Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for April 11, 2025

General Manager Nick Aldis is in the ring. Aldis addresses Randy Orton hitting him with an RKO last week, and says he has been instructed to maintain his professionalism. He says he will do that before inviting Orton to the ring. Orton heads to the ring and says Aldis has taken last week very personally, and reminds him about how he hit him with an RKO last year and paid double on the fine. Orton tells Aldis that they are even, then says this year will be his 20th WrestleMania and that he needs an opponent no matter what it takes, and proposes that Aldis take the suit off and face him. Aldis says he does not need Orton's money; instead, he needs his respect. Orton tells Aldis he earned his respect a long time ago, but tells him he cannot apologize to his wife Mickie James if he does not get his match. Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga show up, and Solo says nobody cares and that it is over for Orton because Orton is in the past, and next week, LA Knight will end up in the same boat as him when Jacob Fatu wins the United States Championship. Orton admits he finds it funny that Solo and Tama had the balls to interrupt him when he is trying to be diplomatic about business, and now the voices are telling him to beat up Solo and Tama. Solo and Tama approach from different ends, but Orton fends them off. The numbers game soon catches up to Orton, but LA Knight shows up and fights alongside Orton. Orton and Knight soon clean house, and Knight says he hopes that Jacob Fatu is watching because he took his name out of Solo and Tama's mouths and put his fist in them instead. He then says that neither he or Orton got enough, and challenges them to a tag team match tonight. Nick Aldis says he likes the sound of that, and the match is soon official.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez watch the next match from ringside.

Bayley and Lyra Valkyria beat the team of Zoey Stark and "The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler, the team of Natalya and Maxxine Dupri, the team of Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, the team of "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab and the team of The Secret Hervice (Piper Niven and Alba Fyre) in a tag team gauntlet match to earn a shot at the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. Maxxine Dupri and Natalya are eliminated when Maxxine goes for a Sharpshooter on Bayley only for Bayley to counter with an inside cradle.

It is announced that Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton have been told to stay home for the rest of the week following their face-to-face meeting last week.

Damian Priest heads to the ring, but he is attacked from behind by Drew McIntyre on the way. Officials have to get McIntyre away from Priest as Priest is helped to the back. McIntyre says it is plain as day that he only tells the truth and that every action is justified, "including dropping [Priest's] stupid ass." He says Priest benefited every time he has screwed and that he never wanted to face him like a man until he had one eye, and that he accept Priest's challenge because that is the kind of man that he is. McIntyre then says nobody will forget Priest after he gives him the beating of a lifetime at WrestleMania, then reveals his right eye is okay and that he is 100% medically cleared, which means that Priest is "100% screwed" at WrestleMania. Priest comes back and levels security on the way to the ring so he can brawl with McIntyre, but McIntyre goes right for Priest's eyes before hitting Priest with the ring steps. McIntyre grabs Priest and hits him with a Future Shock DDT on the steps, then rips the cross necklace off of Priest's neck.

Backstage, #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) focus on their loss last week, then tell Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) that it is all a conspiracy. Pretty Deadly think #DIY is out of their minds and desperate, then leave. Pretty Deadly leave, then The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) show up. Sabin mentions their tag team title shot next week, then Shelley tells #DIY that what happened to them was karma.

Rey Fenix beats Berto. After the match, Santos Escobar has Berto shake hands with Fenix, then Escobar shakes Fenix's hand and says something to him before leaving.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Roxanne Perez. Roxanne says she is taking matters into her own hands for a championship opportunity, and says that she is ready to steal the show as Tiffany Stratton is not ready. Tiffany Stratton shows up and says she is the last person Roxanne should be mentioning. General Manager Nick Aldis shows up as they argue, and when Tiffany tells Roxanne she will give her the spotlight that she wants tonight, Aldis takes the match into consideration.

We see a video package chronicling the history between CM Punk and Paul Heyman.

Zelina Vega catches up with - and mocks - Chelsea Green, then says she will see what kind of champion Chelsea Green is without Piper Niven and Alba Fyre.

We see another vignette with smoke, and this time, candles can be seen.

Zelina Vega beats Chelsea Green by count-out when Chelsea Green looks lost without Piper Niven and Alba Fyre.

Backstage, Santos Escobar tells Angel and Berto that tonight exemplifies the performance he needs. He then says that he will beat Rey Fenix, and after showing his disappointment with Berto, heads off with Angel to give Fenix a job well done. Meanwhile, Andrade tries to talk to Berto, and tells him to keep his head up and stay proud, but Berto tells him to mind his own business.

We see a video package for Naomi vs. Jade Cargill at WrestleMania.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring, where multiple iterations of the Undisputed WWE Championship are displayed on tables. He calls the Undisputed WWE Championship proof that one is the best wrestler in the world and says that he is blessed to carry the title, but he will not always be the champion. He says that while this is also about the next twenty champions, wherever they may come from, John Cena wants to take it away. Cody says John Cena has neglected to make Seattle, Washington part of his farewell tour and is in Las Vegas, Nevada for next week, then addresses Cena's comment of his neck tattoo making him "a common fan." Cody says he has the tattoo because he wants to be somebody, just like some of the past WWE Champions before him, and that he knows who he is. He says that he is the WWE Champion, and Cena is not. He says that Cena is always teaching and preaching, but Cody says that the fans are allowed to love somebody else, especially when he is part of a roster full of people who make each other better. Cody says that he has to halt history and keep Cena from winning the championship in order to have history in WWE in the first place, and tells Cena that he does his best work when backed into a corner. He says the bell is going to ring, and when it does and it is over, he will leave Cena his moment in the ring to say goodbye, as while Cena's time has been up for some time, it is his time, he is timeless, and the WWE Championship "stays with us."

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford). Montez says that The Motor City Machine Guns have not cared for much about them and that they cannot care about what they do not have, which includes the WWE Tag Team Championships. Angelo Dawkins says that they run this division when Carmelo Hayes and The Miz show up. Carmelo says they are running the division to the ground, and The Miz challenges The Street Profits for the WWE Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania.

Tiffany Stratton beats Roxanne Perez. After the match, Charlotte Flair shows up from out of nowhere to attack Tiffany Stratton before officials and security show up. Wade Barrett has to get Charlotte to calm down.

LA Knight and Randy Orton beat Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga after Orton and Solo brawl their way into the crowd and Knight hits Tama with the BFT. After the match, Jacob Fatu shows up and attacks LA Knight from behind before hitting him with two top rope moonsaults and holding up the United States Championship. He then hits Knight with one more moonsault before the show fades to black.

Here are the full highlights from tonight's show!

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