Thursday Night's Main Event - Main Event recap for April 16, 2026

Jordynne Grace beats Zelina Vega.

Raquel Rodriguez beats Maxxine Dupri.

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for February 13, 2026

Tiffany Stratton heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Tiffany talks about how she lost the WWE Women's Championship three months ago after having a rookie year most women would dream of having. She says that she wants to qualify for the Elimination Chamber because when she says something, she will do it. Tiffany also says she is going into the chamber expects to win, and says that the WWE Women's Championship misses her. Suddenly, Nia Jax and Lash Legend show up, not exactly happy to see her, and Lash says that Tiffany got lucky last week. Tiffany asks Nia if she has learned her lesson after being obsessed with her and calls Lash Legend Nia's "replacement." Lash Legend says she is "the upgrade" and that after tonight, when they beat Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships, Nia will win her qualifying match and pin Tiffany faster than she can say "It's Tiffy Time." Tiffany gets a "Tiffy Time" chant going, then Nia says they should save Tiffany the embarrassment and take care of this tonight. Nia tells Tiffany that she knows what she is capable of, to which Tiffany replies "Losing another title match." Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky show up, and Rhea Ripley says that neither Nia or Tiffany will be walking out of the Elimination Chamber as a winner because she is in it, and soon, Iyo Sky will be in there, and the two of them will work together until they are the last two standing. She then says that the two of them will beat the crap out of Nia and Lash for thinking they will walk out with the Women's Tag Team Championships.

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky vs. Nia Jax and Lash Legend for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships ends in a no-contest when the match gets out of control. After the match, both teams continue to brawl on the outside, and the brawl ends with Iyo Sky putting Nia Jax through a table and Lash Legend tackling Rhea Ripley through the barricade of the timekeeper's area.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes. Cody says he can do what he did last week and speak with conviction, or he can do the "Golden Boy" thing and control his emotions. He says there are posting along live with the show and streams broadcasting their reaction to everything the Superstars say, and that there are people who hope that he, Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu tear each other apart and bring the house down. He then says that when the pressure builds, he asks himself where he is, which is two matches away from the dream of main eventing WrestleMania, in Texas. Cody says not to bet against him, especially in Texas.

Backstage, Carmelo Hayes meets with Matt Cardona and Apollo Crews. Apollo says he is loving what Carmelo Hayes is doing with the United States Open Challenge and would love to get back in the game, and Cardona also mentions holding the WWE United States Championship at one time and that he is back for some gold. Carmelo says that the challenge is open every Friday, but this week, it is closed. Carmelo then runs into The Miz, who says that Carmelo is just handing out title shots to anyone, to which Carmelo responds "Anyone but you." Miz says he is the locker room leader and is filling the role that John Cena left, and Carmelo is testing his three core values: master, inspire, zone in. Miz then says he is zoning in on teaching Carmelo a lesson in respect. Carmelo says he hopes Miz teaches better than he wrestle and leaves, then Apollo Crews shows up and says that "zone in" is two words, to which Matt Cardona shows up and agrees. Miz gets flustered and leaves.

We hear from Aleister Black and Zelina Vega. Aleister gives Randy Orton credit where credit is due, and says that their match was shades of "2009 Randy Orton." He then says he cannot help but wonder what happens if "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes qualifies tonight, or the road that Orton will take and whether or not he will see Orton soon. Zelina tells Guilia and Alexa Bliss hold on to her title and a fragile friendship respectively, and she canot help but wonder but poke and play until those porcelain egos finally break. She says she knows who Alexa is, but that time will come. Tonight, shoe hopes to get to the Elimination Chamber, and tonight, change will come.

Before the next match, Carmelo Hayes says that for the last 48 days that he has been WWE United States Championship, he has chosen to bring honor and prestige to the championship the same way the champions before him did, and as the "US-A-Champion," he is on the road to WrestleMania and he has earned his opportunity to WrestleMania, and since he can shoot his shot, he will shoot for the main event. Carmelo proclaims that next week, he will qualify for the Elimination Chamber, for when he shoots, he does not miss. He says that he made a promise to somebody that has been chasing him, and he owes it to him. Carmelo then calls out Ilja Dragunov, and after Dragunov heads to the ring, The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo) show up, and Solo Sikoa says that Dragunov has already lost twice and should get to the back of the line, as the line starts with him. Dragunov reminds Solo Sikoa that his family abandoned him during his qualifying match, which Solo takes exception to before stating that what happened to The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross) will happen to Carmelo and Dragunov. Dragunov takes this as Solo Sikoa looking for a fight, and that he and Carmelo are ready for one. Carmelo then says that he was hoping to leave with one title, but now he looks forward to leaving with two. Solo says it did not have to be like this before snapping his finger and siccing the rest of The MFT's on them. The numbers game quickly takes over, but Matt Cardona and Apollo Crews quickly show up to even the numbers game up slightly before Shinsuke Nakamura arrives to even them completely. Carmelo, Dragunov, Apollo, Cardona and Nakamura quickly clean house, and General Manager Nick Aldis shows up liking what he is seeing and pushing back the United States Championship back before making a ten-man tag match official.

The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo) beat Carmelo Hayes, Ilja Dragunov, Apollo Crews, Matt Cardona and Shinsuke Nakamura in a ten-man tag match after Talla Tonga shoves Carmelo Hayes off the top rope into a Samoan Spike, allowing Tama Tonga to hit Cutthroat for the win. After the match, The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross) show up in the crowd and stare down The MFT's.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair meets with Alexa Bliss and apologizes about what happened in the women's Royal Rumble match. Alexa says Nia Jax eliminated her, and Charlotte Flair says that while Nia ruins everything, she will not ruin today, which is "Galentine's Day." Charlotte hands Alexa her favorite flowers and a signed picture of herself, then tells Alexa she will be at ringside for her match tonight.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis speaks with R-Truth and Damian Priest. Priest learns from Aldis that next week, he is in a Triple Threat Match with Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams in an Elimination Chamber qualifier. All of a sudden, Kit Wilson confronts Aldis, and says he has chosen to weaponise his words instead of his fists and recites a poem where he calls Nick Aldis toxic. R-Truth and Damian Priest laugh, and Kit Wilson accuses Priest and R-Truth of lacking emotional intelligence that allows them to be able to enjoy a poem from the most real man in the room. R-Truth makes fun of Kit Wilson's manhood, which causes Kit Wilson to call R-Truth "vile," and calls Priest and Aldis "children" for laughing, then says he is not toxic and that everyone is toxic as he leaves.

Alexa Bliss beats Zelina Vega and Giulia in an Elimination Chamber qualifier.

Backstage, Jordynne Grace welcomes Tiffany Stratton back. Tiffany admits that things have become different around here, and while she wants to beat Jade Cargill, she wants to see Jordynne Grace win the women's Elimination Chamber Match. Jordynne Grace that when she wins, she would not mind seeing Tiffany at WrestleMania. Jordynne leaves, then Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre bump into Tiffany. Chelsea Green, who is now in a wheelchair, says that her now-injured right foot is "grotesque," all because Tiffany had to take her spot at Elimination Chamber, then proclaims that jealousy is a disease and that Tiffany is riddled with it. Alba then demands an apology and compensation, and Tiffany tells Chelsea that if she wanted an apology, all she had to do was step up and ask, then realizes Chelsea is in a wheelchair and that she cannot.

We see a video package chronicling what has happened between "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu.

Backstage, Rey Fenix is met by Sami Zayn, who tells Fenix to teach Trick Williams a lesson for talking a lot of trash despite having all the talent in the world. Rey Fenix says he will take care of that, then Sami Zayn admits that the last time Rey Fenix talked to him, he was not all there and that the last few weeks have been rough, but tonight is a new chance to punch a ticket to WrestleMania, and Rey Fenix's words meant a lot to him. Fenix says that tonight, Sami Zayn has this.

Before the next match, Trick Williams says that nobody in Dallas, Texas wants to hear Sami Zayn tell another sob story after he comes out every single week begging for another opportunity, then says that Sami has another opportunity tonight and that if he comes out moping around, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu will eat him alive. Trick then says that next week, he will do whatever it takes to qualify for the Elimination Chamber, but as for tonight, he has Rey Fenix, and says the people of Dallas, Texas would rather see a lion like him get up than watch a squirrel do a flip.

Trick Williams beats Rey Fenix.

Backstage, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are disappointed with their match against Nia Jax and Lash Legend, then tells Iyo to let her focus on Nia while she qualifies for the Elimination Chamber. Suddenly, Giulia and Kiana James show up, and when Rhea Ripley mocks Giulia for not qualifying before Iyo Sky entertains the idea of taking the Women's United States Championship from her, Giulia becomes enraged and has to be held back by Kiana. Jade Cargill shows up and smiles, then leaves.

We see a video package for Jordynne Grace vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's Championship.

We hear from Jacob Fatu, who says that the odds have been stacked against him his whole life, and while he has never been in the Elimination Chamber is like, he has been in prison. He says he has been written off and scratched out, and that even "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn are wondering what he is going to do. He says that he will qualify tonight and that he has Elimination Chamber in the bag on the way to WrestleMania with nobody doubting what he will do then.

Before the next match, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez and "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio show up. Dominik says that Liv is watching this match up close, and Liv Morgan mentions that Jade Cargill has reached 100 days as champion. Dominik then announces that he has arranged a romantic Valentine's Day date between himself and Liv Morgan. Stage hands bring out two chairs and a table with candy and chicken nuggets, and Liv Morgan says that she will watch Jordynne Grace and Jade Cargill tear each other apart.

Jade Cargill retains the WWE Women's Championship against Jordynne Grace. After the match, Jade Cargill tells Liv Morgan that if she challenges her at WrestleMania, what happened to Jordynne will happen to her.

Backstage, The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) and Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) notice that Johnny Gargano is still sulking with Candice LeRae by his side. Gargano mentions that Tommaso Ciampa is gone and that he has no title and no friends and that he has nothing left. Gargano then lays on a road crate, and Candice says she will fix this as she pushes the road crate and wheels Gargano out. The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo) soon show up and tells everyone else to take note and get in line if they want shots at the WWE Tag Team Championships. All of a sudden, Solo Sikoa sees a picture of his head as a lantern as drawn by Dexter Lumis, and tears it off in anger.

We see footage from yesterday where WWE Superstars visited the National Medal of Honor Museum.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis is handing a SmackDown contract to Oba Femi when Kit Wilson shows up. Aldis takes Kit Wilson's book and reads his poem about Oba Femi, and Oba Femi proposes that he and Kit Wilson meet in the ring next week so they can discuss their feelings. Kit Wilson calls Oba Femi "toxic" and leaves.

Backstage, Cathy Kelly interviews Drew McIntyre. McIntyre says that the men currently in the Elimination Chamber want none of him, then promises that "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes will be nowhere near him, his title or the main event of WrestleMania after hearing what Cody has had to say. He says that Jacob Fatu has the best chances in the Elimination Chamber as he has spent the most time behind bars, and if Jacob Fatu makes it to the main event of WrestleMania, he will make Jacob wish he was back in the slammer. Sami Zayn shows up as McIntyre is about to address him, and says a big part of him wants Sami to win tonight, as he has paid his dues and he knows that he is going to win the big one tonight.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes beats Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu in an Elimination Chamber qualifier. During the match, Cody hits a Cody Cutter on Sami, then Jacob throws Cody out of the ring and hits Sami with a top rope moonsault only to be booted in the head with a Claymore by Drew McIntyre during a pinfall attempt. McIntyre then grabs Jacob Fatu and throws him around on the outside, then Cody takes out McIntyre only to be sent into the ring post. McIntyre then powerbombs Jacob Fatu through the announce table before hitting Cody with a Claymore back in the ring and placing Sami on top of Cody for a pinfall attempt. The referee gets back in the ring and counts the pinfall attempt, but Cody gets a shoulder up. McIntyre becomes furious and gets back in the ring to attack Cody, but Sami boots him with a Helluva Kick. Cody then hits Sami with the Cross Rhodes for the pin and the win.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for December 12, 2025

We hear from General Manager Nick Aldis, who says that bringing Drew McIntyre back has become difficult, as McInytre has returned none of his calls. He gives Drew McIntyre an invitation to come to SmackDown so they can come to a resolution to bring him back. Backstage, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes is met by Aldis, who tells him that he has a document where McIntyre has declared SmackDown an unsafe working environment. Aldis also states that he is heading straight to McIntyre's home in order to come to a resolution. Cody wads it up and throws it to the floor on the way to the ring to start tonight's show. In the ring, Cody brings up McIntyre's claims of SmackDown being an unsafe working environment, and says that McIntyre is in the position he is in because he is "half in," and if he were McIntyre's boss, he would fire him. Since he cannot fire McIntyre, however, he can whip his ass. All of a sudden, Oba Femi shows up and heads to the ring. Oba notes that Cody is all fired up, but tells Cody that he should be worried about him instead of McIntyre before introducing himself. He notes that their match at Saturday Night's Main Event is being viewed as "present vs. future," then says that the future is now and here and it is him. He says that Cody's time is up, and his time is now. Cody notes their mutual respect for John Cena before telling Oba that he beat Cena for the WWE Championship. Oba stops Cody on his way out, and both men raise their respective titles in a brief staredown.

Backstage, Fraxiom meet up with Ilja Dragunov, telling him that they will have his back in case #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae) gets involved. Dragunov appreciates but rejects the assistance, saying he must do in the painful but honest way. He says he will put Ciampa in his place, and he must do it alone. Dragunov states that John Cena never gave up and never backed down, and that Ciampa will learn that pain will entertain him if he messes with him.

Ilja Dragunov retains the WWE United States Championship against Tommaso Ciampa despite the interference of Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. After the match, Gargano and Ciamapa gang up on Dragunov, then Carmelo Hayes runs into the ring and fights off both of them, sending them into a retreat. He then helps Dragunov up.

We see an John Cena interview snippet about what is next. Cena says he will be an ambassador for WWE for the next five years.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Je'Von Evans. Je'Von says that he is on the biggest stage of his career, but he will not be there alone. All of a sudden, The Miz shows up, saying he should be the one being interviewed. Je'Von not only reminds Miz that he blew his chances to face Cena, then challenges to a match. Miz tells him that if he injures him, he will not make it to Saturday. We then see a message from Uncle Howdy saying "We're here."

The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross) head to the ring. Uncle Howdy addresses Solo Sikoa and his claims from last week, saying he has discredited him and his family before asking who Solo is to pass judgment. He says Solo does not have the power to look within himself, but The Wyatt Sicks do. He says that Solo's real family has all turned their backs on him, as he used and abused those who claimed to love him. He says that Solo is disillusioned and out of his mind, saying that The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo) run SmackDown. Howdy tells Solo to rip the scales from his eyes, as The MFT's run nothing while The Wyatt Sicks hold the WWE Tag Team Championships. He states that if The MFT's want the titles, then they can come and get them. The MFT's show up on the TitanTron, with Solo stating that he, not Uncle Howdy, calls the shots, and this time, they will do things his way. Next week, they will come to take the titles, and tells The Wyatt Sicks to be ready for war. He says that if Uncle Howdy wants to keep his family safe, then he should give The MFT's the tag team titles, or else all he can do is run.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair warns Alexa Bliss to be careful against Lash Legend on their road back to the women's tag titles. Rhea Ripley shows up and makes it known that she and Iyo want the women's tag titles, but Alexa says that she and Charlotte do not step aside for anyone.

Tom Brady, Snoop Dogg, Peyton Manning, Jelly Roll and Jimmy Fallon, all congratulate John Cena for his retirement and incredible career.

Sol Ruca and Bayley are seen in the crowd.

Lash Legend beats Alexa Bliss after hitting Charlotte Flair on the outside with a pump kick for taking out Nia Jax.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Aleister Black and Zelian Vega. Zelina says it did not have to come to this, but Damian Priest does not like the man that he is and that Rhea Ripley will not make him whole. Aleister says that if Priest is so keen to drag his friends to Hell with him, then so be it.

It is announced that SmackDown goes back to three hours on January 2nd.

Je'Von Evans beats The Miz.

Backstage, Rhea Ripley is met by Nia Jax and Lash Legend. They put Rhea on notice, but Rhea is not threatened and says Nia has been brave since she got backup. She warns Nia that she is a problem that she will not solve. Nia and Lash leave. Damian Priest shows up, saying he needs this energy in the ring. He leaves, then Jade Cargill shows up and looks at Rhea briefly before heading to the ring.

We hear from "Michin" Mia Yim, who says that Jade Cargill has been picking on the women's division and that it pisses her off, and says that while Jade will give her all that she has got, she will do the same to Jade. Suddenly, Jade Cargill attacks Michin before heading to the ring. Jade Cargill says that this is what happens women do not know their place in the back, then says that anyone can step up and get stepped on. Michin shows up with a shinai in her hand and officials behind her, and Michin smacks Cargill with the shinai. Cargill hits Michin with a pump kick, then hits her with a choke slam back in the ring.

We see a video package for Oba Femi.

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley beat Aleister Black and Zelina Vega.

Here are the highlights for tonight's show!

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

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for August 1, 2025

John Cena heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Before he can utter a word, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes shows up and heads to the ring. Cena tells Cody that he did not listen to him last week, assaulted him, forged his signature and forced him into one of the most dangerous matches in WWE on one of its biggest stages for its biggest championship, and for that, he says "Thank you." He says that this was "the boot in the ass" that he needed, as he has forged a legacy out of honestly, loyalty and respect, and that he flushed it down the toilet five months ago over someone's idea of "shock TV." He says that people on his team left and that they left him alone as he pretended to be something that he was not, then states that he wants to leave with the WWE Championship and take it home with him, not to ruin wrestling, but to not be forgotten. Cena says he was so hung up on how he would be seen tomorrow that he did not focus on how he acted today, and that Cody "did what a good friend should do" when he forced him into a fight. He says that this will be brutal and force him to be who he really is, and if he cannot suit up for war, he should not suit up for all, and declares that this is the day that he came back to WWE. Cena admits he does not know who will leave with the WWE Championship, but he knows the fans will win, because he is finally over his own B.S. because Cody gets to face him at his best in a match that he wanted. After telling Cody that he will be the only Platinum-winning rapper whipping his ass, Cena declares that "The champ is here!" to extreme fanfare from the fans. Cody asks for two beers from the timekeeper's table, then says "Welcome back, John Cena" before the two shake hands and have a beer together.

In backstage footage from earlier today, Logan Paul mocks Jelly Roll as he is practicing in a ring. Jelly Roll immediately challenging Logan Paul to a fight, and both men brawl. Drew McIntyre shows up in time for Logan Paul to hold Jelly Roll down for a Claymore Kick.

"The Rainmaker" actor PJ Byrne is seen in the crowd.

Giulia retains the WWE Women's United States Championship against Zelina Vega.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Solo Sikoa, Tala Tonga, Tama Tonga and JC Mateo. Solo Sikoa says he is only worried about his championship and his family, then says Jimmy Uso will get a big boot to his big mouth from Tala Tonga, as tonight is about sending a message.

Before the next match, Santos Escobar demands everyone stand up and show respect for the AAA World Tag Team Champions, Los Garza (Angel and Berto). He then issues an open challenge to any team who wants to be lucha royalty along with being tag team champions. The challenge is answered by Mr. Iguana and Psycho Clown.

Los Garza (Angel and Berto) retain the AAA World Tag Team Championships against Psycho Clown and Mr. Iguana in an open challenge.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interview Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre. McIntyre says they are saving what they have to say about their attack on Jelly Roll earlier today for the ring later tonight.

We see a video package of the SmackDown tag team division.

Damian Priest beats Aleister Black by disqualification after Aleister throws a metal folding chair into Priest's face. After the match, Aleister then hits Priest in the back with the chair before hitting him in the face with it. The referee takes the chair away, but that leads to Aleister throwing Priest into the ring steps multiple times by the back of his head. He then hits Priest with Black Mass, and assistance has to be called for Priest.

Backstage, Tiffany Stratton is met by Jade Cargill. Tiffany says she wanted Cargill at 100% at SummerSlam to make sure there were no excuses when she loses last week. Cargill says there will be no excuses and that she will finish what she started.

The Medina Family are the recipients of the Jimmy John's seat upgrade.

Talla Tonga beats Jimmy Uso after catching Jimmy out of the air for a choke slam while still on his back. After the match, Solo Sikoa sends out Tama Tonga and JC Mateo. They attack Jimmy Uso as Solo demands that the steel cage hanging above the ring be lowered. As Solo goes for a Samoan Spike on Jimmy, Jacob Fatu shows up and slides into the ring before the cage is fully lowered. Solo and Talla escape as JC and Tama fight Jacob only to be overpowered.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. Charlotte admits she did not expect the two of them to be a tag team, but Alexa has had her back even if she is "super annoying." Alexa finds this statement bizarre, but says Charlotte hasn't been "half bad."

Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre head to the ring. Logan says that he and McIntyre are just trying to protect WWE from outsiders and that the fans do not know what it means to compete at SummerSlam. He says that Jelly Roll thought SummerSlam was "a hot dog eating contest." He says that he and McIntyre are tired of outsiders making a name for themselves while using WWE as a stepping stone, then tells Jelly Roll that he is an outsider, not a wrestler, and he learned today that he is a country star, not a Superstar, and that he will never belong here.McIntyre says that whatever happens to "Smelly Hole" tomorrow will be on Randy Orton, then says that "you talk to God when you need a favor" and that he has God on speed dial, and when he prays, bad things happen. All of a sudden, Jelly Roll shows up at the arena, but so does Randy Orton. General Manager Nick Aldis tries to talk Orton and Jelly Roll out of this, but they head to the ring and brawl with Logan and McIntyre. Security shows up, and Logan and McIntyre are sent tumbling out of the ring. Three security guards stand in front of Orton and Jelly Roll, and two of them eat an RKO before the third one gets choke slammed by Jelly Roll to end the show.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for June 27, 2025

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring to start tonight's show. We are also introduced to the Arabic announce team of Faisal bin Mughaisib and Jude Aldajani. Before Cody can speak, Randy Orton makes his way to the ring. Orton says that Cody and "Main Event" Jey Uso had a match of the year contender on last week's Raw, and as much as he would like to see the King of the Ring crown on Cody's head, he says that he must be King of the Ring. Orton says that he wants to redeem himself after losing last year's tournament to Gunther and that he wants retribution against John Cena after Cena embarrassed him in front of friends and family. He says he cannot let how he feels about Cody get in the way of his goal and that there is nothing he will not do to leave Saudi Arabia with the crown on top of his head. He then says that goal will come true when he reintroduces Cody to the RKO. Cody says that "embarrassment" is not a word he would attach to Orton and Cena, and while he is grateful and thankful for Orton, he needs to be King of the Ring just that little bit more. Cody says that while RKO will still be the three most dangerous letters after all is said and done, Orton will not be King of the Ring, because he will. (During this portion of the broadcast, the show undergoes technical difficulties due to a power loss lasting approximately 30 minutes; this affected the international Netflix feed as the show aired live. Cody and Orton would interact with the fans afterwards to kill time.)

Backstage, Solo Sikoa gives Jimmy Uso one more opportunity to join them, and tells JC Mateo to make Jacob how it feels not to have anyone before he takes care of Jacob on Saturday and proves that they are just getting started.

JC Mateo beats Jimmy Uso following the distraction by Solo Sikoa. After the match, Solo helps Jimmy up, but Jimmy slaps Solo when Solo tries to get him to join the family. JC Mateo attacks Jimmy from behind, but Jacob Fatu shows up before Solo can hit the Samoan Spike. Jacob makes quick work of JC Mateo, and Solo rolls out of the ring. Jacob then hits JC Mateo with a moonsault from the top rope before, then he and Jimmy have a staredown before Jimmy shoves Jacob to the site to hit Solo with a superkick.

Backstage, #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) are seen talking to the rest of the SmackDown tag team division, saying that if The Wyatt Sicks (Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis) win the WWE Tag Team titles, they will hold the titles for a long time. General Manager Nick Aldis, who cannot help but overhear, brings out Andrade, then tells him to find a partner so he can face #DIY in a tag team match tonight.

We hear from Giulia, who says that she and Zelina Vega have been calling each other out since Zelina became champion. She says that her hard work is evident and that Zelina's title is just a stepping stone, and she will prove the title does not belong to her. We then hear from Zelina Vega, who says that the streets were not made for everyone and that sidewalks were made for people like Giulia. Zelina says she has worked hard and sacrificed to become Women's United States Champion, and that she will prove why she is the champion tonight.

Giulia beats Zelina Vega to become the WWE Women's United States Champion!

Backstage, Charlotte Flair runs into Alexa Bliss and refuses to talk about last week, then says she does not need help. Alexa says they should at least be on the same page as "allies of convenience," and tells Charlotte to think about it.

Wade Barrett interviews Jade Cargill and Asuka in the ring. Jade Cargill arrives first, followed by Asuka. Cargill says that people get nervous when they see Asuka, but people like Asuka are why she came to WWE, and she sees Asuka as purpose and not pressure and plans to beat her to become Queen of the Ring. Asuka says Cargill is strong, but power is not everything, as she has skill and experience. Before Cargill can reply back, Naomi shows up and says that Asuka and Cargill may fight over a crown, but she has all the power with the Money in the Bank contract. She entertains the scenarios in which she can cash in, and says that she can take a title away from Cargill like she did everything else and that it gives her pure pleasure to think about how she can ruin the biggest night of Cargill's career. Cargill fights past Asuka to swing at Naomi, but Asuka gets the last word on Cargill and lays her out.

Backstage, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis meets with Raw General Manger Adam Pearce regarding the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships when Aleister Black shows up. Aleister is soon interrupted by Ron Killings, who wants John Cena. After Ron Killings leaves when he does not get Cena, Aleister soon follows Killings.

We see footage of Los Garza (Angel and Berto) winning the AAA World Tag Team Championships from two weeks ago.

Andrade's tag team partner is revealed to be Rey Fenix.

Andrade and Rey Fenix beat #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa).

Ron Killings suddenly heads to the ring and calls out John Cena. All of a sudden, Aleister Black shows up behind him, and when Killings turns around, Aleister hits him with Black Mass and tells him they are even.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford). Montez says it has been four years since they last held tag team gold, and that no other team will be able to take it from them anytime soon. Dawkins says The Wyatt Sicks are the only threat they have and that they must eliminate that threat. B-Fab shows up and tells The Street Profits that she has their backs.

Backstage, Aleister Black is met by Damian Priest. Priest tells Aleister Black that he knows what Ron Killings is capable of, and should consider paying back his debt in a one-on-one match, telling him that things could end up differently. Aleister leaves after he says he is sure they will, then Carmelo Hayes shows up and says Priest should let Killings handle his own business. Priest tells Carmelo to walk away now. Carmelo walks away.

The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) retain the WWE Tag Team Championships against The Wyatt Sicks (Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis) by disqualification when Los Garzas (Angel and Berto), starting a brawl involving the entire SmackDown tag team division, which is at ringside to watch the match more closely. After the match, Erick Rowan gets involved in the brawl, as does Uncle Howdy. The Street Profits take The Wyatt Sicks and the rest of the tag team division out after Axiom is hit with Sister Abigail by Howdy and it takes three people to take down Rowan.

It is announced that SmackDown goes back to two hours next week.

Backstage, Jacob Fatu runs into Jimmy Uso. Both men state they did not each others' help last week, but Jimmy does admit he has respect for Jacob for standing up to Solo Sikoa, which he wishes he did a long time ago. Both men come to a mutual understanding.

Tiffany Stratton retains the WWE Women's Championship against Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing Match. During the match, Naomi tries to cash in on Tiffany Stratton, but Tiffany lays her out and even uses the Money in the Bank briefcase as a weapon, which helps her put Nia Jax through two tables to win the match and retain the title.

John Cena heads to the ring. Cena tells the Saudi Arabian that he is what a winner looks like and that CM Punk is a loser, then says Night of Champions is a formality and that Punk can do nothing about it. All of a sudden, CM Punk shows up in a parody of Cena's "Doctor of Thuganomics" gimmick called "Basic Punkanomics," saying he is ripping it off after Cena stole his pipebomb. He says that Cena has buried more talent than The Undertaker, can't act in movies like Batista, is more problematic than Hulk Hogan, can't wrestle, and is a washed up bum. Punk says that Cena is a leech for stealing his pipebomb, then says that at Night of Champions, Cena will "lose to Kendrick, 'cause bitch, you're my Drake." Cena is left speechless as the show ends.

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

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for June 6, 2025

Seth "Freakin'" Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman head to the ring to start tonight's show. Rollins announces that tomorrow, he will take everything and have ultimate power and total control over the company when he wins the Money in the Bank contract. He says that anyone who stands in their way will suffer the same fate as those who already have, then says Roman Reigns is not coming to save the fans as he has never cared about them like he always has. Rollins then proclaims that he will drag everyone into the future, kicking and screaming if he has to, as that is what he does, and that there is no one who could stop him. Suddenly, Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and JC Mateo show up and head to the ring. Solo questions Rollins' claims of disappearing and putting in the dirt those who have crossed him, then says Rollins has "a little Bloodline here going on," and compares Breakker and Bronson to "Main Event" Jey Uso and Sami Zayn, respectively. He also mentions Bronson Reed's history with him at WarGames, then addresses Paul Heyman, saying "Long time, no see." Rollins tells Solo to choose his next words very carefully. Solo says he is grabbing the Money in the Bank contract and making all of the power Rollins claims it has his. Rollins takes this as Solo being threatened, and states that Solo's family would rather stab him in the back than have his back. Rollins then tries to joke around with Jacob Fatu, then proposes renaming Jacob "Solo's bitch" before stating that he considers Jacob more threatening than Solo. Solo and Rollins remove their jackets, and when Bron Breakker steps up, so does Jacob Fatu. Rollins stands between them, then he and his party leaves the ring. As this goes on, Jimmy Uso shows up from behind and attacks Solo's party before the next match.

Jimmy Uso beats JC Mateo with a roll-up after Jacob Fatu gets on the apron and confronts Jimmy after the referee catches Solo on the apron only for Jimmy to dodge when JC Mateo pounces at Jimmy only to hit Jacob instead.

Backstage, Zelina Vega is met by Giulia. Zelina tells Giulia he has worked to become Women's United States Champion and that Giulia will have to pry the title from her cold, dead hands. Giulia admits that she likes Zelina's confidence.

Backstage, Jacob Fatu is met by Damian Priest, who says that it is tough working with family and that regardless of his situation, he will take his title. Jacob Fatu tells Priest to get ready when the time comes.

Zelina Vega beats Piper Niven in a Bakersfield Brawl after Giulia shows up and takes out Alba Fyre and Chelsea Green on the outside before hitting Piper with a shinai to assist Zelina with a powerbomb through a table. After the match, Giulia raises Zelina's hand, then headbutts Zelina and hits her with a brainbuster before raising up the Women's United States Championship.

Backstage, "Main Event" Jey Uso is met by "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes. Jimmy Uso joins up, and after both men ask Jey if he is okay, Jey says he is and that he is focused on tomorrow before he leaves.

We hear from Aleister Black, who is not happy with losing his Money in the Bank qualifier match after LA Knight used the Black Mass to steal the win from him. He wants to take away all the security that LA Knight in that match and face him in a one-on-one match, and if Knight manages to beat him, he will shake his hand and admit defeat.

Before the next match, LA Knight says it is Money in the Bank season again, and this year is his third in a row in the match. He mentions Penta and Andrade and states they will do all they can to win and take things to another level, but admits that El Grande Americano and Solo Sikoa are "on the goon side of things." He says he can drop Solo on his head, then addresses Seth "Freakin'" Rollins and says there is nothing hotter than "LA Knight in LA" and that Rollins will get burned by him as he tries to burn everything down. LA Knight says Aleister Black had a shot and that Money in the Bank can make or break careers, then says he did what he had to do to get the job done, and now he will get his feelings hurt again.

LA Knight beats Aleister Black by disqualification after Seth "Freakin'" Rollins shows up and hits Knight with The Stomp. When Rollins goes further on the attack, Aleister Black confronts him only to be Speared by Bron Breakker. Bronson Reed shows up and hits Knight with a senton, then Breakker hits Knight with a Spear.

We hear from Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, who introduce the King and Queen of the Ring Tournament. The two tournaments, one for the men and one for the women, kick off next week. The finals for both tournaments will be at Night of Champions, and the King and Queen get shots at the world champions of their respective brands at SummerSlam.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Jade Cargill, who is excited to be in the Queen of the Ring Tournament and that she will be the Queen of the Ring when the dust settles, and when SummerSlam comes, she will be taking championship gold. As she is asked about Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair shows up and says salt and sugar look the same, and tells her to have some friends or none at all. She then says she is the only queen in WWE, then Tiffany Stratton briefly passes by.

We hear from Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel, Berto). Santos Escobar says he has a plan for Worlds Collide: they will establish who owns the world of Lucha Libre in their six-man tag match with Psycho Clown, Pagano and El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews American Made (Chad Gable, Julius Creed, Brutus Creed). Gable says his confident is high even though he did not qualify for Money in the Bank. He says El Grande American will take the Money in the Bank contract home while he wins the AAA Megas Championship against El Hijo del Vikingo. Andrade shows up, as does Penta, and Gable thinks that Andrade and Penta are trying to be funny. General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and makes a match between both parties tonight.

Tiffany Stratton heads to the ring. Tiffany talks about becoming Miss Money in the Bank as well as "the It Girl in WWE" last year and how everyone in the women's Money in the Bank will reach for the stars this year, then says that whoever wins will have their world revolve around her. She states that regardless of whoever wins, they cannot outdo the doer, because it is Tiffy Time. Suddenly, Rhea Ripley shows up. Rhea says she has never been in the Money in the Bank Match before because she never had to be in it, and while she has never felt what it is like to win it, she knows what it feels like to be champion, and she misses that feeling. Stephanie Vaquer then shows up for the next match.

Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss and Stephanie Vaquer beat Naomi, Giulia and Roxanne Perez in a six-woman tag match after Naomi leaves Roxanne high and dry, allowing Rhea to hit Roxanne with the Riptide for the win.

Backstage, Solo Sikoa speaks with JC Mateo. JC Mateo does not want to trust Jacob Fatu, but Solo says everything will be okay as long as Jacob follows his lead. He also says that Jacob is not a smart man and is "all gas and no brains." After Solo and JC leave, it is revealed that Jacob has been overhearing them in the background.

We see a video from Bo Dallas aka Uncle Howdy. He says that grief is not linear or healed by time; it is a festering wound that is continually being ripped open by an echo of a presence that is no more. He says you cannot forget; you can only accept that which cannot be changed. He says he has watched the tag team division - the loyalty, the trust, the brotherhood - and wonders if the bond is unbreakable. He says that through loss, The Wyatt Sicks (Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross) is family and unshaken by the storm, but once again, people want to forget them. He says that they return not for nostalgia or closure, but to rip open the wound of apathy and take what they are owed. He says that brotherhood will be tested and that the time for repentance has passed, and tells the tag team division to accept their condemnation. He then says The Wyatt Sicks will not be forgotten. Backstage, the SmackDown tag team division has all seen this message. Montez Ford says they have a bigger problem in the form of The Wyatt Sicks, as does Angelo Dawkins, and Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) agrees. The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) also decide to fight The Wyatt Sicks, which leaves #DIY (Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Candice LeRae), who leave the room.

El Hijo del Vikingo is seen in the front row before the next match.

Penta and Andrade beat American Made (Julius and Brutus Creed) after El Hijo del Vikingo stops Chad Gable from unmasking Penta and chases him through the crowd. After the match, Seth "Freakin'" Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman show up. They surround the ring before overpowering Penta and Andrade. Rollins then tosses Andrade out of the ring before Bronson Reed hits Penta with a Tsunami as officials are at the ring. After the commercial break, Paul Heyman says that they do not fear the future, for they are the future. He says that Rollins told everyone what the business was becoming and that he would put Roman Reigns and CM Punk out of their misery. He calls Rollins "the vanguard of the WWE" and his group "the future of the WWE," and proclaims that tomorrow night, Seth Rollins will become Mr. Money in the Bank and solidify the power that comes with the World title as he propels the industry into his vision. All of a sudden, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes shows up, and he is soon joined by "Main Event" Jey Uso. After a second commercial break, only Cody and Jey are in the ring. Cody states that John Cena has called him "desperate," which he finds bold coming from Cena, then compares Cena in the ring with Logan Paul to Michael Hayes in the ring with The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy). He says that tomorrow night will be a showdown, which Jey Uso then calls "a yeet-down," before John Cena heads to the ring. After Cena is introduced, Jey Uso is attacked from behind by Logan Paul, and Cena strikes Cody with the Undisputed WWE Championship before hitting Jey with an Attitude Adjustment. Logan Paul then hits Cody with the Paulverizer followed by a top rope splash, and Jey also receives a top rope splash from Logan. Cena says that "No one is coming to save you," and that everyone's dream of what WWE is will be ruined, and that he and Logan as world champions will be the future. He says that he will take the WWE Championship and that Logan will take the World Heavyweight Championship to the top, as they are the last real champion and the future of the WWE, before they raise both world titles. Cena gets Cody back into the ring and hits him with an Attitude Adjustment before Logan throws Jey back into the ring to knock him out with a knockout punch, and Cena then says "You can't handle the truth!" He says that his and Logan's truths are in the ring, and there is nothing the fans or anyone who fight for them can do. He then calls the fans hypocritical for chanting for the truth when they are all liars. Cena says that this is why the fans are losers, then says this will be his last time in Bakersfield, California, and that winners write the history books. Cena and Logan lift up both world titles to end the show.

Here are the highlights for tonight's show!

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

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for May 9, 2025

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Damian Priest. Priest says he was good about just getting his hands on Drew McIntyre, but now he looks forward to being a two-time United States Champion. LA Knight shows up and says he is in the match, too, and that the backlash will be severe to anyone who gets in his way, but tonight, they have a tag team match. Priest looks forward to the match, but wants to know if Knight has his back. Knight says that if Priest has his back, he will have his.

LA Knight and Damian Priest beat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu despite Knight and Priest not being on the same page. After the match, Priest and Knight brawl, but Jacob Fatu decimates them both. All of a sudden, Jacob Fatu gets hit with a Claymore Kick from Drew McIntyre, who then holds up the United States Championship.

Backstage, R-Truth is holding a "Let's Go Cena!" sign when Jimmy Uso shows up. R-Truth refuses to take any John Cena slander.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Drew McIntyre, who states that he will put a silver bullet in Jacob Fatu tomorrow night, that LA Knight should be at the back of the line, and that Damian Priest should not be in the United States title match. McIntyre says he will become a Grand Slam Champion when he wins the United States title, and warns Jacob Fatu that when one is "all gas and no brakes," one eventually hits a brick wall.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis and Zelina Vega find Chelsea Green and her Secret Service holding a eulogy for the Women's United States Championship in the dark. When Chelsea says that Zelina has "zero girlfriends," Zelina challenges Chelsea to a tag team match.

We hear from Aleister Black, who says that he buried his past self and that what he found was not death, but the truth, and he came back because he truly believe that he is the consequences that WWE needs. He says that this more than good versus evil and that he is here to confront Miz both mentally and physically and make him figure out which is worse. As for Carmelo Hayes, he leaves it open-ended as to whether or not he has him figured out.

Zelina Vega's tag team partner is revealed to be Alexa Bliss.

Zelina Vega and Alexa Bliss beat Chelsea Green and Piper Niven.

Backstage, Rey Fenix is met by Santos Escobar, and Fenix soon gets jumped by Angel and Berto. As officials break up the brawl, Andrade checks on Rey Fenix.

Charlotte Flair is seen entering the arena from backstage.

We look back on John Cena vs. Randy Orton in Hell in a Cell at Hell in a Cell 2014.

Andrade and Rey Fenix vs. Los Garza (Angel and Berto) is official for later tonight.

Charlotte Flair heads to the ring. She gives credit where credit is due to Tiffany Stratton after taking her to her limit following a return after two years from a career-ending injury, and says she is on her way back to the WWE Women's Championship. When the fans boo her, Charlotte wants to know why the fans are so disrespect and insists that she is the best, then threatens to leave and never come back if this continues, which leads to everyone cheering and waving goodbye. Charlotte throws the microphone down and leaves, but as she heads up the ramp, the lights go out, and Jade Cargill shows up and stares Charlotte down on the way to the ring. Jade then takes a microphone and tells Charlotte she had her chance and to head to the back of the line.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis tells Charlotte Flair to be a leader and stop throwing a temper tantrum when things do not go her way. As Charlotte Flair is about to head to the airport, Alexa Bliss gets in her way and says "Let's chat."

Tiffany Stratton watches the next match from ringside.

Nia Jax beats Jade Cargill to become #1 contender for the WWE Women's Championship after Naomi attacks Tiffany Stratton on the outside, distracting Jade Cargill so that Nia Jax can hit the A-Nia-Lator for the win.

Backstage, Michin and B-Fab congratulate The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) on becoming champions. Montez Ford then says that they are about to put everyone on notice.

We see a video package of Becky Lynch's career, courtesy of Arby's.

The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) head to the ring. Montez Ford claims that they have put on the greatest TLC Match of all time and have come out on top, then Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) suddenly shows up. Frazer apologizes for the interruption, then calls The Street Profits the hottest team in the game right now. He then makes it clear that they are taking an opportunity, and Axiom makes it clear that they want the WWE Tag Team Championships. Dawkins says that they have won only two matches in three weeks and questions if they think they are ready for a shot at the tag team titles, as does Montez, then General Manager Nick Aldis shows up. Aldis says Fraxiom is not worthy of a title shot yet, but he cannot think of a better opportunity to prove themselves than right now. A referee shows up, and the match is official.

Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) beat The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) with a new double team finisher known as the Catapulta Infernal.

Backstage, Tiffany Stratton looks for Naomi when Nia Jax shows up and tells Tiffany she should be worried about her. Tiffany says she is fine with that, as she will leave room for Nia at the loser's table next to Charlotte Flair.

Backstage, The Miz tells Carmelo Hayes that are a lot of counter moves to Aleister Black's offense and that Carmelo will run the play exactly as he planned it.

Aleister Black beats Carmelo Hayes with a schoolkid pin after Carmelo inadvertently knocks The Miz off the ring apron. Immediately after the win, Aleister Black hits The Miz with the Black Mass.

Backstage, Solo Sikoa tells Jacob Fatu that the numbers game is not in their favor and that they have a gameplan. Jacob says the only gameplan is to run the play and dogwalk all three of his opponents, as he is all gas and no brakes.

Backstage, Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) run into The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley), who congratulate them on beating The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) and coming into SmackDown and making some noise. As Chris Sabin looks forward to both teams meeting in the ring, both teams are attacked by #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa). Ciampa says that Fraxiom only took advantage of two injured men, and Gargano says that anybody can do that.

Rey Fenix and Andrade beat Los Garza (Angel and Berto) after Santos Escobar inadvertently costs Berto the win as he distracts the referee. After the match, Santos Escobar chews Berto out, and Berto finally snaps on Escobar and leaves.

John Cena heads to the ring. As Mark Nash re-introduces Cena, someone throws a bottle of Michelob Ultra into the ring. Cena stops Nash, takes the bottle and tosses it away, then has Nash continue. Cena says that tomorrow, everyone's childhood dies, and that people are reduced to throwing empty beer bottles because they know how important Backlash is. He says the fans will do everything they can like Randy Orton, which is why Orton is not here tonight. He says that Orton took his advice and spent time with his family while preparing for the biggest moment of his career. He talks about their first match almost 25 years ago, and since then, they have shared almost 100 appearances and 31 world title matches between them, and that anyone from 12 to 55 years of age is either Camp Cena or Camp Orton. He says that this is at stake tomorrow, as this is their final match and the fans get to choose one last time before everyone's childhood dies. He says that younger fans will grow up fast and life isn't fair, winners write the history books, and Orton is a liar. He says Orton is only a WWE Superstar because of his family and has never been held accountable for his family and has used his connections to avoid hard work, then says that Orton is the greatest of wasting his own potential while he himself is hustle. He says that Orton only cashes a check and is more of a Lay-Z-Boy, then says that Orton cannot be counted on and is not a good example of loyalty due to injuries and bad attitude and is only the greatest of all time at doing the bare minimum while he himself is loyalty. He says that Orton's father's best decision was knocking Orton's mother up while Orton has only ridden off his coattails, then says he is not the legend killer he thinks he is and that he will kill his own legend tomorrow night when he fails like his 2006 drug test. Cena says that he is the best of all time because he is respect, then says he will not stoop to the fans' level and that he will make history again as the last real champion. A masked man gets in the ring and attacks Cena, and after Cena disposes of him, Randy Orton shows up and hits Cena with the RKO before holding up the WWE Championship.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for May 2, 2025

Backstage, Damian Priest picks a fight with Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, telling Jacob he is coming for him and his title. Meanwhile, LA Knight walks past them and everyone trying to defuse the situation and heads to the ring to start tonight's show. LA Knight says he has stated that he has wanted his United States Championship, and that when he got it, things did not go his way due to Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu's actions. He says that this is all due to Damian Priest, who he has a match with tonight. As Knight tells Priest that he has no problem with him and that Priest got in his business, Priest shows up and says they are cool and that it was all about Drew McIntyre, who he just wanted to shut up. Knight says he has no problem with that, but says he picked the wrong time. Priest tells Knight he saved him from a Claymore, but Knight tells him not to put that on him and to let his own failures be his. Priest says this is all because Knight lost the United States Championship, but Knight states that he has made it clear that he would fight for it, but now he is not #1 contender because of Priest. Priest says all of Knight's frustrations are his fault and that Knight would still be champion if his head was not up his ass. Knight tells Priest that if this keeps up, they will have a problem. Priest then says there is no reason why they or the fans should wait for their match later tonight, and that they might as well get a referee out here right now. A referee shows up, and that match starts.

LA Knight vs. Damian Priest ends with Solo Sikoa attacking Priest on the outside. After the match, Solo also attacks Knight before going for the Samoan Spike on him. Priest stops the spike and punches Solo in the face, and Solo soon receives a BFT. Knight and Priest stare at each other, then at Solo. Priest clears the announce table, but Jacob Fatu shows up. Jacob hits Priest with a tope suicida, then Knight goes after Jacob only to be Samoan Dropped into the announce table. Jacob then hits Priest with a running hip attack into the barricade before he and Solo celebrate.

Byron Saxton interviews Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom). Frazer says they are excited to face Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) tonight, and Axiom says SmackDown has the best tag team division on the planet. Pretty Deadly shows up and congratulates Fraxiom on their debut, then wants to know how good Fraxiom is. Frazer tells Pretty Deadly to be careful whta they wish for.

UFC announcer Michael Bisping is seen in the crowd.

Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) beat Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince).

Backstage, B-Fab and "Michin" Mia Yim meet with General Manager Nick Aldis regarding the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. Meanwhile, The Secret Hervice (Piper Niven and Alba Fyre) and Chelsea Green show up, with Chelsea dressed for a funeral. Chelsea says she was robbed of the WWE Women's United States Championship and wants a rematch. Aldis says that will have to wait, as Piper Niven is facing Zelina Vega tonight. He then says that if Piper wins, she will be first in line for a title shot and Chelsea could be Secret Hervice, which causes Chelsea to faint.

Nia Jax heads to the ring. Nia says that she was sitting at home refocusing on taking back what is hers - the WWE Women's Championship - while Tiffany Stratton ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Tiffany shows up and says she is not the same woman that Nia bullied around and that cashing in on her was the greatest thing she ever did for her career, and she would do it again. She mentions beating Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania and says that if they ever locked up again, she would beat Nia, too. Nia takes this as a rematch, and Tiffany says that while she does not make the matches, she does not back down from a fight. Suddenly, Naomi shows up. Naomi mentions both Nia and Tiffany making her life hell, but she is the one who has changed, not Tiffany, and she is not done hunting for championship gold and she will put Tiffany not just through a car, but under one. Jade Cargill shows up, and Jade and Tiffany quickly clean house. General Manager Nick Aldis turns the brawl into an official tag team match.

Backstage, Carmelo Hayes tells The Miz that they will show Aleister Black tonight. The Miz says he has outlasted many "next big things" in his career and that Aleister only woke him up. Miz says that if Aleister wants to make a statement, then he will be part of his.

Aleister Black beats The Miz despite the distractions from Carmelo Hayes. After the match, Aleister and Carmelo have a brief staredown.

Backstage, Santos Escobar meets with Rey Fenix. He admits he was disappointed with his loss to El Grande Americano and says Fenix blew it, then says that Rey Mysterio is gone - hopefully forever - and that he will be taking his place. Fenix tells Escobar to stay out of his business, and that he does not trust him. He then says he will see Escobar in the ring tonight if he has a problem with him.

Four-time NFL Pro Bowler Deon Dawkins is seen in the crowd.

Zelina Vega beats Piper Niven after Piper inadvertently knocks Chelsea Green off the ring apron.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis meets with Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu regarding their recent interference in matches. Jacob finds out he will be defending the WWE United States Championship against LA Knight and Damian Priest at Backlash, but upon being reminded that Drew McIntyre won last week, the match becomes a Fatal 4-Way Match with McIntyre added. Jacob Fatu says that no matter who is in front of him, he will dog walk them. Jacob leaves, and when Solo accuses Aldis of screwing Jacob over, Aldis simply says "No. You are."

Randy Orton heads to the ring. Orton says that while the whole world could not John Cena, he could, and while it took the fans twenty years to figure it out, he knew from day one that Cena was arrogant, selfish, and an entitled brat who gets whatever he wants. He says that Cena is the "ultimate shiny new toy to be played with by the ultimate puppetmaster," and that Cena was able to take advantage of "the PG era" and become a walking, talking cartoon character while he stayed true to himself. He says that Cena never cared about the boys in the back and only cared about his bottom line, and it gave him fame and fortune and mainstream exposure. Orton says that the only thing Cena has raised is the price of his merchandise, and that Cena has sold his soul for twenty years. He credits Cena's hustle, but asks where the loyalty and respect went. He addresses Cena proclaiming that he will erase his family legacy, then declares that Cena will not do this over his dead body because he is the latest legend that he has to put down. Orton boasts that he will punt Cena's "Lego-shaped head" so hard that it will fly over the Gateway Arch, but not before giving him an RKO.

Backstage, Nia Jax tells Naomi that they need to get on the same page and tells her to figure out what to do with Jade Cargill. Naomi says "Sure," then walks away.

Backstage, Randy Orton is met by R-Truth, who says that his childhood hero John Cena will beat Randy Orton. Jimmy Uso shows up and says he will talk sense into Truth, and when Orton leaves, Jimmy says Orton will punch his head clean off his shoulders. At this point, it is obvious that R-Truth that has become pro-Cena.

Rey Fenix beats Santos Escobar.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill. Tiffany and Jade want each other to stay out of their way as they deal with their respective targets, then Jade says she has gotten with General Manager Nick Aldis and will face Nia Jax in a #1 contender's match for the WWE Women's Championship next week. Tiffany tells Jade she can go ahead and beat Nia Jax so that they can do this all over again.

Backstage, Santos Escobar gets angry with Angel and Berto when Andrade shows up and confronts Escobar, saying he does not like him and that while has legacy, he does not have respect or honor. Angel and Escobar leave, and Berto leaves afterwards after some hesitation thanks to Andrade.

Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton beat Nia Jax and Naomi. After the match, Jade Cargill takes the WWE Women's Championship, then seemingly hands it to Tiffany and teases a tug of war. Naomi attacks Jade from behind, then lifts up the WWE Women's Championship to end the show.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

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!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for March 21, 2025

Randy Orton heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Before Orton can even speak, Kevin Owens appears and asks Orton to hear him out. Owens says he was wrong for attacking him and attacking him with a piledriver, and says he did not deserve that. He also says that "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes deserves everything he did to him, but Orton did not. He says Orton picked Cody's side over him and that it made angry, and that he regrets it. Owens also mentions Orton bringing up how his anger has made him do things that he regret, and that he can forgive Orton for siding with Cody if Orton can forgive what he did to him. He also tells Orton that he pulled Carmelo Hayes out of the ring last week to save Orton from himself, and that Orton does not want to go back to the man who punted people in the head. After stating that this version of Orton should stay in the past, Owens then says they should look to the future and look to WrestleMania, where they can become tag team champions. He says that they came close a few months ago but let things come between them, and that they should try again at WrestleMania. Orton says he should roll out of the ring and kick his ass all over the ring, then admits that what Owens said was intriguing before telling him to stick his half-hearted apology up his ass and that Owens deserves to be kicked so hard that he gets a pat on the back from Roberto Baggio. He says Owens used to be "Fight Owens Fight" but is now "Bitch Owens Bitch," and that he is glad Owens dropped him on his head because he hears voices in head, and that they counsel him and understand as they tell him that "whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," because at WrestleMania, he will kick his head clean off his shoulders.

Damian Priest and Jimmy Uso beat Shinsuke Nakamura and Drew McIntyre. After the match, McIntyre attacks Priest from behind and tells Priest that he will come for him every time he sees him. He then hits Priest with the Claymore Kick and tells him that he will keep putting him down until he stays down.

Backstage, LA Knight meets with Braun Strowman. Knight hopes that Braun Strowman smacks Jacob Fatu back to factory settings, then says that he will be keeping a look out for Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. Strowman says he cannot wait to get his hands on Jacob, and says that as per General Manager Nick Aldis, whoever wins the match gets a shot at the WWE United States Championship. He says that this will punch his ticket to WrestleMania.

Backstage, Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair are interviewed in separate rooms. Charlotte says Tiffany looked like a star last week, and that she only chose her because she felt sorry for her, saying she is delusional enough to think she can compare to her when everyone is compared to her. She also says she has not earned the WWE Women's Championship and that WrestleMania will be the biggest night of Tiffany's career while she shines her light on some undeserving girl who can do a backflip. Tiffany says that Charlotte cannot stand to even look at her because she knows she is destined to take her throne, but Charlotte says that she is here for real competition. Tiffany says Charlotte takes the hottest thing and throws water on it, but Charlotte says that Tiffany is not even the hottest thing on SmackDown. Charlotte says Tiffany has always been under her gasping for breath, but Tiffany says Charlotte cannot keep up with the fans who don't want her back, as they all now run on "Tiffy Time."

Braun Strowman beats Jacob Fatu by disqualification after being attacked by Solo Sikoa as Strowman goes after Tama Tonga for getting in the ring during the match. After the match, Jacob Fatu is livid as Solo and Tama continue to attack Strowman, but eventually joins in before LA Knight shows up and fights all three of them. The numbers games catches up, but not for long, and Strowman soon helps Knight clean house.

Backstage, Cathy Kelly interviews Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Liv Morgan says Jade Cargill allowed everyone to believe she and Raquel attacked her and that she takes this personally, even though she and Raquel have since become three-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. She says that Jade could not finish the job, and soon, she will finish it for her.

Backstage, Jacob Fatu is furious that he has been cost a shot at the WWE United States Championship. Solo Sikoa says he and Tama Tonga were trying to helping, but Jacob is not happy.

Italian rapper Anna is seen in the crowd.

Piper Niven beats Zelina Vega with a cross body after Zelina takes out Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre for getting involved in the match.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens is official for WrestleMania 41.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Jade Cargill, who says that Liv tried it last week, and since Liv tried it, she will beat her in the ring tonight in what she says will be a taste of what she does to Naomi.

We see smoke as well as images of what looks like a mask followed by the number 4.

Liv Morgan beats Jade Cargill after Naomi shows up and hits Jade with one of the Women's Tag Team Championship belts. After the match, Naomi continues to beat down Jade Cargill before booting her in the sternum and hitting her with the Heatseeker. She then shoves Jade off the ring apron and into the announce table.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Drew McIntyre, who says that while he did not start this, he will end this. He says he has mentioned all the problems he has had with Damian Priest in the past year, and that he would love for someone to verbally explain to him why he is wrong when he always tells the truth, then gives Priest credit for being as tough as he stupid and that Priest knows where to find him next week. On his way out, he then runs into Seth "Freakin'" Rollins, who chuckles at him before heading into the arena.

The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) head to the ring, now with new entrance theme music. The crowd chants "You deserve it!" before Montez Ford says that he and Angelo Dawkins are tag team champions for the first time in four years. Dawkins says it is "about damn time" and that for the past four years, a lot of doubt has creeped in, and while he and Ford have trusted each other, holding the WWE Tag Team Championships made it all worth it. Montez says that he always knew for the past four years that he could always count on his brother, then Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel, Berto) show up. Escobar speaks in Italian before congratulating The Street Profits on finally capturing gold, then says it is too bad that their reign will end abruptly, because Angel and Berto are pissed and ready to take the titles from them. Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) suddenly arrive, and Kit Wilson tells Escobar he can run his mouth all night long, but he and Elton Prince earned the right to be called number one contenders, and Prince tells Legado del Fantasma to step aside. Escobar says they will not step aside due to The Street Profits believing Pretty Deadly's gossip, and after The Street Profits refused to apologize to Legado del Fantasma, things are now personal, and he demands Pretty Deadly stay out of this. Montez says Pretty Deadly have their title shot, but since Santos Escobar is feisty and ready for a fight, they can have a match right now.

We see footage of a masked luchador performing moves in the ring as the area around the ring is lit up in orange.

The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) beat Los Garza (Angel and Berto).

Paul Heyman is seen climbing out of a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van outside of the arena.

Backstage, Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) run into #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa). As Pretty Deadly mention that they face The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) for the WWE Tag Team Championships next week in London, England, #DIY state that while they have not seen eye-to-eye, it only makes their relationship stronger, and propose that they watch Pretty Deadly's backs, and if Pretty Deadly win, #DIY can be the first in line for a title shot. Pretty Deadly say "No, boy!" The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) show up as Pretty Deadly leave and mention that they still have unfinished business at the back of the line.

Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman head to the ring. Roman addresses what happened between himself, Seth "Freakin'" Rollins and CM Punk as of late, then says he came a long way before calling out anyone who wants to confront him. Rollins shows up, then tells Roman that he messed up underestimating how dangerous CM Punk is to the future of WWE and the business and that he should have let him finish Punk when he had the chance. He then says it was always about the two of them, as they are intertwined in WWE and cannot co-exist in the same space at the same time. Rollins says their story has a lot of pages written and that it is time they added another chapter, then removes his jacket before Punk suddenly arrives. Punk says his right hand is not taped up to hold a microphone, then says Roman and Rollins have never beaten him without the others' help because he cannot, then reminds Roman that the Royal Rumble is every man for himself. He also mentions Roman would not even have been in the Royal Rumble had he not saved his family at WarGames. Punk then mentions his favor to Heyman and thanks Heyman for bringing Roman to him on a silver platter. When Roman turns towards Heyman, Punk hits Roman with the microphone, and as Punk goes on the attack, Rollins goes after Punk. This leads to a brawl between all three men, and officials and security show up to stop the brouhaha. Punk gets on the announce table and proclaims he is the best in the world while pointing at the WrestleMania sign. The brawl spills onto the outside as the show ends.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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