Smackdown Review – 07.18.25

Let’s all see what’s happened this week in a busy WWE week so far: Evolution | Raw | NXT | LFG | Evolve

Then, Now, Forever, Together. I’M STILL NOT SEEING PETE GAS IN THIS OPENING HUNTER.

Smackdown is LIVE from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX. The announce team is Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews.

Cathy Kelley opens the show by telling us that there’s been a “multi-car accident” involving the MFT’s. Tonga Loa appears to have sustained an eye injury while Solo Sikoa, Talla Tonga, and JC Mateo are talking with law enforcement and Raw GM Adam Pearce. We also see Montez Ford and B-Fab conferring with law enforcement in the background.

Kelley asks Pearce what injuries he’s seen and Pearce basically says he doesn’t know as he just arrived on the scene at the same time as Kelley. Here’s Cody Rhodes to ask Pearce about the contract he’s signing later which Pearce hands over. Pearce then goes back to the accident scene, and Kelley throws it to the announce team.

EARLIER TODAY Alexa Bliss is joined by Charlotte Flair. Bliss apologizes for their loss at Evolution and suggests that it’s probably over for them as a team. Flair says they didn’t win, but they didn’t lose either, and she’s gotten them a women’s tag team title match at Summerslam. (WWE Women’s US Champion Giulia and a returning Kiana James are having a conversation in the background – yay Kiana!) Charlotte has a match against Raquel Rodriguez and she wants Bliss to be in her corner. Bliss says she’s not a cheerleader, to quote Charlotte, but Charlotte says she looks like one. Bliss laughs and agrees to do it as Charlotte reminds her they are NOT friends.

Charlotte Flair vs WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Raquel Rodriguez

Bliss carries jet black pom-poms to the ring instead of Lilly. Roxanne Perez is seconding Rodriguez, who gets a pop for being from Texas.

Rodriguez shrugs Flair off, so Flair goes behind. Rodriguez whips a back elbow at Flair, but she shrugs that off and grabs a wristlock. Rodriguez pulls Flair off by her hair and then shoulders her down. Rodriguez shoves Flair to the corner but eats a big boot when she charges. Flair ascends and hits Rodriguez with a rana (!) before clotheslining Rodriguez over the top rope to the floor. Flair hits Rodriguez with a cross-body as she goes over the top rope to the floor. Perez stalks Flair but she’s cut off by Bliss. Flair turns and gets waffled by a Rodriguez lariat, and then Rodriguez hoists Flair and drives her shoulder-first into the ring post. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Rodriguez dumps Flair back and covers for two. Rodriguez bullies Flair and then splashes her in the corner. Rodriguez starts blasting Flair with back elbows before tucking her into an abdominal stretch. Flair reverses so Rodriguez beals her over and puts the boots to Flair in the corner. Rodriguez drives her elbow into Flair’s previously-targeted shoulder and then grabs a headlock. Flair gets the crowd into it and rises so Rodriguez whips her back onto the mat. Rodriguez covers for one. Flair sneaks in a jawbreaker on Rodriguez but as they run the ropes Rodriguez hits Flair with a big boot (Big Mami Cool isn’t just a nickname, apparently). Rodriguez covers for two. Rodriguez runs Flair into the top turnbuckle in two corners, but Flair reverses at the third corner. Flair hits a chop, but Rodriguez charges out of the corner and elbows Flair to the mat.

Back live with Rodriguez hoisting Flair over her shoulder in a backbreaker (Not the Torture Rack kind) and pulling Flair’s arms down to increase the presumable pain. Flair manages to roll off, so Rodriguez calmly boots her in the chest. Rodriguez puts the boots to Flair and trash-talks her before nailing her with a right and stepping on her stomach. Rodriguez ascends and partially hits a twisting Vader Bomb as Flair scrambles to the corner. Flair snaps Rodriguez head-first onto the top turnbuckle and then whales away with rights. Flair wallops Rodriguez with chops and then crushes her with a cartwheel clothesline. Flair hits a swank German suplex and nips up to a decent pop. Rodriguez reverses an irish whip as Flair goes up and over in the corner. Flair hits a big boot on Rodriguez from the apron and then ascends. Flair hits a cross-body but Rodriguez rolls through and snatches Flair up and hits a twisting body slam for a LONG two.

A frustrated Rodriguez tries for the Tejana Bomb but Flair slips out of it and hits a charging Rodriguez with a big boot. Flair goes for the Figure Eight but Perez springs on to the apron to distract the ref. Flair boots Perez off the apron and while the ref is watching that, Bliss pulls Perez throat-first over the top rope. Flair hits a superkick on Rodriguez and rolls her up for three.

Rodriguez took a LOT of offense in this one. I’m not sure Charlotte’s babyface work is quite there yet but she seems to be really ACTUALLY enjoying herself right now and Bliss is clearly digging the creative as well. Flair’s character touch of almost hugging Bliss before backing off awkwardly after the match was cool. Rodriguez’s hoss stuff always looks good and this finish definitely sets up all kinds of interesting things. The ringwork was good, other than Charlotte’s rana, and the crowd was definitely into it. 2.5*

Winner – Charlotte Flair (superkick – roll-up)

Post-match sees Flair and Bliss make the heart symbol with their hands to a big pop from the crowd.

Adam Pearce is on the phone before coming across law enforcement. The fuzz asks if Pearce knows where they can find Jacob Fatu who is a person of interest in their investigation. Pearce leads them to Fatu who says he’s not going with the “punk ass police”. Pearce tells Fatu to answer their questions and not make things worse. Fatu leaves with the cops as we go to commercials.

Back from commercials and we go to a pre-tape promo from WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton and WWE Queen of the Ring Jade Cargill. They both debuted in the same Royal Rumble, they both have had friendships destroyed, and they’ve both won gold. While Stratton was winning the title, Cargill was overcoming betrayal and finding revenge. Stratton has fought the impression that she’s just another dumb blonde, but she’s beaten some major names and still has the title. Cargill says she’s been doubted and disrespected but she’s walked through every storm. Stratton says Cargill is just going to be another name on the list after Summerslam. Cargill says a storm is coming. (This was an EXCELLENT piece of business with the video packages being top notch)

Barrett talks through the highlights of the Ron Killings-Aleister Black-Damien Priest match and segments from last week‘s Smackdown.

EARLIER TODAY Damien Priest is walking backstage. He runs into Carmelo Hayes and Hayes says he wouldn’t tell Priest if he knew where Aleister Black was. Hayes says he warned Priest this situation was going to happen and it did so don’t be mad at him. Priest says Hayes is right but when he finds Black, he’s going to end up on his knees asking for forgiveness. Priest says he doesn’t know why he was trying to play peace-maker because he’s the guy who goes out to the ring and shuts people’s mouths before going out to celebrate. Priest and Hayes agree to settle things TONIGHT and as Hayes goes to leave, Priest stops him and tells him he hopes he keeps his current energy and brings it tonight.

Carmelo Hayes makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

Carmelo Hayes vs Damien Priest

Hayes attacks Priest prior to the bell as he’s posing to the crowd. The bell rings and Hayes continues the assault as Priest hasn’t removed his ring jacket yet. Priest puts the brakes on an irish whip attempt but Hayes ducks two running clothesline attempts and hits a jumping fist on Priest. Priest comes off the ropes with a big boot and finally gets the jacket off. Priest tosses Hayes in the corner and goes to work with right hands. Priest whips Hayes into the ropes but Hayes hangs on and kicks Priest in the chest as he wanted the back body drop. Priest no-sells it and forearms Hayes from the ring to the floor. Priest follows and hoists Hayes onto his shoulder, but Hayes slips off and ducks a boot. Hayes hits a dropkick on Priest that sends him back-first into the ring post. Hayes flexes as we go to commercials.

Back live with Hayes in control as Priest is on all fours mid-ring. Hayes is calling Priest “stupid” to the crowd and Priest fires up. Priest nails Hayes with three big forearms, the last of which dumps Hayes to the mat. Priest hits a huge face-buster on Hayes. Hayes staggers to the corner so Priest comes flying in with an elbow. Priest runs Hayes over with another forearm. Hayes wants to bail and as Priest tries to stop him, Hayes yanks Priest’s arm over the top rope. Hayes flattens Priest with a springboard cross-body before nipping up and grinning at the crowd. Hayes TUNES UP THE BAND IN SAN ANTONIO but Priest of course catches his superkick attempt and goes for the chokeslam. Hayes slips out and ducks a backfist, but Priest claps the ears. Hayes sneaks in a spinning facebreaker, but his springboard move is met with a big Priest fist.

Priest kicks Hayes in the stomach and hoists him up for the Razor’s Edge. Hayes slips out and staggers into the corner, but when Priest charges Hayes slips onto the apron. Hayes ascends but Priest ducks his leap and tries for the chokeslam. Hayes slips that and pulls Priest into a Codebreaker before ascending again. Hayes hits Priest with a frog splash and covers for two. Hayes kicks Priest out of the ring. Hayes leaps off the apron so Priest calmly belts him with a right hand. Priest bounces Hayes face-first off the announce table before whipping him back in the ring. Priest grabs Hayes hand and as he stands on the ropes, here’s Aleister Black. Black crotches Priest on the top rope and the bell rings for the DQ.

The match was really picking up in intensity prior to the DQ. Hayes continues to put out solid efforts as a mid-carder so you would hope Hunter would notice soon. Sadly this turned into an angle disguised as a match. I have to knock it down for the DQ, sorry. 2*

No winner – Interference DQ when Aleister Black attacked Priest

Post-match sees Priest very slowly rise to his feet before Black wastes him with a Black Mass (Black is in a jet black suit and tie and looks swank as hell, quite frankly). Black glares at Hayes who bails. Black leans down and tells a struggling Priest that he knows where to find Black. Black leaves as Priest is attended to.

Tessitore and Barrett run down the rest of tonight’s card that includes the contract signing between Cody Rhodes and John Cena, a fatal four-way between a bunch of tag teams to determine the number one contenders, and a Stephanie Vaquer-Alba Fyre match.

Here’s the Wyatt Sicks on a pre-tape. Uncle Howdy says they are where they belong. Dexter Lumis ACTUALLY TALKS and says the Street Profits have shown that their bond is only held together by their lust for gold. Erick Rowan says they’ve built a new family based on pain and the blood they share. Joe Gacy says they’ll strip these teams of their wicked desires and burn their vanity. Howdy says that they should let the Wyatt Sicks be their guide and all they have to do is FOLLOW. We go to commercials.

WWE Men’s US Champion Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s make their way to the ring. Tonga Loa has a bandage over his eye. The crowd chants for the OTC. Sikoa says that tonight is the perfect example of who Jacob Fatu really is. Sikoa says Fatu is reckless without his guidance (Except when he’s wrecking your car – HEEEYYYOOOO). Fatu doesn’t listen to anybody and only cares about himself says Sikoa. Sikoa gave Fatu everything, he brought him to WWE, made him successful, put money in his pocket, put food on his table, made him a champion and he deserves none of it. Sikoa says Fatu is so selfish he betrayed the only family he has and Sikoa should have known it, because once a criminal, always a criminal (Sikoa’s facial expression here is priceless).

On the video board here’s Big Jim Uso to greet a returning Jacob Fatu as he exits a police vehicle. An officer explains to Fatu that they reviewed camera footage and he’s no longer a person of interest. Fatu again calls them “punk ass police” and starts stalking towards the ring. His music hits as he goes through Gorilla and out to the arena to a massive pop. Jimmy Uso sneaks in from behind and pulls Talla Tonga out of the ring before kicking a charging Sikoa. Fatu leaps in to the ring to fight with Mateo as Uso superkicks Loa. As Uso goes to work on Mateo, Tonga yanks Uso to the floor and wipes him out with a big boot. Tonga clears the announce desk and as he goes to chokeslam Uso Fatu hits Tonga with a tope suicida that sends Tonga flying over the announce table.

Fatu does his shimmy but Tonga looms up out of the background like the goddamn Undertaker. Fatu and Uso charge Tonga who wants a double chokeslam, but Uso fights out of it and he and Fatu hit a double superkick on Tonga. Fatu whips Uso into a cross-body on Tonga that sends both of them spilling over the barrier into the time-keeper’s area. Fatu charges back into the ring and goes to ground and pound on Sikoa. Sikoa bails and tries to escape but Uso whips him back into the ring where Fatu has a chair that Uso has previously provided. Fatu superkicks Sikoa down in the corner and then hits him with a hip attack. Fatu takes the chair and puts it over Sikoa’s head. Mateo charges in to prevent Fatu’s second hip attack while Uso superkicks a charging Loa. Tonga retrieves Sikoa as Uso splashes Loa, and then Fatu moonsaults Mateo. Fatu grabs the chair and whales Mateo in the back with it before doing the same to Loa. Fatu nails them both once more, and here’s Adam Pearce. Pearce says if Sikoa wants to frame an innocent man and get him locked up, Sikoa will defend his title at Summerslam inside a STEEL CAGE against Fatu. Pearce sends the cops out and they cuff Sikoa and take him to the back. Uso finds the US title amongst the wreckage and Fatu holds it up for the crowd.

This had all the heat from the crowd and was a solidly constructed piece of business. Jimmy and Fatu make a good team, and the MFT’s got some payback for their numbers attacks. Talla Tonga continues to impress. I wonder what happens if Sikoa hasn’t gotten out of jail for framing Fatu by Summerslam, though.

Barrett tosses it to highlights of the Jelly Roll – Logan Paul dust-up on the Jimmy Kimmel show. I’m not recapping it, go watch it here. Jelly Roll chokeslamming Paul through the desk was great, though.

Stephanie Vaquer makes her entrance as we go to commercials.

Stephanie Vaquer vs Alba Fyre

Fyre, who gets no entrances, is seconded by Piper Niven. Fyre dumps Vaquer, but Vaquer gets an armdrag and then a tilt-a-whirl rollup that gets two. Vaquer hits a bridging rollup for two. Vaquer hits Fyre with a reverse thrust kick and a headbutt. Vaquer charges Fyre in the corner, but Fyre lifts Vaquer up and over to the apron. Vaquer slaps Fyre and goes for a springboard, but Fyre recovers and superkicks Vaquer as she leaps. Fyre nails Vaquer with a tope between the first and second ropes and then salutes. Fyre dumps Vaquer back in and ascends. Fyre’s swanton attempt is met by Vaquer’s knees. Vaquer pops Fyre with another thrust kick and then destroys her with a twisting backbreaker over her knee. Fyre ends up seated and Vaquer goes for the Devil’s Kiss as Barrett loses his mind. Vaquer hits the Devil’s Kiss and then locks up with Fyre, who tries for a Gory Special. Vaquer slips out of it and hits the SVB and that gets three.

I’m disappointed that this, a match that in another world could be a main event, got two minutes in the early part of the second hour of Smackdown. I *know* where Alba Fyre stands on this roster and I swear to you they could be doing so much more with her. Vaquer is great and hardly had to break a sweat here. 2*

Winner – Stephanie Vaquer (SVB)

Post-match sees Niven wipe out Vaquer with a clothesline and a running senton. Niven tries for a corner move but Vaquer slips it and shoves Niven down to the floor. Niven charges and eats a Vaquer thrust kick. Fyre and Niven gesture from the floor as Vaquer’s music hits.

Backstage Cathy Kelley is with The Street Profits and B-Fab. Kelley asks them how they’re processing the loss to the Wyatts last week in the title match. Ford says the Wyatts came out from their swamp and managed to take the titles, isn’t that something? Ford says they aren’t ready to face reality. Dawkins says they aren’t leaving anytime soon and they’ll be getting the titles back with the quickness. Kelly asks them how they feel about not being included in the four-way number one contenders match and as Ford is talking about the earlier car accident chaos, here’s DIY and Candace LeRae to interrupt. Gargano says they should be ashamed of losing the titles, and Ciampa says DIY is here once again to save the day because if you want something done right, you Do It Yourself. (SO THAT’S WHY THEY’RE CALLED THAT I GET IT NOW). LeRae says they should pay attention and maybe they’ll learn something, so B-Fab wants to get in her face. Speaking of faces, Dawkins looks like he might actually want to murder Gargano and Ciampa.

DIY make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Number One Contenders Match: DIY vs MCMG vs FrAxiom vs Andrade/Rey Fenix

LeRae appears to be the only second around ringside. Andrade and Fenix were the other team to get an entrance as MCMG and FrAxiom must have joined things during commercials. The bell rings and it’s Frazer and Sabin to start.

There’s some wristlock acrobatics by both as we start, and Gargano and Ciampa have had enough of that so they blast Sabin and Frazer from behind. They then wipe out both Axiom and Shelley but as Gargano charges Andrade, he hits a roundhouse kick from the apron and then Fenix hits a springboard dropkick on Ciampa. Fenix hits an Andrade-assisted rana on Gargano that dumps him to the floor. Andrade and Fenix go for double topes but they are stopped by Frazer and Axiom with kicks. Frazer and Axiom try for the topes, but they are stopped by Sabin and Shelley who yank them on to the floor. Sabin and Shelley then hit simultaneous baseball slides on Ciampa and Gargano. Shelley holds the second and third ropes apart as Sabin flies through to nail Ciampa and Gargano with clotheslines. We go to commercials.

Back live with Shelley hitting Ciampa with a facebuster and Gargano with a DDT as Sabin assists. Barrett says that DIY controlled things throughout the commercials so this is clearly Sabin and Shelley’s comeback. Axiom tags in from a staggered Shelley as Frazer yanks Shelley to the floor. Gargano is the other legal man (I think) and Axiom plants him with a German before tagging in Frazer. Frazer and Axiom run double team offense on Ciampa that ends with a Frazer short-arm DDT on Ciampa. Fenix charges in and he ends up eating a knee and a dropkick from FrAxiom that sends him to the floor. Axiom hits a tope on Andrade and Frazer hits one on Sabin and Shelley. Axiom then topes Fenix before Frazer wastes Ciampa and Gargano with one. Frazer dumps Ciampa in the ring and tags in Axiom who ascends. Axiom hits Ciampa with a missile dropkick and covers for two as Andrade pushes Frazer into the pile to break things up.

Andrade drags Ciampa to the corner where Fenix tags him. Fenix hits a giant frog splash on Frazer and then a springboard reverse thrust kick on Axiom. Andrade tags in and hits Two Of Three Amigos on Axiom (the third was just a standard suplex) before tagging Fenix in. Fenix hits another frog splash on Axiom and covers but everyone runs in to break it up. A Pier Six erupts between all eight and it ends with Sabin and Shelley sending Ciampa and Gargano to the floor. Frazer and Axiom charge in and that ends with Frazer hitting a Sling Blade on Sabin while Axiom sends Shelley to the floor. Andrade and Fenix now charge in and they place Frazer and Axiom in opposite corners as Barrett remarks how confused the referee looks (I am too, Wade. Literally no idea who’s legal at this point other than maybe Fenix and no one’s selling anything and this is going a million miles an hour.)

Andrade and Fenix hit simultaneous clotheslines on Frazer and Axiom and Frazer goes to the floor. Andrade and Fenix hit double-team offense on Axiom who ends up on his knees in the middle of the ring. As Fenix backs into the corner, Ciampa tags in and drops Fenix on his head while Gargano hits a roundhouse on a charging Andrade. Gargano hits a springboard leaping DDT on Andrade as Ciampa gets rolled up by Axiom and that gets two. Ciampa hits the Project Ciampa backbreaker on Axiom and covers for two. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Ciampa works over Axiom with a chop before they go to the apron. Ciampa chops Axiom twice, but the third one is blocked and Axiom chops Ciampa and then his roundhouse sends Ciampa to the floor. Axiom ascends but Ciampa scampers up to punch him in the head and then join him on the second rope. Axiom wins a slugfest but Ciampa recovers and starts chopping Axiom again. Ciampa ascends again and hoists Axiom on his back. Ciampa then BACKDROPS Axiom onto a pile of opponents from the second rope (MY GOD that was a scary spot). Everyone is down on the floor as the ref does a well-being check. Gargano and Ciampa are first up and Ciampa fires Axiom back into the ring as Gargano works over Sabin and Shelley. Ciampa yanks his knee pad down and hits Axiom dead in the face with a running knee. Ciampa covers and Axiom kicks out at two. Ciampa tags in Gargano. Ciampa hoists Axiom upside down as Gargano superkicks Axiom in the face. Sabin jumps up on the apron and tags in off Gargano. Ciampa charges over and Sabin nails him with a right. Sabin ascends and hits Gargano and Ciampa with a flying cross-body.

Back live with Sabin and Shelley hitting signature double team offense on Gargano that ends with Sabin hitting a shotgun dropkick on a prone Gargano’s face. Sabin and Shelley hit simultaneous roundhouses on Axiom but as they go for Skull and Bones Andrade tags in and shoves Shelley to the floor. Fenix roundhouses Sabin as Andrade tags in off the legal man instead. Andrade hits a flying forearm on Axiom and then dumps a charging Sabin to the floor. Andrade ascends but Axiom springs up and kicks him in the lower leg. Frazer jumps up and tags in off of Axiom. Axiom hits a Spanish Fly on Andrade and as Frazer goes to follow, Ciampa tags in off Frazer. Frazer hits Andrade with the Phoenix splash but didn’t realize Ciampa had tagged him. Ciampa charges in and dumps Frazer out over the top rope. Ciampa covers Axiom for two, but as Gargano tries to protect the cover, Fenix charges in and hits a Codebreaker on Gargano while landing on Ciampa to break it up.

Ciampa tries to toss Fenix, but he reverses and nails Ciampa with a reverse superkick. Fenix ascends and hits a torneo on Sabin, Shelley, and Frazer. Andrade goes for The Message on Ciampa but LeRae jumps up to distract. Ciampa uses the distraction to roll up Andrade for two. Ciampa holds Andrade as Gargano charges in, but Andrade slips Gargano’s superkick attempt and it ends up destroying Ciampa instead. Andrade wallops Gargano with a spinning back elbow. Fenix launches himself over the top rope on to Gargano as Andrade hits The Message on Ciampa, and that gets three. Andrade and Rey Fenix are the number one contenders and will get a WWE Men’s Tag Team title match on next week’s Smackdown in Cleveland, OH.

An insane scramble that went a million miles an hour with very little selling. That being said, it was easily the match of the night with the incredible amount of athleticism on display. Obviously there was very little actual psychology and I doubt the missed superkick between the DIY’s will mean much in the end. If you like a lucha-style sprint “party” match, this will be right in your wheelhouse. 3*

Winners – Andrade and Rey Fenix (The Message on Ciampa)

Also next week in Cleveland Alexa Bliss will take on Roxanne Perez. Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre will I guess do verbal battle with Jelly Roll and Randy Orton.

Cody Rhodes is heading to the ring as we go to commercials.

Back live with Adam Pearce in the ring to preside. It’s a big week for the Rhodes kids in Texas, I guess. Rhodes does his full entrance, shakes Pearce’s hand, grabs a microphone and signs the contract. Rhodes then wants to know what San Antonio wants to talk about to a gigantic pop. Rhodes says his father and brother are Texans as is he, and while they were outlaws, he got to be something different when he was the WWE Champion. Rhodes says he posted something on social media this week that blew up as soon as he pressed send and it was “don’t flinch, and thank you for riding with me”. The “don’t flinch” part was for him mostly, because he didn’t flinch when he returned at Wrestlemania, or with a muscle hanging off the bone (He calls Seth a future hall-of-famer here), when he was against the Beast, or going back to back in the Royal Rumble, he didn’t flinch when he had to face Jey Uso and Randy Orton, and he didn’t flinch when THE FINAL BOSS and “politics” came for his soul. He knows he did flinch at Wrestlemania 41 though, against “one of the most beloved wrestlers in our sport” John Cena (A Cena chant erupts here that Pearce acknowledges by saying “wow” and I dig the character touch). Rhodes says it’s an unenviable task to take the title from a beloved figure like Cena but it’s the task he was born for. At Summerslam it’s one match for the rest of his life, says Rhodes. Rhodes asks Pearce to introduce the champ.

WWE Champion John Cena makes his entrance to thunderous “John Cena sucks!” chanting. Cena calmly sits at the table and tells Rhodes to sit down too. Cena says he has some bad news and that is that he’s not going to be at Summerslam. Cena says the decision was made tonight and he had to take it to “the top of the chain of command”. (They do a split screen shot here of Cena’s promo and Cody’s reaction face that I think is brand new AND VERY COOL). Cena says everyone knows he’s filming a big movie for Netflix in New York and Netflix knows about this situation. Cena says they talked and he’s “emotionally exhausted” and they all feel that it’s best if he doesn’t physically compete at Summerslam. Cena says Rhodes has earned his rematch and they can do it in Paris or Perth but as far as Summerslam goes there’s no way in good faith that Cena can sign the contract. Cena says he knows Rhodes is upset and that everyone is upset but there’s nothing “we” can do here. Cena says everyone knows he’s working hard on the movie and he’s emotionally out of it. Cena says it was a tough decision but this is “what’s best for business right now”.

Cena says it was really hard to even be in San Antonio but he wanted to give the fans some fireworks and a night to remember on his Farewell Tour. Cena appreciates everyone’s patience and understanding and thanks everyone. Cena puts up the deuces and says good night to San Antonio, and Rhodes, who’s been silently stewing during all this, takes off his jacket. Rhodes chases down Cena and starts throwing rights at his head. Rhodes drags Cena back and drives him into the apron. Cena reverses an irish whip and sends Rhodes into the ring steps shoulder-first. Cena bangs Rhodes head off the steps and then tosses him in the ring. Cena takes his shirt off and retrieves his title belt. Rhodes ducks a belt shot and kicks Cena in the gut. The belt flies into Cody’s hands and he wastes Cena with a belt shot (He barely got him but Cena sold it huge). Rhodes puts Cena on the table and works him over with rights as Barrett says this is a “different side” of Rhodes. Rhodes ascends, contract in hand, and splashes Cena through the table as Tessitore is going berserk. Rhodes pulls out the pen from the contract binder, puts it in Cena’s hand, and signs the contract for him.

Rhodes grabs the mic and tells Cena he should have checked the fine print, because not only is it a title match at Summerslam, it’s a STREET FIGHT. Rhodes stares down at the title belt before yanking it up and hoisting it for the crowd. The credits roll as Rhodes theme plays and we’re out.

I can’t say it was the greatest Smackdown ever but it did have two hot angles with the MFT’s/Fatu/Uso and the Cena-Cody confrontation. The four-way sprint tag match had some good stuff if you enjoy lucha-style sprints, and Charlotte-Raquel was fine for what it was. Next week has the tag title match and Perez-Bliss so there’s some good stuff to look forward to. I’d call this one thumbs slightly up.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your weekends. I’ll be back tomorrow morning with Collision coverage. Y’all be cool.