up a superplex. Nakamura slips out and drops Andrade on the ring post. Nakamura almost decapitates Andrade with a Kinshasa for the win.
Winner- Shinsuke Nakamura
After the match, LA Knight hits the ring and attacks Nakamura. Nakamura narrowly avoids the BFT and rolls out of the ring. Knight grabs a mic and says he wants his title back.
Grade: B
Nakamura and Andrade have amazing chemistry dating back to their feud in New Japan over a decade ago. This was far from their best match, but for a TV match, it was solid. This writer has to be honest; seeing Knight vs. Nakamura again isn’t super appealing. Andrade vs. Nakamura has more juice.
Backstage, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis tells Pretty Deadly he doesn’t believe their claims that Legado del Fantasma attacks The Street Profits. #DIY walks in and backs up Prince and Wlison’s version of the story. Aldis walks off. Ciampa and Gargano tell Wilson and Prince that they know they want a tag title shot. Gargano pointedly tells Prince and Wilson that #DIY needs to leave SmackDown tonight as champions; they have to defend the tag titles against Motor City Machine Guns tonight. The implication is that if Pretty Deadly helps #DIY tonight, they can have a title shot.
Michin vs. Piper Niven w/Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green
The fight spills out of the ring. After a distraction from Green, Niven crushes Michin with a sidewalk slam out on the floor. After the break, Michin eventually landed Eat d’Feet for the win.
Winner- Michin
Grade: C
Short match. Both women are capable of much more when given the time to do it, but even with that, this match still accomplished its goal, which is to sure up the women’s mid-card scene by actually featuring them. With SmackDown being three hours now, you’d think they would have had more time when this seemed like they had less. Let’s see if there is any other women’s wrestling that is not circled on one of the titles on tonight’s show. Hopefully, they haven’t lost sight of what having an extra hour should mean—more in-ring/development time for the lower cards, not extra promo time for the upper card.
His Name is Paul Heyman…
The Wiseman Paul Heyman is here to set the record straight before Raw debuts on Netflix this coming Monday. On Monday, we will find out who the real Tribal Cheif is. To be clear, Heyman and Reigns prepped and trained Solo Sikoa to be the next head of the table, the tribal chief. Sikoa was supposed to take over in the future. At WrestleMania, Reigns’ thirst for revenge against Seth Rollins gave Rhodes the opening he needed to beat Reigns. Sikoa took that as an opportunity to steal the ‘Ula Fala out of Reign back. Heyman calls Sikoa a “twisted SOB” and yells that Sikoa didn’t earn the ‘Ula Fala. Heyman runs down every heinous thing Sikoa has done leading up to this moment.
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Tribal Combat will have no rules, and there must be a winner. That winner will be the ONLY Tribal Cheif, Roman Reign. As Heyman is about to leave, Sikoa’s music hits. Sikoa stares daggers through Heyman as he walks to the ring. Heyman looks like he knows he’s about to die… again. Heyman tells Sikoa he’s ten seconds away from pissing in his pants. Sikoa doesn’t flinch. Heyman says he knows the rest of Sikoa’s Bloodline will put him through another table if he even looks at Sikoa wrong. Sikoa holds out his hand for the mic. Heyman yells come on and rolls his eyes. Heyman drops the mic in Sikoa’s hand.
Sikoa tells the crowd to acknowledge him. Sikoa asks Heyman to hold the ‘Ula Fala during the Tribal Combat match. He knows that Heyman loves and respects his family and it will be safe with him. If Reigns wins, Heyman will put the ‘Ula Fala on Reigns, and Sikoa will acknowledge him. WHEN Sikoa beats Reigns, Heyman will put the ‘Ula Fala around Sikoa’s neck. Everyone will know that Sikoa owns the ‘Ula Fala and Heyman. Heyman looks terrified at the thought of this. Heyman will be forced to be Sikoa’s Wiseman forever, and everyone, including Reigns, will finally Acknowledge him.
Grade: A
Heyman could sell water to a whale. After this, this writer is worried about Heyman and what will happen to him if Reigns loses.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: #DIY (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns
Shelley and Sabin are in control early. After the break, Sabin and Shelley continue dog walking Gargano and Ciampa. The champions can’t get out of the gates. Sabin and Shelley set up Skull and Bones. Pretty Deadly runs down to the ring and in the confusion, Gargano and Ciampa hit a combo Fairytale Ending/Superkick combo. Shelley kicks out. Berto and Garza run down to the ring and chase off Pretty Deadly. Sabin and Shelley trap Ciampa and Gargano in submission holds. Garza and Prince’s fight spills into the ring and both men fall on top of Sabin and Ciampa, causing a the match to be thrown out. #DIY will retain.
Grade: C+
Loved the fake out on the telgraphed ending with Pretty Deadly, but this match was pretty dead on arrival. This writer likes all four men involved, but the crowd doesn’t seem to care about any or this and this writer isn’t sure how to fix this.
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Nia Jax w/Candice LeRae vs. Naomi w/Bianca Belair
Jax runs over Naomi. Jax tosses Naomi all over the place before sending her out of the ring. After the break, Naomi tries to fire up but gets stopped by a spinning slam from Jax. Jax continues her assault. Jax lands a hip attack that smashes Naomi’s head into the ring post. Naomi is out on the mat. Jax sets up her finish. Naomi trips Jax into a tree of woe. Huge stomp by Naomi. Naomi lands a split splash for a near fall. Jax rolls out of the ring. Dive by Naomi. Naomi hits a Samoan drop. Yes, you read that correctly. Jax kicks out.
Naomi goes up top. Jax crotches Naomi. Naomi falls to the mat. Jax lands a diving leg drop off the second rope! Jax kicks out! Tornado DDT by Naomi. Jax kicks out. Crucifix Bomb by Naomi! Jax kicks out. Naomi rolls Jax into a submission. LeRae hops up on the apron, causing a distraction. Belair attacks LeRae. Tiffany Stratton’s music hits. Stratton runs down to the ring and tells the referee she wants to cash in. Before the referee can add her to the match., Stratton pushes the referee over the barricade. In the confusion, Stratton hit Naomi with the MITB briefcase! Jax crushes Naomi with the Annhilator for the win.
Winner- Nia Jax
After the match, Stratton tells Jax to crush Belair. As Jax goes up top, Stratton hits Jax with the MITB briefcase. Belair hits the KOD on Jax. Stratton tosses Belair over the commentary desk. LeRae tries to make the save, but Stratton tosses her out of the ring. Stratton cashes in the MITB contract.
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Nia Jax (c) vs. Tiffany Stratton
Stratton hits the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win.
Winner and NEW WWE Women’s Champion, Tiffany Stratton!
Grade A
This may have been Nia Jax’s best match since her return. Naomi and Jax had the crowd eating out of their hands with each big move and near fall. It’s a shame Naomi didn’t pull out the big win, but she may be heading head-first into a feud with her tag team partner Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill, so not having the title tied up in that makes some sense. Stratton finally cashing in was the chef’s kiss on what was already a fine piece of business. Also, the fact that this match was three segments is a welcome change from the 57 seconds Michin and Niven were given earlier tonight.
The Bloodline vs. Sami Zayn, and The Usos
Everyone brawls as soon as the match starts. Zayn and the Usos clear the ring. After the break, the Bloodline take over after a cheapshot on Jimmy. Sikoa, Tonga, and Fatu take turns working over Jimmy. Jimmy manages to tag in Zayn. Zayn lands a flurry of offense on Sikoa. Zayn dived off the top, but gets caught by Sikoa. Sikoa obliterates Zayn with a nasty spinning Solo. After the break, the Bloodline continue their assualt on Zayn.
Zayn eventually manages to tag in Jey, Jey clears the ring. Fatu get trapped in the corner. Zayn, Jey, and Jimmy all land running hip attacks. Jimmy lands the Uso Splash on Fatu. Fatu kick out and superkick Jimmy. Splash by Fatu. Fatu immediately follows that with the BME. Zayn breaks up the pin. Jey tags in. Jimmy and Jey double superkick Fatu. Fatu kicks out. Drew Mcintyre walks down to ringside.
Jey surprises McIntyre with a dive. Jey rolls back into the ring and eats a pop-up Samoan drop from Fatu. Kick out by Jey. Sikoa gets a blind tag. Jey avoids a hip attack from Fatu. Jey Spears Fatu. Uso Splash by Jey. Jey tries to pin Fatu, but Fatu isn’t the legal man. Sikoa rolls in the ring and Samoan spikes Jey. Sikoa pins Jey.
Winners- The Bloodline
Grade: B+
This match started with chaos and ended with chaos. All in all, this was a great SmackDown main event. The start captures the intensity of the feud between these six men. The near falls in this match had this writer and the crowd biting on everyone. They telegraphed Drew McIntyre’s involvement, but the fact that he didn’t have anything to do with the match finish and Sikoa stood tall on his own is an excellent lead-in to McIntyre’s feud with Jey and Sikoa looks strong heading into Tribal Combat with Roman Reigns on Raw next week.
WWE SmackDown Review:
Save for a way to quick contest between Piper Niven and Michin, the first three hour SmackDown was a success. SmackDown delivered a well-paced episode with solid storyline advancements and entertaining matches. The match of the night was Naomi vs. Nia Jax, with the main event between the Bloodline and Zayn and The Usos being a very close second. However, some segments felt rushed or repetitive, and certain mid-card feuds could use more creative direction. The Bloodline, women’s division, and tag division remain highlights, showcasing WWE’s depth across its roster. What do you think will happen next week? Let us know in the comment!
Rating: B+
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