Smackdown Review – 08.22.25

A week in WWE programming has included: LFG | Raw | NXT | Evolve | Impact

This episode of Smackdown was broadcast live around the world from the 3 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The announce team for tonight’s show is Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews and news updates. This broadcast is on the USA Network in America.

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Let’s see some people enter the buidling, shall we? Here’s Logan Paul, the Street Profits and B-Fab, Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s, Charlotte Flair, and Piper Niven looking resplendent as they enter the building. Tessitore and Barrett welcome us to a raucous arena and says we’re starting with a hometown superstar.

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch makes her entrance to an ENORMOUS pop. Lynch puts over the fact that this is the first ever live broadcast from Dublin (The show was broadcast live on Netflix because the rest of the world has normal access to the WWE programming whereas here you have to have 20 streaming services and cable – but back to the show.) Lynch says she always thought about having television happen in the building and now that it is, the fans…don’t deserve it. Lynch says she petitioned for this show to be cancelled “in the back”. The fans chant for Lyra Valkyria but Lynch says they aren’t getting her because Lynch beat Valkyria and you know the rest.

Lynch says she’s aghast at the lack of coverage of her in Ireland, but she’s their hero and deserves more. Lynch says people are often let down by their heroes but she’s been let down by all the fans. Lynch uses America for heat (Yep, we are world villains now and I cannot blame anyone for booing even the mention of the name.) and says she’s going to list her accomplishments. She lists them all and then puts over her “hot American husband”, which draws a CM Punk chant. Lynch: “No one wants that old ass.”

WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton cuts Lynch off mid-rant, thankfully. Stratton doesn’t understand how Lynch can be so ungrateful and reminds her that she’s on the wrong show. Stratton says Dublin knows what time it is and that “Rebecca” can leave, and if she doesn’t, Stratton will make her leave. Here’s Nia Jax to interrupt. (I’m sensing a tag match here, playa.) Jax says Stratton has way bigger problems than Lynch and she pops Stratton with a right before putting the boots to her. Jax invites Lynch to help out which she happily does. Here’s Jade Cargill to make the save by taking out Jax with a pump kick. Lynch stalks from behind and Cargill catches her. Stratton comes in and takes out Jax while Lynch bails. Here’s Smackdown GM Nick Aldis to make the main event tag match of Cargill and Stratton vs Lynch and Jax.

Here’s Carmelo Hayes running into FrAxiom backstage. Axiom puts over Hayes’s performance in last week‘s tag match, but Frazer gives Hayes some guff over Miz inserting himself to win it. The Miz sidles up and questions Frazer calling him a “schemer”. (Tag champions Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis are now watching from down the hallway.) Hayes puts over Miz’s accomplishments and says Miz is “smarter than everyone”. A bemused Frazer watches them leave.

Miz and Hayes make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Melo Don’t Miz vs Motor City Machine Guns

Miz wins an argument to start, so Hayes tags himself in as soon as the bell rings in a throwback to last week. It’s Sabin to start for the Guns. Hayes grabs an ankle but Sabin kicks him off. Hayes bullies Sabin to a neutral corner and boots him in the stomach. Sabin slips a charge and flips Hayes with an armdrag. Sabin reverses an irish whip and flips Hayes over but he lands on his feet as a grinning Miz tags in. Miz grabs a headlock on Sabin but Shelley is able to tag in when Sabin pushes Miz to their corner. Sabin and Shelley hit double-team offense on Miz sending him to the floor, and Hayes charges over and gets dumped as well. The Guns hit stereo baseball slides and then Sabin hits a tope suicida on both Hayes and Miz with an assist from Shelley holding the ropes. We go to commercials.

Back live with Shelley crawling out of MDM’s corner as Miz tags in. Shelley kicks Miz off and tags in Sabin. Sabin hits a flying cross-body on Miz before popping him with a couple rights. Sabin whips Miz to the corner and follows with an elbow. Sabin hits a swinging DDT on Miz from the second rope and covers for two. Miz ends up in the MCMG corner and as Sabin charges Shelley tags him as Miz dumps Sabin to the apron. Sabin and Shelley hit double-team offense on Miz that ends with a Magic Killer as Shelley covers for two with Hayes breaking it up.

The Guns hit immediate double-team offense on Hayes that ends with Sabin dropkicking a prone Hayes in the face. Sabin tags in and they try for Skull and Bones but Miz shoves Sabin into Shelley’s…groin region. Sabin slips a SCF attempt as Hayes sneakily tags in. Hayes hits a spinning bulldog and covers Sabin for two. Hayes ascends and a recovered Miz tags him. Hayes and Miz argue so Sabin shoves Hayes into Miz. Hayes reverses to Sabin and wallops him with a lungblower before a recovered Shelley charges over and half-assedly clotheslines Hayes over the top rope. (Everyone messes up, man. It happens.) Miz crawls over to a prone Sabin and covers him for three.

The very definition of a “television match”. MDM do get to be in a number one contenders match on next week’s Smackdown so they got something out of this, but otherwise this was mostly a nothing-burger that just kept whatever this angle between Melo and Miz ends up being. The Guns job again and I’m not sure what the point of them is in WWE at this point. Maybe go back to TNA for a few months and mess with the Hardys? 2*

Winners – Melo Don’t Miz (Hayes lungblower on Sabin, Miz covers)

Backstage Cathy Kelley is with Big Jim Uso and she wishes him Happy Birthday and congratulations on his and Naomi’s news from Monday night. Uso says they’ve been getting a lot of love as Sami Zayn flies in to put a big hug on Uso. Zayn is wildly excited and says that even though the Bloodline is big, the kid will always have an “Uncle Sami Uso”.

Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s enter and Sikoa tells Kelley to beat it. Sikoa says he knows Uso isn’t “coming back to the family” but Baby Uso will have plenty of uncles in his crew while laughing like a serial killer. Sikoa says Uso should name the kid after him and Uso does the NO YEET response as Zayn interprets for Sikoa. Zayn says Sikoa should worry about losing his US title not to underdog Sami Zayn but “Wrestlemania main-eventer Sami Zayn”. Sikoa smirks and he and the crew leave. We go to commercials.

It’s wild to me that the Bloodline stuff is now just kind of…over. I always like to see that crew come back together in any form so Jim and Sami being on the same show at least has some possibilities.

Piper Niven vs WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair

Niven is flanked by Alba Fyre and Chelsea Green. Barrett says that Alexa Bliss was not medically cleared after last week’s post-match attack.

They lock-up to start and Niven grabs a wrist. Flair cartwheels out of it and grabs a side-headlock. Niven shoves Flair off and trucks her when she comes off the ropes. As Niven salutes the crowd Flair nips up behind her and mocks the salute. Flair goes behind and eats a Niven back elbow. Niven pulls Flair to the mat by her hair and then whips her to the opposite corner. Flair goes up and over onto the apron and as Niven charges Flair hits her with a big boot. Flair ascends and hits a flying cross-body on Niven and that gets two.

Niven staggers to a corner and hits a charging Flair with an elbow. Flair wallops Niven with two kicks and as she ascends Green climbs on the apron to bark at Flair. Niven immediately pulls Flair off the second rope to land face-first on the mat. Niven hits a Bossman slam and covers for two. We go to commercials.

Back live with Niven covering Flair for two as Tessitore explains that Niven hit a cannonball on Flair. Niven tries for a Vader Bomb but Flair rolls out of the way as Niven eats it. Flair hits Niven with a bunch of chops and then irish whips her into a cartwheel-lariat. Flair hits Niven with a superkick and then big boots. Flair kicks Niven in the head and then gives a “salute SUCK IT” signal to Green. Flair walks over Niven and ascends to hit the moonsault. Flair covers for two.

Flair tries for the Figure Eight but Niven kicks her off so Flair spears her and covers for two. Green climbs on the apron so Flair slugs her down. Fyre races around to the other side of the ring to distract the ref as Flair slaps on the Figure Eight. Green rakes Flair’s eyes and as she staggers into the corner Niven trucks her. Niven hits a Michinoku Driver on Flair and covers for three (!).

Wow. How often do you ever see Charlotte get pinned on television? That’s a big win for Niven, heel shenanigans notwithstanding. I do appreciate good heel shenanigans, however. The match suffered from the commercial break placement but for what there was on television, it was mostly solid if clunky at times. I assume this will continue this feud for awhile. 2.5*

Winner – Piper Niven (Michinoku Driver)

Backstage Kiana James is filling in WWE Women’s US Champion Giulia on all her latest dealings when Michin walks up to interrupt. Michin, who’s carrying a kendo stick, tells Giulia that her “secretary” forgot to mention that she wants a shot at the title. (At this point, Nikki Cross enters to watch in the background.) James snaps her fingers at Michin and reminds her that any business requests come through James first. James implies that Michin will have to beat her in a match first which doesn’t seem to phase Michin. Giulia tells Michin she’s not worried and they leave. We go to commercials.

You can watch this entire next segment here. John Cena makes his entrance to a thunderous pop. (I am now really getting nostalgic over these last appearances and I think Cena is starting to really feel it too.) Cena gets Mark Nash to do his special intro and the crowd is coming unglued. Before Cena can say a word Logan Paul‘s music hits and he emerges. Paul grabs a mic and says it’s always good to be back in England to the reaction you’d expect. Paul insults the crowd before turning to address Cena. Paul calls Cena a “professional pretender” and says he’s now “an actor who knows how to wrestle”.

Paul says the “twitter warriors” (HI ELON!) will get online and call him an outsider when he’s been wrestling for four years. Paul says he’s exactly who he says he is and Cena is a “corporate pawn” who rolls over on his back when the bosses tell him to. Paul says he doesn’t have to “get naked at the Oscars” to get attention. (There’s a “John Cena eats big dinners” sign in the crowd and I have to find out what that means in Ireland.) Paul asks the crowd who the impostor is – the guy who goes all out for their viewing pleasure at every PLE or “the guy who’s been doing the same five moves for 23 years”. Paul says he can’t wait to be in the ring with Cena in Paris, but he’s not signing a co-habitation agreement because this is his house now. (The director now finds a “If Hurricane Helms doesn’t show we riot” sign and Ireland, you are awesome.)

Cena speaks finally and says Paul is an undeniable presence, a tremendous athlete, a future WWE champion, and a future WM main eventer. Cena says he and the crowd don’t like that, and they’re stuck on this one term for Paul. (Crowd: WANKER! WANKER! WANKER!) Cena says the term is “outsider” but Paul isn’t leaving and we’re stuck with him. Cena says Paul isn’t an outsider, he’s a disappointment. Cena says they opened their arms to Paul and he chose to use them as a branding opportunity so Paul could go buy another Pokemon card. Cena flips over Paul’s Prime drink cart (Shoutout to Kevin Owens, the original and best Prime Hater out there – get well soon, bud.) as Paul seethes.

Cena says Paul has a lot of nerve to come out and insult his family and say he’s put his life on the line in a total of…23 matches. Cena says it’s interesting that it’s 23 matches because he’s given his heart and soul to the business for 23 years. Cena puts over the house shows he’s done in Dublin and says when he fought Sheamus in 2010 Paul was making Vine videos with his brother. (I think we should activate the BURN UNIT at this point.) Cena says whether he’s got 100 moves, five moves or one move, he always thinks about what can he give to the business when he’s in the ring. Cena says when Paul gets in the ring he thinks about one thing too but it’s what can Paul take from this business. Cena says the fans can see through Paul’s BS and calls Paul not an outsider but a parasite.

Cena runs down a list of people that Paul is taking an opportunity from by challenging him for Paris and says the crowd knows Cena is wasting his time with Paul. Cena says Paul jumped the line and got his match in Paris and now it’s the most important match of Paul’s life. Cena says Paul knows a lot about hustle but nothing about loyalty or respect. Cena says the ring is not Paul’s house, it’s the fans house and he learned that the hard way. Cena gets a burn in on Paul’s legal troubles as the crowd pops. Cena says Paul better bring his A game to Paris because his opponent is the greatest of all time. Cena says if Paul thinks he’s going to be walking in with his drone as a “backflipping youtuber” Paul is in for a long night. Cena says Paul better be ready to give back to the business or Cena will “beat the everloving shite out of you”.

Paul flips Cena’s hat off and starts poking at him. Cena slips a Paul punch and hoists him up for an Attitude Adjustment. Cena puts his hat back on and celebrates over a fallen Paul. Barrett says Paul got schooled tonight as Cena makes his exit.

Tremendous segment in terms of the build for the match itself. I swear, we lost so much time to that wildly ill-advised heel turn. Cena is really feeling it right now and this promo, while a bit self-referential, was good without being too demeaning to Paul.

Backstage Jade Cargill is warming up when Tiffany Stratton approaches to say that she didn’t need her help. Cargill waves her off and says she needs Stratton to be 100% so when Cargill beats her, there will be no excuses. Cargill says they can work together tonight but afterwards she’s coming for the title.

The Street Profits and B-Fab make their entrance as we go to commercials.

A steaming Logan Paul runs into Drew McIntyre backstage. McIntyre tells Paul he’s scared of John Cena and intimidated by the mystique of Cena. McIntyre says it’s not 2010 SuperCena anymore and Paul is in his prime. McIntyre tells Paul he got embarrassed and he should do whatever it takes to make it right tonight. Paul says “yes sir” and McIntyre emphasizes “whatever it takes”.

McIntyre as Palpatine to Paul’s Vader is an interesting choice but I’m here for it in terms of where it could eventually go.

The Street Profits vs JC Mateo and Tonga Loa

The winners of this will apparently face Melo Don’t Miz next week in the number one contender’s match. The MFT’s are flanked by Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga.

Dawkins and Loa start and Loa gets the early advantage by trucking Dawkins. Dawkins comes off the ropes and stops before Loa can hit a back-body drop. Dawkins dropkicks Loa and yanks him up as Ford tags in. Ford dropkicks Loa and then hits a standing moonsault but Loa kicks out of the cover before the ref counts one. Loa fires up and hoists Ford into the MFT corner where Mateo tags in. Mateo smashes Ford with a headbutt and wallops him with a right. Mateo fires Ford into the ropes but Ford recovers to kick Mateo dead in the chest. Ford hits a Fameasser on Mateo who rises and staggers to a neutral corner. Ford charges and Mateo dumps him on the apron. Ford hits an enziguri on Mateo and then kicks a charging Loa in the chest. Ford blasts Mateo with a right and Mateo grabs the ref. Loa pulls Ford from the apron and runs him into a ring post. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Loa bullies Ford on the outside and runs him into the barrier. Loa tosses Ford back in as Mateo tags in. They hit double-team headbutts on Ford (Surely this man’s head is now in 10000 pieces.) before Mateo puts the boots to a seated Ford. As the ref barks at Mateo, Loa comes along and yanks Ford throat-first over the second rope. Mateo clubbers Ford down and then pushes him throat-first over the second rope. The ref barks at Mateo some more so Sikoa flies in to clobber Ford with a right. Loa tags in and puts the boots to Ford. Ford fires up with rights but Loa drops him in a neutral corner before he can tag Dawkins. Loa runs Ford chest-first into the turnbuckles and then yanks him up for a side suplex. Loa covers for two. Loa grabs a headlock and as Ford tries to break out of it Loa calmly headbutts him in the chest. Mateo tags in and Loa whips Ford into the corner. Loa chases with a clothesline before Mateo flies in with an uppercut. Loa trucks Ford who ends up on the apron. Mateo yanks Ford in and tosses him over onto his back. Ford again fires up with rights on Mateo before dropping Loa to the floor with a right.

Back to full screen with Mateo waffling Ford with a lariat. Mateo covers for two as Dawkins wants to charge in. Mateo hits a standing moonsault on Ford and covers for two (That was a wildly impressive move for a man of Mateo’s size.) Mateo tosses Ford into a corner and charges but Ford slips it. Loa tags in and flips Ford over his back. Loa starts throwing forearms but when he charges Ford slips it and dumps Loa to the floor. Loa recovers and tags in Mateo but they cannot stop Ford from tagging in Dawkins.

Dawkins runs Mateo over with clotheslines and then nails Mateo with a flying elbow after running the ropes. Loa charges in and eats a Dawkins flapjack. Mateo staggers to a corner and Dawkins comes flying in with his torneo splash. Dawkins nails Mateo with an enziguri and then hoists him on his shoulders. Mateo slips down and goes behind. Ford tags in and Mateo walks into a combo neckbreaker but Loa breaks up the cover at two. Loa dumps Dawkins out before Ford wallops Loa with a clothesline. Mateo tries to roll-up Ford but Ford realigns and murders Mateo with a knee. Ford ascends so Sikoa jumps on the apron to chat with the ref. Talla Tonga pushes Ford off the top turnbuckle and onto the top rope. Mateo yanks Ford up for Tour of the Islands and that gets two.

Tonga climbs up on the apron and out of nowhere Big Jim Uso flies in with a chair to Tonga’s back. Tonga kicks the chair away and runs Uso into the barrier. (The Prime display has been restored, for those keeping track at home.) Tonga nails Uso with a right and they both end up in the crowd. Sikoa jumps up on the announce table to see what’s happening and Sami Zayn charges in to dump Sikoa down. Zayn hits a Helluva Kick on Sikoa as the crowd is going bonkers. Mateo and Loa chase Zayn and as they do Ford comes flying over the top rope to land on both of them. Dawkins hits Mateo with the Sky High and tags in Ford. Ford hits a monster frog splash on Mateo and covers for three.

I will admit to being surprised at that match result. I sincerely thought the MFT’s would cheat their way to the contenders match next week so this was a pleasant surprise. The Profits and MDM should be good, regardless. There were a lot of things happening around this match, as you may have surmised, so the whole thing kind of turns into a mess just to get to the angles within the match. Tonga Loa is not too good, however. I’d have rather seen Mateo and Talla Tonga do this but I guess you have to do something with the guy until Tama Tonga gets back. At least the finish was clean and pretty spectacular. 2.5*

Winners – The Street Profits (Ford frog splash on Mateo)

Aleister Black is warming up as we go to commercials.

Back live with Black making his entrance and suddenly Ron “R-Truth” Killings comes on the tron to let the crowd know that he flew to Dublin, Georgia and not Dublin, Ireland so he won’t be there tonight. Truth says he made a call to a friend and Black now can say hi to him. Damien Priest makes his entrance and charges down to the ring. Priest bullies Black to a corner and starts throwing rights. Black reverses and starts throwing hands of his own, but Priest shakes it off and tosses Black over the top rope to the floor. Black hits Priest with an elbow but Priest immediately responds with a massive uppercut. A gigantic group of referees and Security come charging out as Priest wants the Razor’s Edge. Black slides into the ring and cracks a charging Priest with a boot. Priest flies off the ropes with a superkick that sends Black to the floor. Priest charges out and they slug it out before fighting all the way up the aisle.

Tessitore and Barrett talk about Cody Rhodes and there’s no medical update at this time. As they throw to highlights of the attack from a couple of weeks ago Drew McIntyre looms up behind the announcers. McIntyre asks for the update and Tessitore leaves in a disgusted huff. McIntyre jumps in the ring while calling Rhodes a “little bitch”. McIntyre says he’s given Rhodes time with the title because McIntyre has a pin over Rhodes and the next time he pins Rhodes he’s taking the title away. McIntyre says zero people have chastised him for his attack. McIntyre says they all want Rhodes spot and he’s got no friends left. Randy Orton literally pops up out of nowhere behind McIntyre to a monster pop. Orton hits an RKO as the crowd goes berserk. “Voices” plays and the crowd sings their lungs out.

Backstage sees a grumpy Becky Lynch muttering to herself as Nia Jax approaches. Jax wants them to work together and Lynch says they’re still mortal enemies (Let’s all remember when Nia broke Becky’s nose, shall we?) and Jax needs to be on her page. Jax agrees and leaves. We go to commercials.

Tessitore announces Sami Zayn challenging Solo Sikoa for the US title next Friday night in Lyon, France. The Street Profits will face Melo Don’t Miz in a number one contenders match. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will defend the women’s tag titles against the Secret Hervice.

Nia Jax and Becky Lynch vs WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill

It’s Stratton and Lynch to start. Lynch takes a poke at Cargill on the apron so Stratton wades in to throw rights. Lynch gets hoisted onto Stratton’s shoulders but she leans over and Jax tags in. Stratton uses Lynch to bash Jax down and then hits a rolling slam on Lynch. Stratton hits Lynch with a shotgun dropkick and then waffles Jax off the apron with a forearm. Stratton ascends but she comes up short on her swanton attempt as Jax and Lynch sell it anyway. (That could have gone wildly wrong and almost did as Stratton definitely cracked her head on landing.) Stratton shoves Jax into the ring but as she tries to go back in Lynch holds her by the boot. Jax hits Stratton with a legdrop and covers for two. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Jax runs Stratton into the top turnbuckle and then crushes her with a headbutt. Lynch tags in and works Stratton over in the heel corner. Lynch runs Stratton again into the top turnbuckle and gripes at Cargill. Lynch throws a forearm and yanks Stratton back into the heel corner as Jax tags in. Lynch holds Stratton so Jax can crush her. Jax puts a sitting Stratton into the Cobra Clutch. Stratton eventually rises so Jax calmly yanks Stratton to the mat by her hair. Stratton fires up with rights but when she hits the ropes and charges Jax hoists Stratton onto her shoulders. Stratton ducks the Samoan Drop attempt and crucifixes Jax for two.

Back to full screen with Lynch tagging in as Stratton finally makes it to tag in Cargill. Cargill hits some forearms and trucks Lynch over a couple of times. Lynch charges in and Cargill crushes her with a spinebuster. Lynch staggers to a corner but lifts a boot when Cargill charges in. Lynch tries a springboard cross-body and Cargill catches her and turns it into a fall-away slam. Lynch again staggers to a corner as Cargill flies in with an uppercut. Cargill hits a superkick and then hoists Lynch onto her shoulders. Cargill hits a spinning sit-out powerbomb and gets two.

Cargill misses another charge as Lynch slips away to tag in Jax. Cargill pump-kicks Jax to the floor before rag-dolling Lynch half-way across the ring. Lynch bails and as Cargill chastises her Jax wallops Cargill from behind. Jax hits a senton on Cargill and drags her to the corner for the Annihilator. Cargill immediately pops up and powerbombs Jax. Stratton tags in as apparently Lynch has just left entirely. Stratton tags Cargill back in before hitting the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Jax. Cargill ascends and hits a splash before covering for three.

They had to sprint here because I’m guessing the Cena-Paul segment ran a bit long. This was fine for what it was and it’s not like Jax hasn’t been pinned a million times at this point. Here’s a thing though – I’m not sure Becky Lynch still has her fastball. I’m not sure what it is, maybe the bump card is a bit full, but she’s just not quite the same and definitely not the best women’s worker in the world right now. We all know it’s Wren Sinclair, Becks. Anyway, for a sprint, this was mostly okay. Nothing you’ll remember tomorrow, though. 2.5*

Winners – WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill (Cargill top rope splash on Jax)

Post-match sees Cargill and Stratton eye each other warily before celebrating.

A smiling John Cena looks ready to leave when he’s approached by Nick Aldis who says he’s just heard from Brock Lesnar. Logan Paul pushes Aldis out of the way and drops Cena with a right hand. Paul says he’ll see Cena in Paris and sprints away as Aldis calls for medics. Fin.

Nothing particularly note-worthy ring-wise this evening, but people will be talking about the Cena-Paul promo in the middle of the show. It was good for Dublin to have him there with Cody taking time for his movie shoot prior to the PLE’s picking back up. This show feels like it’s spinning it’s wheels lately and in no way, shape or form has the star power that Raw has consistently. Tiffany Stratton is seemingly stuck in an endless Nia Jax feud because there’s nobody else? I kind of hope Sami wins the US title next week just to shake things up a bit, get some life into this thing. Thumbs in the middle leaning down for tonight, it just didn’t do it for me.

Thanks for reading, commenting, thinking, being, and existing. Go read a book, we apparently have completely stopped doing that. Have a great weekend, and if you watch Collision, I’ll have your recap for that tomorrow morning.