WWE Friday Night SmackDown delivered another action-packed episode as WWE continued to build momentum toward the Royal Rumble, now less than a month away. The night was filled with intense rivalries, title defenses, and shocking moments, including a wild brawl between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes, a controversial U.S. Title match, and a Fatal 4-Way to determine the next challenger for the WWE Women’s Championship.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of everything that went down on WWE SmackDown:
Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes Get Into a Wild Brawl
The show opened with a recap of Raw’s Netflix debut and Roman Reigns reclaiming his Ula Fala to reestablish himself as the Tribal Chief. Paul Heyman then took to the ring to address the WWE Universe, but his promo was interrupted by Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Before Rhodes could confront Heyman, Kevin Owens appeared, reigniting his animosity with Rhodes.
Owens insulted Rhodes, leading to a heated exchange that culminated in Rhodes leaping over the barricade to attack Owens.
Jimmy Saves Paul Heyman from a Bloodline Beatdown
While Heyman remained in the ring, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga of The Bloodline arrived, seemingly ready to attack the Special Counsel. Jimmy Uso attempted to save Heyman but was overpowered by Fatu and Tonga. Cody Rhodes eventually returned to the ring to help Jimmy drive away the Bloodline members.
Women’s US Champion Chelsea Green Retains Title
Chelsea Green successfully defended her Women’s United States Championship against Michin in a rematch from Saturday Night’s Main Event. Michin put up a valiant effort, even taking out Green’s partner, Piper Niven, with a top-rope dive. However, Green capitalized on a distraction and used underhanded tactics, grabbing Michin’s tights to secure the pinfall victory.
Los Garza Hunt For Tag Team Gold
In a heated tag team match, Los Garza (Angel and Humberto) faced Pretty Deadly for a chance to move closer to a WWE Tag Team Championship opportunity. Both teams resorted to cheating, but interference from Santos Escobar and Elektra Lopez allowed Los Garza to hit their finisher, MTY, to pick up the win.
Bloodline Ruins LA Knight’s Chance to Reclaim US Title
LA Knight sought to reclaim the United States Championship he lost at Survivor Series in a hard-fought match against Shinsuke Nakamura. Knight survived a Kinshasa by getting his foot on the rope and nearly won after hitting the BFT. However, the match ended in chaos when Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga interfered, attacking Knight and costing him the title.
Cody Rhodes and Jimmy Uso stormed the ring to fend off The Bloodline, but the damage had already been done, leaving Knight furious over the missed opportunity.
Motor City Machine Guns Earn Title Shot
Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley of the Motor City Machine Guns faced A-Town Down Under in a match with WWE Tag Team Championship implications. Both teams delivered a grueling performance, but the Machine Guns emerged victorious after hitting their signature Skull & Bones finisher, earning a potential shot at #DIY’s titles.
Tiffany Stratton Celebrates Successful Cash-In
Tiffany Stratton, fresh off her successful Money in the Bank cash-in last week, celebrated her first week as WWE Women’s Champion. The crowd gave her a warm reception as Byron Saxton interviewed her in the ring. However, the celebration was interrupted by Nia Jax, who called Stratton ungrateful and threatened her.
The confrontation escalated into a brawl involving Bayley, Naomi, and Bianca Belair, leading to WWE official Nick Aldis booking a Fatal 4-Way match to determine Stratton’s next challenger.
Bayley Wins No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match
Bayley, Nia Jax, Bianca Belair, and Naomi clashed in a high-stakes Fatal 4-Way match to determine the No. 1 contender for the Women’s Championship. The match was chaotic, with Candice LeRae interfering to help Jax and inadvertently causing tension between Belair and Naomi.
As Belair and Jax brawled outside the ring, Bayley capitalized on the distraction, hitting the Rose Plant on Naomi to secure the victory. Bayley will now face Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship.
The Bloodline Takes Care of Rhodes and Uso
In the main event, Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga of The Bloodline faced Cody Rhodes and Jimmy Uso in a tag team match. The Bloodline isolated Jimmy for much of the match, but Rhodes eventually tagged in and unleashed a flurry of offense, including a Cody Cutter.
However, Kevin Owens appeared at ringside to distract Rhodes, allowing Fatu and Tonga to regain control. After an Uso Splash from Jimmy, Fatu broke up the pin and hit an Impaler DDT followed by a moonsault to secure the victory for The Bloodline.
Match Card Recap
| Match Type | Result |
|---|---|
| Women’s U.S. Title Match | Chelsea Green (c) def. Michin |
| Tag Team Match | Los Garza def. Pretty Deadly |
| U.S. Title Match | LA Knight def. Nakamura (c) via DQ |
| Tag Team Match | Motor City Machine Guns def. A-Town Down Under |
| Fatal 4-Way No. 1 Contender’s Match | Bayley def. Jax, Belair, and Naomi |
| Tag Team Match | Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga def. Cody Rhodes & Jimmy Uso |
Stay Connected with ProPakistani
Get the latest sports news, match updates, and player stories wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
