Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for February 25, 2022

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania is officially announced as a title unification match.

Michael Cole interviews "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey in the ring to start tonight's show. Ronda says she broke her hand, rehabbed it, broke her other hand, rehabbed that hand, then had a daughter. She says that she wanted to punch her ticket to a second WrestleMania to set an example for her daughter after what her mother did to become a judo champion. Ronda also says she wants to be the first woman in two years to tap out Charlotte Flair, then Charlotte shows up after some still photos of Ronda at Elimination Chamber are shown. Charlotte tells Ronda she gave a little taste of a welcome back that she says was "so much fun" and gave her mercy at Elimination Chamber because she felt sorry for her, then says she will not do it again when she taps her out with the Figure Eight at WrestleMania. As Charlotte says that the bright side of it all is that Ronda will work on having a second child, Ronda is hit with a chop block by Sonya Deville. Charlotte then trips Ronda from the outside and rams her leg into a ring post. When Sonya gets in Ronda's face and asks her why she is such a failure, Ronda judo throws her out of the ring.

Backstage, Adam Pearce informs Sonya Deville that next week, she will go one-on-one with "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey.

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E) beat Los Lotharios (Humberto and Angel). Before the match, Los Lotharios kiss a woman in the front row for their kiss cam. (This woman is Kayla Sparks, who would appear on AEW Rampage later that night.) The New Day head to the ring on an ATV, and at the end of the match, The New Day hit the Midnight Hour on Angel after Angel has to beg Big E not to run over Humberto with the ATV.

Sam Roberts is seen with The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) backstage.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs are seen riding across northern California in a Toyota Tundra TRO PRO and going kayaking.

WrestleMania 38 is 36 days away!

Backstage, Sheamus and Ridge Holland stop The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E) on their ATV, telling them that if they show up for fight night, they will need the ATV to carry them out. The New Day laugh and drive off.

Backstage, Sam Roberts interviews The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso). Jey Uso says tonight's contract signing is for the biggest WrestleMania match of all time, and Jey Uso says that Roman Reigns will "put that work" on Brock Lesnar like they will "put that work" on The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik). As The Usos joke that they can smell The Viking Raiders a mile away, The Viking Raiders attack them and demand a SmackDown tag team title shot.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews Xia Li. Xia Li says she has waited for this moment for his whole life after working hard in NXT, and while she is nervous, she is confident, for she is "The Protector" and Natalya will need protecting.

Xia Li beats Natalya in her main roster debut match.

Sami Zayn shows up in a gold tuxedo and heads to the ring. Sami Zayn says that justice is served, that you cannot keep a good man down, and that he is Intercontinental Champion again, and that he was the target of a large conspiracy to keep the title from him. He says that "they" will persecute him any chance he gets, but he knows that no matter what "they" throw at him, he can overcome all of it. Sami says he is more than happy to give Shinsuke Nakamura a title rematch, but he is too busy picking up the pieces of his knee cap that he shattered, and therefore, he has no problems with holding an open challenge. Johnny Knoxville suddenly shows up and says that since Sami Zayn crashed his celebration, he felt he should return the favor. Sami tells him to leave, but Knoxville reminds him that he threw out an open challenge. Sami tells Knoxville that he does not belong her and that while he is playing mind games with him, but he can through him. Knoxville asks Sami if he wants to be a fighting champion or if he does not have enough balls. Sami drops the mic as the crowd starts a "no balls" chant, then stares down Knoxville before teasing leaving. He then runs back into the ring and attacks Knoxville before hitting him with the Helluva Kick. Referees have to keep Sami from Knoxville afterwards, and Sami soon hits Knoxville with another Helluva Kick.

Backstage, Adam Pearce meets with Sami Zayn when Ricochet shows up and steps up for an Intercontinental title match. Sami tells him to get to the back of the line, but Adam Pearce makes it official for next week, much to Sami's chagrin.

Naomi guests on commentary for the next match.

Sasha Banks beats Shotzi with the Banks Statement. After the match, Naomi says that everyone is looking at the next WWE Women's Tag Team Champions in her and Sasha.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. Corbin says Moss has the strongest neck in the world, or else Elimination Chamber would have been a disaster. He then says Drew McIntyre will have to deal with him in a WrestleMania-caliber match and it will happen tonight. He says that McIntyre swung a sword at him and disrespected him and Moss, and tonight, he will show McIntyre who the better warrior is and that is no joke.

Before the next match, Happy Corbin says the next match is a WrestleMania-caliber match and asks Drew McIntyre if he wants to embarrass himself in Hershey, Pennsylvania, then says Madcap Moss is tough as nails and an inspiration after landing on his head and continuing to fight. He then tells Moss to get on the apron and tells him that he has this match, as it is "only Drew McIntyre." Moss gets in the ring, but Corbin attacks McIntyre from behind and Moss joins in.

Drew McIntyre beats Madcap Moss.

Backstage, Megan Morant interviews "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey, who says that for all the times Sonya Deville messed with her and bullied Naomi, she will show what happens when authority figures step out of line.

Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) head to the ring. In the ring, Adam Pearce oversees the contract signing, and security guards are also present. Heyman says we have come to a point in history where there is no way to embellish or exaggerate the enormity of this year's WrestleMania main event, and that this match is the single-biggest match in history. He says that this is the biggest match on the biggest stage, and is bigger than Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Rock, and the night Brock Lesnar conquered The Undertaker's undefeated streak. Heyman says that Roman will solidify his "greatest of all time" status against Brock Lesnar in a title unification match, then gets down to the business at hand and states that security is here to protect Brock Lesnar from his own impulsiveness and from Roman Reigns. He then says "And this, ladies and gentleman, is what they call a cliffhanger," before the show immediately fades to a commercial break. After the commercial break, Brock Lesnar heads to the ring. Lesnar admits he has to contain himself and admits that he is impulsive, but says that if security will stop him from jumping across the table and kicking Roman and Heyman's asses, they have another thing coming. He says the only thing stopping him is himself and the contract, and that he will sign the contract so he can kick their asses and get paid for it. Lesnar then signs the contract and tosses it at Roman, then Heyman says he has had it with Lesnar's disrespect and that if he wants to make it personal, he will make sure Lesnar loses the WWE Championship next week at Madison Square Garden. Roman then signs the contract before stating that the WWE Champonship is his and that Lesnar does not even realize this because he will smash him at WrestleMania and absolutely everyone and everything around him is his. After Roman says all of the security in the ring works for him, Lesnar flips the table and lays out all of security.

This week on Talking Smack: The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik)! Sonya Deville!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!