Smackdown Review – 10.17.25

A snapshot of how WWE (and Impact) got to Friday evening: Crown Jewel | Raw | NXT | Evolve | Impact

Smackdown comes to us LIVE and in LIVING COLOR from the SAP Center in San Jose, CA on the USA Network in America and on Netflix around the world. The hosts of the show are Vic Joseph and the returning Corey Graves on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews and breaking news segments.

Then, Now, Together….FOREVER

Highlights are shown from Raw’s shocking ending. That was quite a deal.

Smackdown GM Nick Aldis is introduced and is in the ring. Aldis informs the crowd that Jacob Fatu vs Drew McIntyre is now a number one contender’s match for the WWE Championship and the winner will face WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes. Cody is dressed to the nines, as usual, and now has a microphone. Cody mentions his loss to Seth Rollins in Perth and talks about Rollins current predicaments while also saying that he’ll handle business on Smackdown. Cody is fired up about the number one contender’s match and asks who San Jose thinks will win – Drew McIntyre (a lot of boos) or local fellow Jacob Fatu (a HUGE pop). Cody’s next defense will be at Saturday Night’s Main Event in two weeks.

Here’s Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s observing a Rey Fenix photoshoot. Sikoa and Fenix have a brief exchange and then Fenix gets jumped by the group and sent over a production cart.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss make their entrance as we go to commercials.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (C) vs WWE Women’s Speed and NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca and Zaria

Blake Monroe is in the crowd to observe this match as she is now Ruca’s main antagonist in NXT. Flair and Ruca lock up to start. Flair boots Ruca from the apron and then wipes out Zaria with a kick. Flair rolls up Ruca and gets two. Flair runs Ruca to her team corner and Bliss tags in. Bliss hits a rana on Ruca and Zaria tags in. Bliss clips Zaria down and hits some strikes and a dropkick. Bliss hits an elbow and wants Sister Abigail but Zaria fights out of it and smashes Bliss with a spinebuster as we go to commercials.

Zaria is working a rear chinlock on Bliss when the show returns. Zaria hoists Bliss in a neutral corner but Bliss breaks out of it. Ruca tags in and hits a spinning facebuster on Bliss before tagging Zaria back in. Bliss slips a Ruca double team move and dumps Ruca to the floor. Bliss holds off Zaria and is able to tag Flair in. Flair ascends and hits both Ruca and Zaria with a cross-body. Flair hits chops on both Ruca and Zaria and then hits a walkover clothesline on Zaria. Flair superkicks Zaria and then snaps her over with a suplex. Flair nips up and tells Ruca to suck it. Flair smashes Zaria into a turnbuckle and gets a two count.

Ruca tags in and smashes Flair with elbows and forearms. Ruca hits Flair with a German suplex and ascends to the second rope. Flair catches Ruca’s dropkick attempt and slaps on a Boston Crab. Ruca counters and rolls up Flair for two. Ruca hits Flair with the Sol Snatcher and Bliss breaks up the cover at two. Bliss tries to rana Zaria who slips but still manages to catch Bliss and smash her into the barrier. Flair crushes Zaria with a kick and checks on Bliss so Ruca uses that opportunity to crush Flair with a moonsault. As Ruca beefs with Blake Monroe Flair comes in from behind to clip Ruca’s knee. Flair runs Ruca back in to the ring and slaps on the Figure Eight. Ruca treies to fight out of it but is forced to tap out.

Zaria had some nerves and it showed, but this was a huge match on a big show and it is understandable. Ruca is going to have quite the future on the main and this loss just plays into her current NXT feud with Monroe. Bliss didn’t do a ton here as Flair mostly carried the load for the team but at least the tag titles got some shine and for a face team vs face team match, this was fine. 2.5*

Winners and STILL WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (Flair Figure Eight on Ruca)

There’s a post-match show of respect from the champs to the challengers.

Cody Rhodes is backstage and runs into Jacob Fatu. Fatu shouts out San Jose and promises to dogwalk Drew McIntyre all over the Bay Area. Rhodes daps Fatu up and makes his exit. We go to commercials.

Aleister Black and Zelina Vega admit that they are husband and wife in a promo and talk about their plan coming to fruition against Damien Priest. Graves compares them to Micky and Mallory Knox after the promo ends.

Highlights are shown of the MFT’s attack on Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn from last week‘s Smackdown.

The Miz is with Nick Aldis in his office when WWE Men’s US Champion Sami Zayn wanders in to complain about the Open Challenge not being on the show. Aldis wants Nakamura to get a proper rematch but he’s in Japan, and the MFT’s are already causing problems tonight. Zayn says the Challenge means something and says he’s going out anyway and will defend the title. After Zayn leaves Miz implies he’s going to go challenge Zayn and we go to commercials.

After the show returns, Zayn makes his entrance. The Miz comes out to bark at Zayn and is immediately attacked from behind by Carmelo Hayes. Security and refs pour out to break that up and Zayn is shocked to hear the next entrance music.

WWE Men’s US Championship Open Challenge: Sami Zayn (C) vs Ilja Dragunov

Zayn and Dragunov shake hands and then start slugging it out. Dragunov hits a back elbow and then gets wiped out by a Zayn lariat. Zayn hits some forearms and Dragunov responds with an enziguri. Dragunov smashes Zayn with a running boot as we go to commercials.

Zayn has the advantage when we return and he wallops Dragunov with a clothesline. Zayn’s cover gets two. They start slugging it out again and Dragunov gains the advantage after a series of strikes. Zayn fires up and plants Dragunov with a tornado DDT. Dragunov anticipates Zayn’s Helluva Kick and crushes Zayn with a high kick of his own. Dragunov’s cover gets two. Dragunov snaps off a German but Zayn manages to slip out of his grip and rolls up Dragunov for two.

Zayn gets a German of his own but Dragunov fires up with some elbow strikes and a side suplex. Dragunov’s cover gets two. Dragunov misses a dive and Zayn catches him with a Michinoku Driver. Zayn’s cover gets two. They end up on the apron and after a tussle Zayn drops Dragunov shoulder-first over the top rope. We go to commercials.

Dragunov wallops Zayn with a senton when the show returns and his subsequent cover gets two. Dragunov mounts Zayn on a turnbuckle and starts chopping away. Zayn’s brief flurry leads to nothing and Dragunov snaps off a superplex. Zayn stops a Dragunov H-Bomb attempt with a big boot but Zayn’s Helluva Kick attempt misses. Dragunov hits a spinning suplex and covers Zayn for two. Dragunov hits a running knee and covers Zayn for two. Dragunov hits some strikes and then crushes Zayn with the Constantin Special. Zayn snaps off a high boot and then smashes Dragunov with a Blue Thunder Bomb that gets two.

Zayn has Dragunov lined up for the Helluva Kick when Solo Sikoa appears in the aisle. Naturally, Zayn is fully distracted by this but when Dragunov charges Zayn snaps off an Exploder. Dragunov fires out of the corner with a Torpedo Moscow and then hits the H-Bomb. Dragunov covers Zayn and gets three! Ilja Dragunov is the new Men’s US Champion!

Well, that was a hell of a deal right there. I know Dragunov has his detractors but he and Zayn have terrific chemistry and this was an incredible return moment. Dragunov will have his chances to prove he’s not just GUNTHER’s punching bag for awhile and Zayn isn’t hurt by this at all. A terrific television match. 4*

Winner AND NEW WWE Men’s US Champion – Ilja Dragunov (H-Bomb)

Post-match sees the MFT’s attack both Zayn and Dragunov. The numbers quickly overwhelm Zayn and Dragunov and then Rey Fenix charges out to help. Fenix is overwhelmed easily and Sikoa grabs a mic. Sikoa tells the crowd that the MFT’s run Smackdown and will get back everything that the family has lost. The lights go down and here’s Bo Dallas to threaten the MFT’s. When the lights come back up the Wyatt Sicks have gathered on the apron to stare down the MFT’s. The MFT’s back off and leave. We go to commercials.

Arby’s presents a look at WWE’s overseas tour that concluded in Japan. Highlights are then shown of the Women’s Crown Jewel title match. Cathy Kelley is with WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton who’s not happy about losing to Stephanie Vaquer. Stratton says the loss doesn’t define her and here’s Kiana James to berate Stratton about losing while reminding her that James only represents “high end” talent like Giulia. Stratton questions James’s in-ring abilities and challenges James for next week. James accepts and leaves.

The Motor City Machine Guns are celebrating their one year anniversary in WWE and talk about winning the tag titles again. Los Garza wander in to taunt them and the Guns remind them that they beat Los Garza on their debut. Since it’s a year anniversary they decide to fight again tonight.

Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) vs Los Garza (Angel y Berto)

Angel uses some Berto distraction to gain the initial advantage on Shelley. Sabin tags in and hits a top rope shotgun dropkick on Angel as he’s being held by Shelley. Sabin hits a tope suicida on both opponents. Berto makes sure Sabin cannot re-enter and Angel takes advantage by kicking Sabin in the face. Angel pounds away but then misses a charge as Sabin is able to escape and tag in Shelley. Shelley chops away but misses a charge when Berto pulls Angel to safety. Berto tags in and he and Angel hit a lofted big boot to Shelley. Angel superkicks Shelley to the floor as we go to commercials.

Angel is working a sort of half-crab when the show returns. Shelley uses some Sabin distraction to snap off a neckbreaker on Angel. Shelley breaks away from Berto to tag in Sabin. Sabin hits a cross-body on Los Garza and then wallops Angel with a suplex. Sabin hits a back-slide on Berto and covers for two. Shelley tags in and he and Sabin hit a double hip-toss on Berto. Sabin and Shelley hit some double team offense but Berto is able to hit a sit-out powerbomb on Sabin before covering for two.

Angel tags in and puts Sabin into the Gory Special position. Berto tags in and hits a flipping face-breaker on Sabin. Berto’s cover is broken up at two as Shelley pushes Angel into the pile. There’s a scrum on the floor and Berto smashes the Guns with a tope con hilo. Angel tags in as does Sabin and the Guns take advantage with some kicks to Angel. Shelley tags in and he and Sabin hit Skull and Bones on Angel. Shelley covers Angel and gets three.

Oh hey look, a tag match not involving the Street Profits or the Wyatts. Good to see these teams back but man oh man this tag division is just COOKED right now. I’m glad for the Guns getting a win and nobody really cares too much about the Garza kids so it is what it is. It’s going to take a Herculean effort to re-balance this division and I doubt highly that anyone has it in them to that level. I guess we’ll see. Fun television match. 3*

Winners – Motor City Machine Guns (Skull and Bones on Angel)

Post-match sees FrAxiom watching the outcome on a monitor. Nathan Frazer wants to go make an impact but Axiom suggests patience and here are DIY with Candice LeRae to taunt FrAxiom and talk about The Street Profits being the losers they thought they were. Axiom challenges DIY to a match and then he and Frazer leave in a huff.

Mark Nash starts to announce the main event but we cut quickly to the back to see that a bloody Jacob Fatu has been crushed by what looks to be scaffolding. Fatu appears to be missing some teeth and has a lot of blood on him. We go to commercials.

Given the news this week that Fatu is set to miss some time, they had to do something like this. I feel bad for him but he’ll get a huge reaction when he’s able to return. Still, the WWE feels a bit snakebit with injuries right now between Fatu and Seth Rollins.

A grinning Drew McIntyre makes his entrance after Nick Aldis checks on Fatu’s condition. McIntyre grabs a mic and says “Bleeding Gums Fatu” is all gas, no brakes, and wants the ref to raise his hand. Nick Aldis comes out and McIntyre promises he had nothing to do with what happened with Fatu. McIntyre wants a match right now and here’s Cody Rhodes to berate McIntyre. Cody tells McIntyre they can fight for the title right now and it’s on. We go to commercials with Rhodes pounding away.

WWE Men’s Undisputed Championship: Cody Rhodes (C) vs Drew McIntyre

Rhodes is still in his street clothes, I should mention. McIntyre and Rhodes are slugging it out on the floor and Rhodes runs McIntyre into the ring steps before running him into the ring. They fought through the whole commercial break on the floor and now that both are in the ring the ref rings the bell and we’re official. McIntyre hits an overhead toss suplex and then goes to ground and pound. Rhodes fires out of a corner with a flurry but McIntyre cuts it off with a throat thrust. McIntyre hits another toss suplex but gives Rhodes too much time to recover. Rhodes starts pounding away in a corner but McIntyre cuts it off with a back elbow. McIntyre covers and gets two.

Rhodes hits the beginning of Flip Flop and Fly but McIntyre stops it with a Future Shock DDT. McIntyre covers for two. McIntyre hauls Rhodes up to chop and punch him. Rhodes fires up and they slug it out. McIntyre eats a Rhodes right and a Cody Cutter. Rhodes wants a tope but McIntyre stops it with a big right hand. McIntyre runs Rhodes into the timekeeper’s area and Rhodes just ups and smashes McIntyre in the head with the title belt. The ref calls for the bell and I guess this is a DQ.

I mean, this whole thing was just an angle to write off Jacob Fatu and Rhodes purposely DQ’ing himself to smash McIntyre around kind of makes sense. I’m sure the crowd probably didn’t care and was more excited about the impromptu title match so the finish being crappy shouldn’t matter too much. Kind of hard to rate this, though. We’ll call it 2* and move along to the post-match angle.

No winner – Rhodes DQ’d for using his belt

Post-match sees Rhodes clear off the announcer’s desk but McIntyre rakes Rhodes’s eyes. Rhodes smashes McIntyre and then wants CrossRhodes on the desk. Security, Aldis, and a bunch of refs come out but Rhodes escapes and dives on McIntyre from the top rope. McIntyre is dragged off as Rhodes glares at him from the ring. The credits roll and we’re out.

The Zayn-Dragunov match was the clear highlight of tonight’s show, but the crowd ate up the show closing angle after pretty much sleeping through the semi-main tag match. I know they didn’t have much of a choice with the Fatu injury but at least they figured out how to keep some heat with Drew and Cody’s now-obvious SNME match. Regardless, this flowed decently, set some stuff up, and hopefully re-ignited whatever remains of the Smackdown tag division. Thumbs leaning up tonight.

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