Smackdown Review – 08.29.25

The week in WWE/NXT/TNA has been busy so here’s the way to catch up!: Heatwave | LFG | Raw | NXT | Evolve | Impact

Smackdown was recorded earlier today (but presumably shown live to the rest of the world) at LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. The announce team for tonight’s show is Michael Cole 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, for reference sake.

Shown arriving are WWE Men’s US Champion Solo Sikoa and his MFT’s, Sami Zayn, and Drew McIntyre. Cole then throws to a highlights package on last week‘s John Cena-Logan Paul verbal battle. Logan Paul then pulls up to the arena in a black Mercedes before making his way through Gorilla to head to the ring. (I’m guessing this show is going to be heavy on yap as most go-home’s are.)

Thankfully, Paul decides to trade on the current “America = Awful” feelings in the air by telling the “Frenchies” that he’s going to speak English because he’s American. Paul says people have a problem with change and that he’s not a parasite, but a disruptor. (The crowd is really letting him have it already – he has to start almost screaming the promo.) Paul claims he’s the reason why WWE got on Netflix and ESPN and by the way, “you’re welcome TKO.” Paul says WWE is becoming “WW-Me” and he’s the future whether we like it or not. Paul says John Cena is part of the “institutionalized wrestling” that we’re all comfortable with and Cena is the one that better bring his A-game to Paris. Paul then switches to insulting Cena in French before continuing to claim in English that he’s the future and if we don’t embrace change we’ll get left behind as fans.

Here’s John Cena to a raucous pop and sing-along of his theme song. Cena gets Mark Nash to do his full “Never Seen 17” intro to a massive ovation. Cena tells Paul he’s stupid because if they don’t have fans, they don’t have a show and he cannot do it by himself. Cena says people want to root for Paul but they also want him to understand how the WWE actually works. Cena says Paul isn’t a disruptor but is actually a wanna-be and he’s standing in the ring with “one of the original disruptors, holmes”. (I love when Cena gets catty and bitchy.) Cena references Basic Thuganomics as him disrupting everything and calls Paul a “dollar store John Cena”. Cena shoots down Paul’s Netflix/ESPN chatter and says Paul’s influence is not the same now as it once was and everyone knows it. Cena references a Rolling Stone list of the 25 Most Important Influencers and points out Paul didn’t make the cut. Cena says when Paul makes the front page now at 30 years old he does it for the wrong reasons. Cena says people don’t fear change, they see through fake. Cena calls Paul a dumbass and tells him to watch. Cena says people forgive when you have a bad day and apologize for it and he goes to a young fan in the crowd and does exactly that. Paul tells Cena to wrap it up and Cena says “You asked for this match [BLEEP]head.” Cena says Paul has 24 hours to get right and says Paul won’t ruin wrestling, wrestling will ruin him. Mic drop, out.

It didn’t make me want to see the match more than I already do but Cena had a real edge throughout here. No fisticuffs, surprisingly, given Paul’s sucker punch last week.

Here’s Cathy Kelley backstage with The Street Profits and B-Fab. They definitely want the smoke. Here’s Bo Dallas, not dressed as Uncle Howdy to interrupt. He questions whether the Profits are family because the Wyatt Sicks is and if they come for the Sicks, we’ll all find out if they are actual brothers.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair makes her entrance, looking resplendent in orange. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Alexa Bliss follows but as they meet in the aisle, Chelsea Green attacks Flair’s knee from behind while Bliss deals with Alba Fyre. Fyre breaks off and pops Flair in the hamstring with a bunch of kicks. We go to commercials.

Chelsea Green vs Alexa Bliss

This match was made during commercials as presumably Flair is injured enough to not be able to go. Bliss attacks Green at the bell and goes to ground and pound. Bliss wants an immediate Sister Abigail but Fyre jumps on the apron to distract as Green scurries out to the floor. Barrett plays full-on heel here by suggesting that Bliss should be defending the tag titles by herself. After taking out Fyre on the floor, Bliss dumps Green back in. Green misses a stomp and Bliss dumps her to the mat before standing on Green’s back and head. Bliss dumps Green down and hits her double knee to the chest move but Green slips Bliss’s rolling tackle.

Green slaps Bliss who returns the favor angrily. Green yanks a charging Bliss face-first into a turnbuckle. Green runs Bliss into the turnbuckles some more and then drapes her over the top rope while putting a knee into Bliss’s back. Green hits a pump kick but Bliss comes off the ropes to hit an awkward rana that Green flies off of anyway. Fyre comes over to check on Green and Bliss hits Fyre with a rolling tackle. Green snatches up Bliss and runs her into the ring steps as we go to commercials.

Green is still in command when we come back as she hits Bliss with a dropkick before ascending. Green hits a missile dropkick that sends Bliss to the floor. Green charges out after her and smashes Bliss’s head into the announcer table. Bliss reverses an irish whip and sends Green into the barricade. Both make it back in the ring at eight and they start trading forearms. Bliss fires up and runs Green over a couple of times before hitting a series of strikes and a shotgun dropkick. Bliss hits a rolling neckbreaker and covers for two.

Green pops up and hits a standing legsweep neckbreaker on Bliss before covering for two. Green ascends but Bliss pops up and pulls Green into the tree of woe position. Bliss hits a running dropkick on Green’s midsection. Bliss ascends as Green crumples to the mat. Fyre charges onto the apron so Bliss kicks her away. Bliss tries for Twisted Bliss but Green gets her knees up. Green goes for Unpretty-her but Bliss shoves her away and tries for Sister Abigail. Green slips that and a series of go-behinds ends with Bliss rolling up Green for three.

I’m not sure what the point of taking the title match off the show was, because if I paid for that specifically and given the unbelievably high price they charge for these foreign shows, I might be pissed. The match itself was not great as Bliss never found anything resembling a second gear. Chelsea Green is a better wrestler than Bliss and she tried hard here, as always. 2*

Winner – Alexa Bliss (roll-up)

Post-match sees Bliss eat a superkick from Fyre who then subsequently dumps Bliss back in the ring. Fyre and Green go to work on Bliss before Charlotte Flair gimps down to the ring to help. Flair runs over Fyre in the aisle with a clothesline and then blasts Green with a shoulder while she enters. Fyre pulls Flair down throat-first over the top rope and Green hits the Unpretty-her on Flair. Fyre hits the Gory Special on Bliss and her and Green stand tall over the champions.

Cathy Kelley is with Sami Zayn backstage. Zayn says he’s feeling confident ahead of tonight’s US title match and that since coming to Smackdown he feels like the best version of himself. Zayn looks at the camera and speaks French as the fans erupt.

Cole talks about the news that Brandi Rhodes has had another daughter, so congratulations to her and Cody. We go to commercials.

Here’s Aleister Black in a pre-taped promo to talk about Damien Priest. Black vows to show the world how misguided and hollow Black actually is. Black says he’s the pressure Priest feels in his chest and tells him the voice he hears is Black saying “I warned you”.

Cathy Kelley is with Damien Priest who says Black comes off as educated and he’s definitely educated in martial arts because Black cracked Priest’s jaw. Priest says that Black threatening him with violence shows how unprepared Black is for the coming fight. Priest looks in the camera and says he’s going to teach Black what it’s like where he’s from and he’s also going to teach Black about pain. Priest says he’ll be smiling just like he is now because of knowing the violence he’s going to inflict on Black. Priest says “Michael, Wade, back to you.” before leaving a grinning Kelley speechless.

Michin makes her entrance prior to commercials.

Kiana James vs Michin

James is seconded by WWE Women’s US Champion Giulia. James charges at the bell to try to hit Michin with her handbag, so Michin ducks behind and rolls James up for three.

Yes, you read that right. No rating.

Post-match sees James and Giulia put the boots to Michin. James holds a defiant Michin before Giulia wallops her with a knee. Michin ends up on the floor so Giulia charges out and runs her into the barricade. Giulia holds Michin’s arms behind her back and then stomps Michin sending her face-first into the ring steps. Giulia and Green put the badmouth on a reeling Michin.

Drew McIntyre is making his way to the ring as we go to commercials.

McIntyre’s music gets a big pop from the crowd as he makes his way to the ring. McIntyre checks under the ring before grabbing a mic and checking the timekeeper’s area. McIntyre asks for a Cody medical update and Cole says he doesn’t have one. McIntyre calls out Randy Orton who obliges to a rousing rendition of “Voices” as sung by the crowd. (Sometimes I wonder what Orton thinks about Cena’s retirement tour and how it’s actually really working out now that Cena has gone back to the babyface side.)

McIntyre says he needs two minutes to talk to Orton and at the end Orton will see things his way. McIntyre says if Orton attacked him because he wanted to or for revenge for Summerlam, that’s fine with McIntyre. (Of course Drew gets another dig in on Jelly Roll here.) McIntyre says if Orton did it because he thinks Cody Rhodes is his friend, then that’s not fine. McIntyre says Rhodes is a liar, a manipulator, and a politician. McIntyre says that when Cody was talking to Orton while he was out for two years he was actually gathering intel to use against Orton. McIntyre points out the King of the Ring final where Orton hesitated to punt Rhodes but Rhodes didn’t hesitate at all to attack Orton’s back to win the match. McIntyre says that Orton is an idiot if he thinks Rhodes is his friend.

Orton says McIntyre makes a compelling argument but if McIntyre thinks the RKO from last week was for Rhodes, he’s wrong. Orton says he dropped McIntyre last week because he’s a prick. McIntyre waffles Orton with a Glasgow Kiss headbutt before removing his vest. Orton senses a Claymore and ducks out of the way as McIntyre stumbles to the apron. Orton pulls McIntyre into a draping DDT before GOING TO THAT PLACE. Sadly, a bunch of refs run in to try to prevent Orton from hitting the RKO. Instead, Orton RKO’s all the refs and Hurricane Helms (It took me a minute to recognize him, honestly.) McIntyre escapes before Orton can do anything further to him.

It felt like McIntyre might have gone a little stiff with his headbutt because Orton was bitching about it afterwards. I am enjoying fact-based heel work like Kevin Owens and McIntyre have been doing lately. Laying out exactly why someone sucks is excellent heel work in a world that doesn’t seem to value facts at this point.

The Miz is warming up as he’s joined by Carmelo Hayes. Hayes says Miz can’t keep stealing his wins but Miz points out that THEY are winning. Miz explains the team concept and goes for the Melo Don’t Miz catchphrase but here’s Bo Dallas to interrupt. Dallas says he is the reality they face and Hayes tells him to don’t write a check he can’t cash. Dallas snickers and leaves.

The Street Profits make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Randy Orton is being chastised by Smackdown GM Nick Aldis so Orton apologizes for wrecking all the non-wrestlers. Orton hands Aldis a tiny bottle of Fireball and says it’s the best whiskey in America. (Wow. Just….wow.) Ron “R-Truth” Killings wanders in and asks if Aldis is going to drink it, and Aldis says he is. I guess they got a new sponsor.

Number One Contenders Match: The Street Profits vs Melo Don’t Miz

The Profits are seconded by B-Fab. It’s Miz and Ford to start.

Ford grabs a headlock and after Miz shakes it off Ford decides to show off with some acrobatics. Miz charges and after running the ropes Ford wallops him with a dropkick. Dawkins tags in and the Profits hit a double-team facebuster on Miz. Miz recovers and drops to a knee with Dawkins jaw taking the damage. Hayes blind-tags in as Miz catches Dawkins with an elbow. Miz and Hayes bicker which gives Dawkins a chance to run them both over. They end up in opposite corners so Dawkins hits his running torneo splashes on both. Dawkins hits Hayes with an enziguri that staggers him. Hayes dumps Dawkins to the apron but Dawkins catches Hayes with a big right hand in response. Miz grabs Dawkins leg to keep him from re-entering and as that is happening Hayes hits Dawkins with a springboard leg drop. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Hayes runs Dawkins back in the ring and waffles him with a right. Hayes taunts Ford as Miz tags in. Miz and Hayes hit simultaneous elbows on Dawkins. Miz hits a running kick and Hayes follows with another leg drop. Miz crushes Dawkins with the Yes Kicks but his last one misses and Dawkins rolls Miz up for two. Miz pops up and hits a superkick on Dawkins. Miz runs Dawkins into a turnbuckle and Hayes tags in. Hayes whips Miz into a prone Dawkins before Hayes crushes Dawkins with a springboard lariat. Hayes covers for two. Miz tags in and kicks a prone Dawkins who’s arm is being held over the top rope by Hayes. Miz puts the boots to Dawkins and then distracts the ref so Hayes can choke Dawkins. Miz holds Dawkins and then drops his butt on Dawkins back. Hayes tags in and kicks Dawkins in the head. Hayes kicks Dawkins between the shoulder and the elbow in a painful looking spot. Miz tags in and tags Hayes back in immediately. Miz holds Dawkins so Hayes can hit a shotgun dropkick.

Back to full screen and Hayes gets a two count. Dawkins fires up and fights his way out of the heel corner but he can’t make the tag as Hayes superkicks him. Dawkins comes off the ropes with a huge right hand and then drops Hayes stomach-first to the mat. Hayes tags in Miz as Dawkins finally tags Ford. Ford wallops a charging Miz with a roundhouse kick before ascending to wipe out Miz with a cross-body. Ford drops Hayes with a right and then runs Miz over with a clothesline. For hits a side suplex and nips up to hit a standing moonsault on Miz. Miz kicks out at two.

Miz recovers to nail Dawkins with a dropkick through the first and second ropes but when he turns Ford promptly kicks Miz in the ear. Miz shakes it off and hits a swank DDT on Ford. Miz covers for two. Miz calls for the Skull Crushing Finale but Ford pushes him towards the heel corner and Hayes tags in. Ford drops Miz with a Saito suplex and ascends as Cole points out that Ford probably doesn’t know that Hayes is now legal. Ford hits Miz with a frog splash but as he’s on the mat Hayes hits Ford with his own frog splash. Ford kicks out at two.

Hayes and Ford slug it out mid-ring and Hayes attempted springboard is met by a big Ford knee. Suddenly the entirety of The Wyatt Sicks show up at the announcer table to distract everyone. Ford tags in Dawkins who charges across to blast a distracted Miz with a forearm. The Profits hit Hayes with the Revelation and Dawkins covers for three. The Street Profits will challenge Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis for the tag team titles at Clash in Paris.

It got better as it went along. I don’t think the Profits will win on Sunday but I’m glad they’re still at the top of the heap as challengers. I do wonder if either Andrade or Rey Fenix got hurt or something because that team has disappeared and I kind of miss their frenetic energy. The Melo-Miz thing bores me, quite frankly. I know there aren’t singles spots for everyone at a given moment but this tag team is not helping Melo, at least in my opinion. The Wyatts did nothing but show up and Miz cost his team. Match of the night so far, though. 3*

Winners – The Street Profits (The Revelation to Hayes)

Post-match sees the Profits and the Wyatts staring each other down in the ring.

Here’s WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill. Cargill asks Stratton if she’s heard the news and Stratton says “What news?”. Cargill says that Nick Aldis has named her as the number one contender based on her win in the tag match on last week’s show. Stratton points out her win over Cargill at Summerslam and that she’s undefeated in 2025. Cargill threatens Stratton and says they’re not on the same level before leaving.

Here’s Solo Sikoa and his crew. Sikoa is making fun of Sami Zayn thinking he has a chance to win the US title. Sikoa says all it will take is one spike to the throat for him to retain.

Sami Zayn makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

WWE Men’s US Championship: Solo Sikoa (C) vs Sami Zayn

Sikoa is flanked by the MFT’s as always. Mark Nash does an in-ring introduction that gets the crowd fired up.

Sikoa bullies Zayn to the ropes and pops him with a headbutt and a bunch of right hands. Sikoa berates the crowd but when he charges a recovered Zayn dumps him to the floor over the top rope. Talla Tonga wanders over to prevent Zayn from flying out on Sikoa. We go to commercials.

Sikoa is in control with a headbutt when the show returns. Sikoa pummels Zayn in a corner which drops Zayn to a seated position. Sikoa hits a hip attack on Zayn as Barrett points out that the MFT’s have not gotten involved at all so far (Wade, you might have missed Talla Tonga from earlier but it’s whatever, I guess.). Sikoa covers for two. Zayn makes his feet so Sikoa wallops him with a forearm. Zayn fires up with some rights but Sikoa stops it with a big right of his own. Zayn slips a charge and dumps Sikoa to the floor. Zayn hits a tope con hilo on a dazed Sikoa as a concerned JC Mateo and Tanga Loa look on. Zayn dumps Sikoa in but as the ref checks on Sikoa Mateo and Loa drag Zayn out to double-team him. Mateo hits a superkick and Loa dumps Zayn back in.

A suddenly-recovered Sikoa crushes Zayn with a uranage and covers for two. As a stunned Sikoa is sitting in a corner Big Jim Uso flies in to take out Mateo and Loa. Mateo and Loa gain an advantage but here’s Jacob Fatu coming out of the timekeeper’s area to wipe out Talla Tonga. Tonga shakes off Fatu’s clothesline and runs him into the ring post. Tonga charges and Fatu slips it to ram Tonga’s head into the post. Fatu and Uso wipe out Mateo and Loa with superkicks while Zayn catches a distracted Sikoa with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn covers for a LONG two.

Fatu hits a running lariat that sends Talla Tonga over the barrier into the crowd. All the guys on the outside end up in the crowd as Zayn has Sikoa lined up. Sikoa bails to the floor as Zayn starts his charge. Zayn heads out but walks right into a Sikoa uranage on the announcer table. Sikoa grabs his belt and poses as we go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Sikoa slowly makes his way back in as Zayn makes it back at nine. Sikoa puts the boots to Zayn and then dumps him back to the floor. Sikoa hits a second uranage on the announcer table and then a third. Sikoa rolls back in as the ref begins another count. Zayn of course barely makes it back. Sikoa poses Zayn in a corner and slaps him in the face. Zayn fires up as they trade blows. Sikoa mounts Zayn on the top turnbuckle and they fight it out as Sikoa ascends.

Back to full screen with Sikoa pulling Zayn on to his shoulders while Sikoa is mounted on the second rope. Zayn slips off and crushes Sikoa with a sunset flip powerbomb that gets two. Zayn pulls a dazed Sikoa to a spot and ascends. Sikoa recovers as Zayn misses his move. Zayn wanders into a Samoan Drop and Sikoa ascends. Sikoa hits a big top rope splash and covers for two.

Zayn ducks a Samoan Spike attempt and rolls Sikoa up for two. Zayn hits an Exploder on Sikoa and then lines Sikoa up. The Helluva Kick attempt is thwarted by a Sikoa superkick. Sikoa misses another Spike and Zayn waffles him with a Helluva Kick. Zayn hits another Helluva Kick and covers for three. Sami Zayn is the NEW Men’s US Champion!

Well that was a fun way to end an otherwise kind of up-and-down show. Zayn is probably the best underdog babyface on the entire WWE roster at this point and giving him a big moment in front of a crowd like this was cool. I know Zayn has had other big moments, beating GUNTHER and main-eventing WM, but this one probably feels pretty cool too. Sikoa will be fine but they have been bouncing this belt around lately. I guess we’ll see how long Zayn can hold it. 3.5*

Winner and NEW WWE Men’s US Champion – Sami Zayn (two Helluva Kicks)

Post-match sees Zayn celebrate with the title as the credits roll and Cole hypes up Clash in Paris.

Kind of an uneven effort for the go-home. The two big promo segments with Orton/McIntyre and Cena/Paul were fine but I wouldn’t say either one would make someone change their mind if they weren’t planning on watching the show. The last two matches saved things a bunch and I have no idea what the point was of the Kiana James/Michin thing was supposed to be other than HEAT. Lyon did get a bunch of big names and a title change though, so I’m guessing everyone will go home happy. The crowd was great throughout the show. Thumbs in the middle.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Please leave your thoughts on the Cena promo if you have any, because I’m wondering if he’s pushing real-life stuff with Paul into whatever this match will turn out to be. Have a good Saturday.