Smackdown Review – 07.04.25

Joe Tessitore welcomes us to Smackdown at the PPG Arena in Pittsburgh (recorded Monday night) via voiceover and here’s Solo Sikoa with his new WWE Men’s United States championship in the second seat of an SUV. As he’s getting ready to head into the arena, Jacob Fatu attacks. Fatu yanks Sikoa out of the window for a headbutt and then wrecks Tonga Loa and JC Mateo who were also passengers. Security and Smackdown GM Nick Aldis arrive to break up the one-sided brawl.

Your announcers for the show are Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls, Mark Nash on ring intros, and we apparently have no designated backstage interviewer this evening.

Here’s 2025 King of the Ring Cody Rhodes to sign some autographs before making his way to the ring for a chat. Cody, who is holding the KotR crown, makes sure to shout out a young man named Cam who’s battling leukemia and is at the show. Rhodes says he’s left pieces of himself in Columbus, Ohio and Riyadh as he fought Jey Uso and Randy Orton to win the crown, but what does it all mean? It means that we can look at past Kings like Booker T, Bret Hart, Steve Austin and HHH, and the crown also stands for where we’re going. Rhodes says it’s him, the King of the Ring, versus John Cena in the main event of Summerslam. Here’s Randy Orton to have a chat. Orton is expectedly glum but he points out that he told Cody that he would do whatever it took to win the KotR title. He had Rhodes dead to rights in Riyadh for the PUNT but he hesitated. Rhodes didn’t hesitate, though, and pulled the trigger and won, which Orton respects but will not forget. Orton asks for one thing and that’s a promise from Cody that he will go to Summerslam and “kick John Cena’s ass”.

Here’s a returning Drew McIntyre as Barrett points out we haven’t seen the big Scot since the last Saturday Night’s Main Event. McIntyre starts by telling Cody and Orton that they sound like they’re doing the “no, you hang up, no YOU hang up” game and it’s pathetic. McIntyre tells Orton that not only did he hesitate in Riyadh, he’d been losing the psychological battle for months by being pals with Rhodes. Orton’s surgically repaired back was attacked relentlessly by Rhodes and when Orton had the chance to pull the trigger on Rhodes, he didn’t do it. McIntyre wonders what’s happened to the Viper as Orton mopes. McIntyre turns to Rhodes and calls him “Super Cody” and tells him he wants him to win at Summerslam. McIntyre says a matchup with him and Cody having parallel careers and knowing each other for twenty years is what he wants. McIntyre says he wouldn’t hesitate like somebody and YOU’RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS but he eats an RKO. Orton glares at Cody before leaving the ring to “Voices”.

EARLIER TODAY here’s Nick Aldis with Charlotte Flair. Flair is hoping that Tiffany Stratton has chosen her for Evolution, but Aldis says that’s not the case. There’s a triple threat tag match tonight and if Charlotte and her tag partner can win, they’ll get a shot at those belts at Evolution. Charlotte questions who the partner is supposed to be and here’s Alexa Bliss to point out once again that she and Charlotte don’t have to be friends but they should be tag partners. Charlotte reluctantly agrees and tells Bliss to not get in her way before blustering off.

The Secret Hervice and Chelsea Green make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Back live and here’s Drew McIntyre with Nick Aldis to confirm that McIntyre will face Randy Orton at Saturday Night’s Main Event. As McIntyre turns to leave, he has a quick stare-down with Jacob Fatu who is next in line to speak with Aldis. Aldis tells Fatu he can’t be attacking people like he did, but if he finds a tag partner he can fight two of Solo’s crew in the ring tonight. Big Jim Uso happens to be right there and they agree to team up.

The Secret Hervice vs Michin and B-Fab vs Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss

Niven, Michin and Bliss will start things off. Flair tags herself in before any physicality to the annoyance of Bliss. Niven trucks Bliss out of the ring but eats a right hand from Flair. Michin goes behind Flair but eats a back elbow, and as Niven charges in Flair hits her with a big chop. Michin goes to work on Flair with chops and punches, and as Niven rejoins things Michin kicks her in the head. Michin hits Flair with a Pele kick and then whips Flair into the corner, where she goes up and over to the apron. Michin charges in and Flair kicks her in the head, but a recovered Niven forearms Flair to the floor. Bliss goes over to check on Flair and Michin charges them both with an undershot tope suicida that looked very dangerous. Niven comes charging over and hits a cannonball on Michin and B-Fab on the floor. Niven grabs Bliss and Flair so Alba Fyre can hit a top rope cannonball on both of them as we go to commercials.

Back live with Niven hitting a running senton on Flair for two. Niven tries the same move on Michin who slips it as Niven crashes on her back. Michin tags in B-Fab, and she slugs it out with Flair. B-Fab ducks a clothesline attempt from Niven and then superkicks her, and then B-Fab hits a leaping enziguri on Flair. B-Fab hits a back kick on Niven and a pump kick on Flair. B-Fab tries a neckbreaker, but Flair reverses and clips her in the knee. Flair goes for the Figure Eight, but B-Fab kicks Flair off into her corner and Bliss tags herself in. Bliss runs over Fyre who’s also tagged in, and then Bliss hits a Dragon Screw on B-Fab. Bliss hits Fyre with rights and then turns to hit a shotgun dropkick on B-Fab. Bliss wants Sister Abigail on B-Fab, but Michin breaks it up with a superkick to Bliss. Fyre hits a Canadian Destroyer on Michin, but B-Fab catches Fyre with a painful looking uranage. Niven charges in and hits a big spinning Sidewalk Slam on B-Fab. Niven and Fyre try a double team move but Bliss knocks Fyre off the top turnbuckle and a returning Flair hits Niven with a spear. Flair walks over both Niven and Fyre and ascends while patting Bliss on the head like a child. Flair hits her moonsault on both Niven and Fyre and then hits a complaining Chelsea Green with a big boot. Tessitore points out that Flair’s pat on the head was counted as a tag, and Bliss hits the Twisted Bliss on Fyre for three as she grins at a shocked Flair. Bliss and Flair will battle for the Women’s tag titles at Evolution.

This was kind of a train-wreck match all things considered. The crowd was really quiet for most of it, too. I’m not sure why this couldn’t have been just a straight tag match with Flair and Bliss vs Niven and Fyre because the three-way flow was testing. Just a match to further this weird ‘we aren’t friends and actually kind of hate each other’ angle with Flair and Bliss. 2*

Winners – Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (Twisted Bliss on Fyre)

Post-match sees Flair hug Bliss before Bliss raises Flair’s hand along with the referee.

Here’s Nick Aldis chatting with MCMG, Fraxiom, DIY, Los Garza, and WWE Men’s Tag Team Champions The Street Profits about last week’s Profits title defense against the Wyatts. Ciampa says everything they’ve been doing is to try to save the tag team division and Gargano says they got thanked for it by being put in a match against Andrade and Rey Fenix that they lost. Nathan Frazer says he enjoyed watching DIY lose and Ciampa says they couldn’t have done any better. Axiom disagrees and Aldis immediately makes Fraxiom vs Andrade and Fenix for tonight. Maybe Andrade and Fenix should be at this meeting too? Aldis then makes an eight man tag match with each remaining team having to contribute one competitor to the squad that will face the Wyatts. Gargano wants a fist bump show of solidarity but everyone ignores him and leaves.

The Wyatt Sicks make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Berto, Johnny Gargano, Montez Ford and Chris Sabin vs The Wyatt Sicks

It’s Uncle Howdy, Rowan, Gacy and Lumis for the Wyatts. Gacy and Berto start and after a short exchange, Berto hits a springboard back cross-body on Gacy. Berto hits a running clothesline on Gacy in the corner, but as he charges in for a second Gacy flies out and nails Berto with a clothesline. Gacy hits a running senton on Berto for a one count. Berto slips a charging Gacy and hits a springboard back elbow on Gacy. Gacy tags in Lumis and Berto hits him with a jumping enziguri. Lumis shrugs that off and tosses Berto to the mat right on his back. Berto tags in Gargano. Gargano tries to bring up his past with Lumis in The Way, so Lumis pops him in the mouth and then hits Gargano with a swinging sidewalk slam for two as Sabin breaks it up. Uncle Howdy charges in and he and Sabin have a stare-down, then everyone enters to stare each other down. A Pier Six erupts among all of them and as Rowan goes to chokeslam Gargano and Sabin, Berto and Ford hit simultaneous superkicks to break it up, and then Berto, Gargano, Ford and Sabin superkick Rowan over the top rope to the floor. Gargano tags in Ford, who immediately hits a flying kick on Rowan on the apron. Ford hits a running punt to Rowan but as Ford flies in for a splash, Rowan catches him and sends Ford into a Lumis superkick. We go to commercials.

Back live, Lumis tosses Ford down to the mat and tags in Gacy. Gacy goes to work on Ford who’s trapped in the Wyatts corner before tagging Lumis back in. Lumis body slams Ford, and then Lumis gets an assist from Gacy with a backdrop powerbomb on a prone Ford for a two count. Lumis slaps a headlock on Ford who slowly powers out of it, but Lumis slugs him down and then wipes out Berto to the floor. Ford finally tags in Sabin and he blasts a charging Lumis with a right hand before ascending. Sabin hits a missile dropkick on Lumis sending him into the Wyatts corner where Gacy tags himself in. Sabin hits clotheslines and a rana on Gacy, and then flips a charging Lumis into a back body drop. Sabin nails Howdy with a shotgun dropkick while he’s on the apron, and then Sabin and Gargano team up to kick a prone Lumis in the head. Gacy trucks Gargano to the floor but Sabin gets a quick rollup on Gacy for two as Lumis breaks up the count. Ford comes in to dump Lumis to the floor, and then Ford dumps a charging Gacy to the floor as well. Ford hits the far rope and hits an enormous twisting tope con hilo on Gacy and Lumis. Ford’s athleticism is second to none, good LORD. I think Howdy became legal for the Wyatts during all of this.

Berto gets dumped to the outside by Howdy. Sabin goes behind Howdy who does the Wyatt upside down pose in the corner before hitting Sabin with a big uranage. Howdy tags in Rowan who hits a big leg lariat on a charging Ford. Rowan trucks a returning Berto from the apron to the barrier, but as he charges Sabin he’s met with a big boot. Sabin ascends and hits Rowan with a second rope twisting DDT as both guys are down. Gargano indicates he wants the tag from Sabin but as he realizes he has to deal with Rowan, he changes his mind and leaps off the apron to the floor. Rowan murders Sabin with a running splash, and then after staring down Gargano, hits a giant tackle on Sabin. Rowan hits the Iron Claw Slam on Sabin for the three count.

This seems like the right result given the chaotic nature of the non-Wyatts side of this equation. Gargano not helping Sabin in the end fits DIY being opportunist goober/chickenshit heels, and the Wyatts needed a win after last week’s horrendous finish to the tag title match. This was better than I was expecting, to be honest. 2.75*

Winners – The Wyatt Sicks (Rowan Iron Claw Slam to Sabin)

Here’s WWE Women’s United States Champion Giulia in a pre-tape promo. She promises to take the title to places it’s never been and show no mercy, no doubt, and no fear. Whoever steps up next will feel the heat of Beautiful Madness.

Back in the arena WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton makes her entrance. Tessitore then mentions “America’s birthday” and we go to a pre-tape to celebrate the 4th of July with Michael Cole doing narration.

Stratton has a microphone. She mentions that she’s had a target on her back since becoming champion but she was not going to let Nia Jax’s revenge tour keep her from becoming the Last Woman Standing at Night of Champions. Stratton is moving on from that to Summerslam where she’ll defend against Queen of the Ring Jade Cargill. Stratton is ready for Cargill, but she’s also willing to defend her title at Evolution and she’ll get to pick her opponent the same way IYO Sky got to on Raw. Here’s 2025 Queen of the Ring Jade Cargill to interrupt things and pose with her crown. Cargill gives Stratton respect for beating Jax in the LWS match but says Stratton was barely standing while she was winning the QotR against Asuka. Cargill says Stratton has a choice to make tonight and if she chooses wrong, Stratton won’t be at Summerslam. Stratton says she’s glad Cargill is here because she has a surprise for everybody. Here’s Trish Stratus in a pink bodysuit and pink cowboy hat as Barrett is losing his mind on commentary. Stratus and Stratton teamed at Elimination Chamber and Stratton thinks Stratus should be at Evolution and offers Stratus the spot as her opponent at Evolution. Cargill says it doesn’t matter if it’s Stratton or “a legend” at Summerslam. Stratus thanks Stratton for the opportunity and talks about how hard it was for them to even get a women’s match on the card back in the day and I wince at the memory of her barking like a dog. Stratus loved teaming with Stratton because her kids got to see her wrestle, but her kids have never seen Stratus win a title. Stratton says it’s not the Attitude Era anymore and this match won’t be easy and this comes to an end with Stratton declaring the WWE universe runs on Tiffy Time.

Here’s Solo Sikoa at a table flanked by JC Mateo and Tonga Loa. Sikoa wishes America a happy birthday and welcomes the newest member of the family, Talla Tonga. Sikoa says this isn’t a Bloodline, it’s a group that’s more dangerous. Sikoa says these are his MFT’s which apparently stands for My Family Tree. He and Mateo will be facing Jacob Fatu and Big Jim Uso later. We go to commercials.

Trish Stratus is backstage and she runs into Jade Cargill. Cargill is happy Stratus is getting the shot at Evolution but reminds her that if she wins, she’ll be seeing Cargill at Summerslam. They wish each other luck and here’s Naomi smashing Cargill with her Money in the Bank briefcase from behind. Naomi tells Cargill she should have proceeded with caution and then does her loud evil laugh as Cargill suffers on the floor. Nick Aldis, who’s having a very busy evening, checks on Cargill who screams she’s tired of this and wants Naomi.

FrAxiom vs Andrade and Rey Fenix

Frazer will start with Andrade. Frazer acrobatically breaks out of an armlock and gets his own, before rolling Andrade up for a one count. Frazer grabs a headlock and Andrade shoves him off. Frazer runs the ropes and Axiom tags in while he’s doing it. They double-team Andrade with shoulders, but Andrade shoves Frazer away and tags in Fenix who skies in off the top rope with a huge clothesline on Frazer and an elbow to Axiom. Frazer doesn’t sell the clothesline at all and immediately hits a high knee on Fenix. Andrade hits a big boot on Frazer, and Axiom hits an enziguri on Andrade. Axiom goes for his acrobatic twisting DDT on Fenix, but Fenix slips it and waggles his finger at the crowd. All four slug it out in the middle of the ring with Andrade and Fenix emerging with the momentum. Frazer sends Andrade to the floor and hits a tope suicida on him as Axiom hits the same move on Fenix. They hit second topes on Andrade and Fenix as we go to commercials.

Back live with Frazer in control of Fenix. Axiom tags in and he and Frazer hit double-team offense on Fenix ending with a Frazer slam combined with an Axiom kick. Axiom covers for two. Axiom ties up Fenix in a submission which Fenix finally manages to escape, but Axiom holds him as he goes for the tag. Axiom whips Fenix into his team’s corner and Fenix flies in with a huge boot that sends Frazer to the floor. Fenix hits a big boot on a charging Axiom, then hits Axiom with a flying DDT as both guys are down. Fenix finally tags in Andrade as Axiom tags in Frazer. Andrade hits both opponents with clothelines before nailing Frazer with a Dragon Screw legwhip. Andrade hits a Flying Burrito (as the Brain would call it) on Frazer and sends him to the floor. Andrade nips up to a small pop from a clearly burned-out crowd. Frazer charges out of the corner as Andrade is closing on him, but Andrade gets the better of it and hits Three Amigos on Frazer. Andrade tags in Fenix who ascends. Fenix does the Guerrero shimmy and then hits a gigantic frog splash on Frazer for a two count. Fenix knocks Axiom off the apron and yells “ANIMO!” as he ascends, but Frazer is up to get a high kick on Fenix. Frazer ascends and they slug it out before Fenix knocks Frazer to the mat. Frazer charges Andrade and kicks him down, before charging back to Fenix as Axiom tags in. Frazer hits a superplex on Fenix while Axiom superkicks Fenix in the jaw. Andrade charges in and breaks up the cover and everyone is down. We go to another commercial break.

Back live with Fenix hitting a springboard drop kick on Axiom before ducking out of the way of a Frazer Phoenix splash attempt. Fenix baseball slide dropkicks Axiom off the apron to the floor, and as Frazer goes behind, Fenix hits him with elbows as Andrade tags in. Fenix ascends and kind of misses his backspring before simply yanking Frazer into a big flipping throw that plants Frazer on his face. Frazer is sitting in the corner and Andrade just crushes him with a running Meteora, and that gets two. Andrade ascends for the moonsault, which Frazer rolls away from, so Andrade just flips on to him anyway and that gets two as Axiom breaks it up. Axiom superkicks Fenix while he’s in the ropes as Frazer hits Andrade with an enziguri. Andrade shakes it off and chops Frazer hard in the chest. Frazer of course sells nothing and immediately plants Andrade on the top turnbuckle in their team corner as Axiom tags in. Axiom ascends as Frazer tags himself in again. Axiom hits Andrade with a Spanish Fly and Frazer hits Andrade with the Phoenix splash as Fenix charges in to break up the cover with a Codebreaker to Axiom while landing on Frazer. Andrade plants a big boot in Axiom’s face and then charges out to nail Frazer with a boot and spinning back elbow. Fenix walks the top rope to kick Axiom in the head. Andrade holds Frazer in a headlock as Fenix flies over them both to hit a tope on Axiom. Andrade hits The Message implant driver on Frazer for three. That is FrAxiom’s first loss as a team on Smackdown, by the way.

It’s a shame the crowd was so cooked by this point because even with Frazer selling basically nothing, what was shown on television was actually entertaining. There’s not much of a story here and both teams are babyface, so they had to work a very athletic lucha style here and it worked. The finish worked well here and Andrade and Fenix continue to have good matches as a team. 3.5*

Winners – Andrade and Rey Fenix (The Message driver on Frazer)

Here’s Damien Priest running into Aleister Black backstage. Priest tells Black he’s got a match with Ron “R-Truth” Killings on Smackdown next week. Black says it sounds like Priest is setting Truth up, but Priest is a good guy so that can’t be the case. Black tells Priest that violence begets violence and Priest questions Black about who told him that Priest is a good guy and who told him that Truth was going to be a victim of Black’s violence. They nod grimly at each other as Black walks away.

Jacob Fatu makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

We come back with Tessitore running down the lineup for next week’s Smackdown in Nashville. There will be a special appearance by Jelly Roll, the Wyatts get another shot at the tag titles against the Street Profits, and the aforementioned Black-Truth match.

Jacob Fatu and Jimmy Uso vs JC Mateo and WWE Men’s United States Champion Solo Sikoa

Sikoa looks like he’s going to start with Fatu, but he changes his mind and tags in Mateo. Fatu charges over and dumps Mateo to the floor before headbutting him. Fatu slams Mateo’s head into the apron and then the barrier before glaring at Sikoa. Fatu dumps Mateo back in the ring and headbutts him again before tagging in Uso. Uso hits Mateo with chops but as Uso runs the ropes, Mateo fires up with a big body tackle. Mateo kicks Uso in the back and tags in Sikoa. Sikoa busts Uso in the face with a right and then imitates Fatu’s signature shimmy to a bored look from Fatu. Uso holds himself up as Sikoa whips him into the ropes before hitting a charging Sikoa with a big boot. Mateo eats a left hand from Uso that sends him to the floor, but Uso turns and walks into a uranage from Sikoa. Sikoa continues to taunt Fatu as we go to commercials.

Back live with Sikoa hitting a huge hip attack on a prone Uso in the corner. Sikoa stomps on Uso’s hand before tagging in Mateo, who grabs a waistlock on Uso. Uso struggles out of it and hits a jawbreaker on Mateo, but Mateo shrugs it off and hits Uso with an elbow, a big right hand, and a clothesline. Mateo hits a standing moonsault on Uso and stares down Fatu. Uso crawls into the corner and Mateo charges in and nails him with a flying back elbow. Uso slips another charge from Mateo and hits a desperation Samoan Drop as both guys are down. Mateo tags in Sikoa as Uso is finally able to tag in Fatu. They slug it out and Fatu comes out on top. Fatu whips Sikoa into the ropes but Sikoa catches him with a big kick. Fatu no-sells it and flattens Sikoa with a lariat and a running senton. Fatu splashes Sikoa in the corner and ascends to headbutt Sikoa TEN TIMES. They run the ropes and Fatu once again flattens Sikoa with a shoulder tackle. Fatu hits an upside down kick to Mateo that sends him off the apron to the floor, before hitting Sikoa with a rolling splash for two. Fatu hits a charging Mateo with a superkick and then gives one to Sikoa.

Mateo and Sikoa are sitting in opposite corners and both eat Hip Attacks from Fatu, who then ascends. Fatu hits a swanton on Sikoa for two as Mateo breaks it up. Mateo pounds on Fatu as Uso is finally back in the mix. Uso hits a superkick on Mateo that sends him to the floor and then Fatu holds the top rope down so Uso can soar onto Mateo. Fatu hits a scary looking tope suicida on Sikoa as I think Tessitore was fearing the worst for the announcer table. Fatu dumps Sikoa back in the ring but he misses a charge and hits his head on the ring post. Sikoa superkicks Fatu down and goes for the Spike, but Fatu reverses into an Impaler DDT. Fatu ascends and hits the jumping moonsault on Sikoa for three.

So it would appear that Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa are probably meeting again at Summerslam because this result pretty much guarantees it. The finish was decisive and clean. Everyone worked hard and with three hosses like Fatu, Sikoa and Mateo it was very physical. Again, the crowd was entirely cooked so the atmosphere didn’t feel big. 2.5*

Winners – Jacob Fatu and Jimmy Uso (Fatu moonsault on Sikoa)

Post-match sees Fatu kick Sikoa out of the ring and he follows along. Fatu prepares the announcer table and superkicks Sikoa on to it. Fatu ascends but he’s met by Talla Tonga who tosses him off the top turnbuckle to the mat. Uso charges in with punches for Tonga, but then Tonga Loa charges in and drops Uso. Loa tosses Uso into a gigantic big boot from Tonga. Tonga tosses Uso into the arms of a returning Mateo and he hits Tour of the Islands on Uso. Loa hits a twisting neckbreaker on Uso from the apron to the floor. Sikoa’s group holds up Fatu for the Samoan Spike before dragging him to the announcer table. Tonga, Loa, and Mateo hit the Shield powerbomb on Fatu through the table as Sikoa poses with his belt. The credits roll and we’re out.

The crowd was just so dead during this taping but they wanted to give talent some time off during this busy time and I’m sure it’s appreciated. Just a general show with all tag matches and nothing really stood out except the storyline-less match with Andrade and Fenix vs FrAxiom. I’d say you could skip this one easily and not miss a whole lot. Thumbs very much in the middle.

I’ll be back tomorrow morning with Collision. Enjoy your weekend, be safe out there, and thanks for reading.