Smackdown Review – 04.10.26

Wrestlemania starts in eight days, and THE ROAD has been long (and sometimes tortuous), so let’s catch up: AAA on Fox | Raw | NXT | Evolve | Impact

So last week‘s episode of Smackdown caused a fair bit of controversy, as did the follow-up edition of Raw. A few days have passed and there’s been a lot written about creative plans for the Orton-Rhodes main event, so let’s see what develops tonight. The show comes to the USA/Netflix airwaves from The SAP Center in San Jose, CA. The television presenters for this evening’s show are Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever…..TOGETHER

Tessitore throws to a highlights package from last week’s Orton/McAfee/Rhodes segment, and the follow-up Rhodes promo. Here’s WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes striding urgently towards the building when he meets Smackdown GM Nick Aldis. Aldis informs an irate Rhodes that Pat McAfee is not in the building yet but he’s on the way. Aldis tells Rhodes that he’s under strict orders and Rhodes is not allowed to touch McAfee. Rhodes questions where the orders are coming from and Aldis says “It’s coming from above me, Cody. You know what that means.” Here’s an equally irate Jelly Roll to ask about the whereabouts of Orton and McAfee, and Aldis once again emphasizes that they have not arrived. Aldis tells JR that he is also not allowed to engage with Orton and McAfee. JR tells Rhodes that he’s got to focus on Orton due to their long history and only that. JR leaves as Rhodes considers those remarks.

Here’s Rhea Ripley out to “Demon In Your Dreams”. Highlights are shown of this week’s Raw confrontation where IYO Sky took a beating from Jade Cargill as Ripley was held by B-Fab and Michin. Ripley congratulates Cargill on finding her one and only weakness, and says that things are very personal now. Ripley wants Cargill out right now for an ass-whooping, but here’s IYO Sky coming out instead, and she’s wearing gear (unlike Ripley). Sky grabs a mic and tells Ripley she knows that she’s angry, but Sky is as well. Sky says she knows Ripley will handle Cargill at Wrestlemania, but Sky wants a match with Cargill tonight. Ripley mentions that Sky might not be 100% after Monday night and wants to make sure that Sky knows what she’s doing, and Sky says she’s sure. Here’s Nick Aldis to say that Sky-Cargill will be our main event tonight. That’s a pretty big match to throw on a random Smackdown with no promotion, but what do I know?

Tessitore and Barrett run down the rest of the card and we some some arrivals: Bayley and Lyra Valkyria are getting coffee, while Charlotte Flair is having her tie adjusted by Alexa Bliss. We go to commercials.

Tessitore promos the big AAA event tomorrow night that has Penta defending the Intercontinental title against El Hijo Del Vikingo in Mexico City. I’ll have that recap for you!

Bayley vs Alexa Bliss

Lyra Valkyria is out with Bayley, while Charlotte Flair accompanies Bliss. Bayley gets a sizeable hometown pop from the San Jose crowd. Bayley trucks Bliss a couple of times and then wallops her with a back elbow. Bliss pulls Bayley into a crucifix for one, and then there’s some grappling to a standoff. Bayley lifts a knee and rams Bliss into a corner, but Bayley misses a charge and rams her knee into a turnbuckle. Bliss trips Bayley up and then stands on her back before driving Bayley’s head into the canvas a few times. Bliis and Flair preen to the crowd which allows Bayley time to rise up and smash Bliss down with a clothesline. Bliss goes to the floor and Bayley hits a running dropkick through the ropes as we go to commercials.

Bliss trucks Bayley when the show returns and then smashes her with a knee to the jaw. Bliss hits a shotgun dropkick and then smashes Bayley with a rolling tackle that gets two. Bliss dumps Bayley down and hits her double knee drop, but Bayley escapes a second attempt and hits Bliss with a sunset flip that sends Bliss’s head into a bottom turnbuckle. Bayley covers and gets two. Bayley ascends but Bliss uses Flair distraction to put Bayley in the Tree of Woe. Bliss hits a running shotgun dropkick and ascends, but Bayley springs up with some rights. Bliss hits a jumping DDT from the second rope and gets two. Bayley fires up with the Bayley-to-Belly and both ladies are down. They rise and start slugging it out, and Bliss grabs a roll up for two. Bayley grabs a jackknife cover for two. Bliss tries another roll up but they’re too close to the ropes. Bayley smashes Bliss into the bottom turnbuckle again and then positions her in the ring. Bayley ascends and drops the Savage Elbow for two. Bayley goes out and breaks up a chat session between Flair and Bliss before doing the Flair strut. Bayley runs Bliss back in as Valkyria joins the verbals. Bayley yanks Bliss over the second rope and then Flair whips her jacket at Bayley. Bliss uses that distraction to hit a roll up and get the three count.

Here’s what I’ll say about this – it was clunky. Bliss is always just going to be kind of an awkward performer who will forever look like she’s counting her steps, and Bayley’s best days are behind her now. Now, the match itself was perfectly cromulent in terms of the agenting and booking, because my guess is neither one of these teams has a chance in the four-way at WM. Weirdly, the ref was yelling at Valkyria when Flair did the jacket toss, so the finish was kind of strange, but it’s Smackdown, it’s content, and we’ll all just move on. 2*

Winner – Alexa Bliss (Roll up)

Post-match sees Bliss and Flair retreat up the aisle as a grumpy Bayley stares on in horror.

Tessitore throws to highlights of last week’s Men’s US Title Open Challenge match between champion Sami Zayn and challenger Carmelo Hayes. Zayn won through some nefarious means, and then was confronted post-match by Lil Yachty and Trick Williams. Here’s Carmelo Hayes in medical being consoled by Matt Cardona. Cardona tells Hayes he has to be patient and he’ll eventually get his big Wrestlemanis moment. Here’s Trick Williams with Lil Yachty to dismiss the trainer who’s working on Hayes. Trick tells Hayes he really thought he was going to win last week, and Hayes doesn’t want to hear it. Yachty tells the good news is that Hayes gets to watch Trick win the title at Wrestlemania from his couch. Hayes says that’s fine, because after WM, he’s coming for Trick and the title. Hayes and Yachty have words, and Hayes leaves. Cardona mentions that he’s tired of all these “guests” thinking they can run their mouths (FROM YOUR LIPS TO GOD’S EARS, MATT) and Trick says normally he doesn’t have time for this stuff, so Yachty proposes a match tonight. Trick seems dubious about this as Cardona leaves to chat with Nick Aldis. We go to commercials.

Here’s Drew McIntyre in a pre-tape to call Jacob Fatu a failure as a man and as a father. McIntyre is sitting in a jail cell and says Fatu’s fans are probably more used to seeing him in that environment. McIntyre says that Fatu is the cause of his own problems for choosing crime over his own family. McIntyre says Fatu belongs in a cage because he’s an animal, and after he beats Fatu at Wrestlemania, Fatu will end up back in the cell. McIntyre promises to be Fatu’s judge, jury, and executioner at Wrestlemania.

Here’s a boiling Jacob Fatu being confronted by Cathy Kelley who asks for comment on the promo. Fatu puts over San Jose as he’s also from the area, and before he can keep going, here’s Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s to ask what McIntyre is going to find out. Sikoa points out that every time someone brings up Fatu’s past, it makes them all look bad. Fatu says they aren’t doing this today but they can run it back very soon. Sikoa asks if Fatu remembers getting his teeth knocked out and asks if anyone knows who did it. Fatu asks Tama Tonga if he has any info, and Tonga tells Fatu that he’ll handle things. Sikoa wants a match between the two of them and he and the MFT’s leave.

Here’s a look at Royce Keys who’s also from the Bay Area. Keys talks about his rough upbringing and having his grandmother be a guiding light for him. Keys says wrestling is all he ever wanted to do and it’s what motivates him. Keys says he refuses to be defined by where he’s from, but instead he wants to be known for where he’s going. He’ll debut after a commercial break.

We find out that Cardona vs Trick and Fatu vs Tonga are OFFICIAL.

Berto vs Royce Keys

Angel is out with Berto. Keys gets a decent reaction when he emerges. Berto tries some nonsense at the start and grabs a headlock. Keys breaks out and clobbers him with a lariat. Keys yanks Berto up for an overhead powerslam, and then starts firing off lefts in a corner. Berto bails to the floor and he uses some Angel distraction to ram Keys into a ring post. Berto runs Keys back in and hits a missile dropkick. Berto goes to ground and pound and then rams a boot into Keys’s jaw. Berto drops some rights but gets caught by Keys for a fall-away slam. Keys yanks up Berto and hits a running powerslam. Keys mounts Berto over a top turnbuckle and pounds away, and then catches Angel sneaking over with a giant clothesline. Keys lowers the straps and plants Berto with a spinebuster that gets three.

I’m not sure why that couldn’t have happened a few months ago, but here we are. Keys looked good, maybe had a bit of adrenaline/nerves, but overall he did fine and Berto and Angel bumped around like lunatics for him as they should. So he’s off and running, and let’s see if there’s an ARMBAR for him to possibly win next week (it hasn’t been announced or talked about yet, so we’ll see if it happens). 2.5*

Winner – Royce Keys (Spinebuster)

Here’s Pat McAfee pulling up in a blue Dodge Ram and immediately running into Nick Aldis outside the arena. McAfee gets assurances that he can’t be touched and then does a shitty English accent to insult Aldis. McAfee is confronted by Jelly Roll who questions McAfee about getting RKO’d and who might have ordered it. McAfee says JR shouldn’t have been out there between Rhodes and Orton, and JR agrees and says McAfee shouldn’t have been out there either. McAfee puts a hand on JR’s shoulder and tells him that it’s bigger than he could have ever imagined. They go nose to nose and JR mentions he doesn’t see Orton around, so McAfee tells him it would be a very bad idea to attack him before calling him “Belly Roll”. Aldis comes flying in to break it up, and McAfee continues marching to the ring as JR and Aldis stand by helplessly. We go to commercials.

Tony Hirsch Jr from Zuffa Boxing is in the front row. Here’s Cathy Kelley with Royce Keys who seems very happy about having his debut in front of his people, and here’s Solo Sikoa to congratulate Keys and tell him that if there’s anything Keys needs, his door is always open.

Here’s Pat McAfee out to a chorus of boos. McAfee gives the crowd the double bird as Barrett speculates on who’s “protecting” him. McAfee calls San Jose a “shithole” before once again firing the double bird at the crowd. McAfee calls himself a hero and says the crowd cheers for “spineless bums like CM Punk”. McAfee brings up Punk calling him “Pat MAGA-fee” and mentions that through all of Punk’s bluster he was still wearing an officially licensed CM Punk jacket and tee shirt. McAfee mentions that Punk has 283 items for sale on WWEShop.com, and wonders where the merch checks go – to the needy families who can’t afford Wrestlemania tickets or to the bank account called “I’m sorry, Saudi Arabia”. McAfee says Punk is all talk, no action and mentions that Punk sits down and rolls over like the “little bitch” that he is. McAfee calls himself an “agent of change” and says that he’s actually all the things that Punk claims to be. McAfee points out that he agreed with Punk when he talked about the high prices of Wrestlemania tickets because a “fat bag of bones” like Punk is main eventing. McAfee openly asks why anyone would spend money on that instead of paying the money to see Randy Orton. McAfee calls the crowd scumbags and says he’ll be their hero by getting Ram Trucks to cover 25% of all tickets sold to Wrestlemania Saturday Night between now and the end of Raw on Monday night. McAfee calls Wrestlemania Sunday night “ass” and wouldn’t recommend anyone spending money on that, but Saturday night will be a once in a century night when Orton saves the business and wins his 15th world title. McAfee insults the Sharks and then goes back to putting over Orton.

Here’s Cody Rhodes out doing his full entrance to a fairly sizeable pop. McAfee makes fun of “Kingdom” while Rhodes holds his title belt aloft. Rhodes grabs a microphone and tells McAfee he doesn’t belong here. Rhodes tells McAfee he can get him a replica belt, he can live out the superstar experience by doing an entrance, and then he can go back to whomever sent him to Smackdown and tell that person “Thank you, daddy!”. Rhodes calls McAfee a “play wrestler” who did catchphrases and talked about the Attitude Era while mentioning that Orton was in high school when the Attitude Era was happening. Rhodes mentions all the insider terms McAfee used on his show this week and talks about Paul Boesch saying that those people McAfee insulted weren’t marks, they were customers. Rhodes says that he feels the people in the crowd aren’t customers, they’re family to him. Rhodes says McAfee has a gift and it’s for the first time ever in the history of wrestling getitng people to agree on something. The people want to see Randy Orton, and no one wants to see Pat McAfee. Rhodes ends his monologue by saying “Go home, Pat”. McAfee says he was born to be in this business while Rhodes was just born into it because of his family. McAfee says all he sees is “the fakest dude on Earth” with a spray tan, dyed hair, fake teeth, and lispy lips. McAfee calls Rhodes a “cosplay champion” and says he and Orton are going to rid the business of him and he has a message for him and his “inbred family”. McAfee says if Orton doesn’t win the title in Vegas, no one will ever see or hear McAfee in wrestling again. Rhodes tells McAfee to take his glasses off and then asks if McAfee was too high to remember that he was standing on the announce table YEETING his brains out for the last three years, and then says he can get GUNTHER out there to put McAfee’s ass to sleep once and for all. As Rhodes exits, McAfee calls Rhodes an “elite runaway artist” and then asks if Rhodes is going to “suck Triple H’s ass” as the politician he is. Rhodes has finally had enough and heads back to the ring.

Here’s Randy Orton on the video board to make sure he’s got Rhodes attention. Orton tells Rhodes he’s forgetting something, and he’s standing over a fallen Jelly Roll. Orton says Rhodes should come get his friend, but instead, he’ll bring JR out to him. Orton drags Jelly Roll into the arena as McAfee continues to bray in the ring. McAfee sneaks up behind Rhodes, which of course brings Orton back out for a sneak attack on Rhodes. Orton fires off some uppercuts and then runs Rhodes into the ring. Orton clubbers away, and then holds him for McAfee to get in some shots. JR staggers down and goozles McAfee before getting clobbered by an Orton right. Rhodes fires up with some rights on Orton and of course McAfee wallops Rhodes from behind. Orton pulls Rhodes into the draping DDT before McAfee hands Orton the title belt. Orton waffles Rhodes with the belt before McAfee holds Orton’s hand aloft. McAfee sneaks in another stomp before leaving with Rhodes belt. We go to commercials.

I have no idea who any of this is for, but it’s not me. McAfee spent ten minutes yelling about Punk’s promo and last time I checked, Punk has nothing to do with this Orton-Rhodes thing. I thought Rhodes was better this week getting to actually talk to McAfee face to face but all this worked-shoot bullshit never helps anyone or anything and hinting that Ari Emanuel is protecting McAfee is just the stupidest thing. Like, who in the San Jose crowd, who in the Vegas crowd, anyone watching at home, could possibly give a shit?McAfee going full middle-finger throwing heel, using cheap heat calling people fat and insulting sports teams, none of this is helping the interest in the match. By the way, I will point out for what feels like the millionth time, the build prior to last week WAS FINE. Orton wants the title, he thought he was getting Drew, Cody got in the way because Drew couldn’t stop fucking around, and Cody told Orton to bring out the Viper which he then did. From point A to point Z, that build was just fine. But here we are with another 30 minutes or so wasted on all this yap which accomplished nothing. Just a colossal waste of time.

Orton and McAfee are leaving the arena and McAfee still has Rhodes belt. They get in McAfee’s truck, and McAfee opens the window and says “Hey IWC, marks if you will…you’re welcome.”

Tessitore and Barrett throw to highlights from CM Punk’s promo on Raw where he specifically addressed Roman Reigns. Punk really let Roman have it, that’s for damn sure.

Jacob Fatu makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

Nick Aldis is chatting with a referee when the show returns, and here’s The Miz and Kit Wilson to complain about Dan Engler falling victim to Danhausen’s curse and being unable to count three in their tag title match last week. Aldis mentions that Engler was cursed, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Wilson says there must be consequences for Engler, but instead, Aldis makes a match with Danhausen and Kit Wilson. Miz insists there’s no curse, and Aldis says it’s good that he agrees and leaves.

Jacob Fatu vs Tama Tonga

Tessitore and Barrett argue about Tonga’s recent actions including giving THE LANTERN back to the Wyatts. Fatu pops Tonga with a right and then misses a charge. Tonga clubbers away before getting trucked by Fatu. Fatu hits some thrust chops and a headbutt before landing a running handspring moonsault. Tonga goes to the floor and gets immediately waffled by a Fatu tope suicida that sends him all the way over the announce desk. We go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out when the show returns and Tonga hits a couple of running forearms before getting dropped by a Fatu clothesline. Fatu hits a running senton and then splashes Tonga in a corner. Fatu mounts Tonga for a bunch of headbutts and then mashes him with a Hip Attack. Tonga fires out with a dropkick when Fatu tries it again. Tonga hits a Pedigree and covers Fatu for two. At this point Tessitore confirms that the ARMBAR will be taking place on next week’s Smackdown. Fatu yanks Tonga up but he slips off and hits a Twist of Fate for two. Tonga runs into a Fatu superkick and a pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu ascends for his springboard moonsault and covers Tonga for three.

This was a decent hossy battle, quite frankly. Tonga is not a big dude but he has a power game, and obviously Fatu’s work is mostly hoss in nature. Fatu gets a nice win heading into the big weekend next week, and Tonga won’t be hurt by this and it more than likely continues his small storyline within the hierarchy of the MFT’s. 3*

Winner – Jacob Fatu (Springboard Moonsault)

Fatu grabs a mic post-match, and here’s Drew McIntyre sprinting in to attack him from behind. Fatu hits a superkick but runs right into a Claymore. McIntyre yanks up Fatu and dumps him out to the floor before running him head-first into the ring steps. McIntyre grabs a chair from the timekeeper’s area and crushes Fatu with a shot to the back. McIntyre hits the Future Shock DDT on the floor and then pulls out some handcuffs on a long chain. McIntyre slaps the cuffs on and pulls Fatu face-first into the ring post. McIntyre rams Fatu spine-first into the post and then whales on him with the cuffs chain. McIntyre puts the other cuff on and then hangs the chain over the ring post. McIntyre kicks Fatu right in the head and then re-chains him to the post. McIntyre asks Fatu how it feels to be back in chains and calls him an animal, which fires up Fatu. Fatu hits a headbutt, but McIntyre charges in with another high boot and a bunch of left hands. McIntyre continues pounding away before rolling Fatu back in the ring. McIntyre hits another Claymore and then yanks his belt off for a bunch of belt shots. A bunch of officials jump in the ring as McIntyre seems to be done. We go to commercials.

That was an ass-kicking right there. My goodness. I suspect the Unsanctioned match is going to be violent, friends.

Here’s WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion R-Truth giving instructions on how to be able to watch Wrestlemania through the ESPN Unlimited app. It turns out he’s giving instructions to a grinning Danhausen who mentions he cannot wait for Wrestlemania. Here’s WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion Damian Priest to question Truth about thinking Danhausen was actually Asuka last week. They bicker, and Danhausen disappears. Here’s Rhea Ripley smashing B-Fab around before telling Priest “one down, one to go”. Ripley leaves the scene.

Here’s WWE Men’s US Champion Sami Zayn out to a very mixed reaction. Zayn says he’s not deaf and he hears what’s going on. Zayn says everyone was telling him to change to get ahead, but when he comes out the crowd seems to indicate they want to see some change as well. Zayn says he’s strived to give the crowd something more than a tee shirt or a catchphrase, he’s tried to give the crowd himself. Zayn says he knows there’s people in the crowd who his intention to remain true to himself means something to to them. Zayn says he’ll never betray himself and he loves the fans who’ve supported him the whole way. To the fans that are booing, Zayn says he doesn’t know what he did to deserve that. Zayn says he doesn’t care that they’re booing because his true fans will always have his back and all the pressure is off. Zayn says he’s walking into Wrestlemania as the champ and will walk out as the champ.

Here’s Trick Williams and Lil Yachty out to a huge “whoop that Trick” chant. Yachty drops his mic and can’t find it for a second in the fog that accompanies Trick’s entrance. Trick tells Yachty that he thinks the people are tired of hearing Zayn talking before running Zayn down. Trick says he knows Zayn hates him because he thinks Trick doesn’t deserve the opportunities he’s been given. Trick promises to beat Zayn’s ass at Wrestlemania because everybody loves Trick Williams. Zayn says he disagrees because Trick’s only been around for six months. Zayn says everyone likes him because he’s got Yachty and dresses like a 1970’s New York pimp. Zayn promises to drag Trick into the deep waters and says Trick hasn’t showed him anything yet. Yachty says Zayn sounds like a hater because materialistic things don’t make Trick, his abilities do. Here’s Matt Cardona out to make his entrance for his match with Trick as we go to commercials.

Trick Williams vs Matt Cardona

We’re joined in progress with Trick flexing to Cardona. Zayn has taken a seat at ringside to watch the proceedings. Trick bullies Cardona around and that fires Cardona up. Cardona fires off some forearms but Trick comes out of a corner with a big knee lift and a body slam. Trick chops Cardona but Cardona cuts off one with some forearms. Yachty interferes with a choke of Cardona along the ropes and Cardona catches Trick with a flying lariat. Trick drops Cardona throat-first on the second rope, but Cardona shakes it off and smashes Trick with a second rope missile dropkick. Trick bails and Cardona hits him with a dropkick between the first and second ropes. Cardona pushes Trick back in and boots Trick in the head. Cardona mounts Trick but Trick slides out and drops Cardona’s head to the mat as we go to more commercials.

They’re slugging it out when the show returns and Trick wins that battle to go to some ground and pound. Trick gets caught with a jawbreaker and a side suplex. Cardona catches Trick with a high boot but Trick fires up with a big right hand. Trick gets dropped by an X-Factor and Cardona starts bullying him in a corner. Cardona hits a Broski Boot and then drops Trick with an Unprettier that gets two. Trick dumps Cardona throat-first on the top rope and then hits A Moment Like This. Trick’s cover gets two. Trick misses a charge but he dumps Cardona to the floor when he charges. Trick goes out and wallops Cardona with a lariat before putting the stink-mouth on Zayn. Trick pushes Zayn away before running Cardona back in. Zayn approaches and then jumps on the apron so Yachty yanks him off and walks away. Zayn hits Yachty with a Helluva Kick and Cardona rolls up Trick for two while everyone is distracted. Trick has had enough and waffles Cardona with the Trick Shot and that ends things with a three count.

This was a weird match. Cardona got in a TON of offense and while that’s not terrible or anything, I’m not sure that it helped the build for the Zayn match at all. I give Yachty credit because Zayn just absolutely walloped him with the Helluva Kick and if you’re going to be out there and run your mouth, you better be all in to take a shot or two. Three commercial breaks for this entire sequence felt like a LOT, though. 2.5*

Winner – Trick Williams (Trick Shot)

Tessitore throws to a highlights package surrounding the Oba Femi-Brock Lesnar match. Danhausen makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

THE SATISFYING MANIA MOMENT PRESENTED BY SNICKERS is John Cena vs Triple H vs Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 24 in Orlando. Orton retained his title that night.

Danhausen vs Kit Wilson

The Miz is out with Wilson. They go face to face and Wilson gets hit with a dropkick and a Northern Lights suplex that gets two. Wilson fires up with a kick and some rights. They run the ropes and Danhausen slides out to put an arm around an unsuspecting Miz who thinks it’s Wilson. Wilson flies in with a huge elbow and then sends Danhausen back in. Wilson hits some flying uppercuts and covers Danhausen for two. Wilson puts the stink-mouth on Danhausen and then clobbers him with a lariat. Wilson ascends but Danhausen sits up and puts the CURSE on Wilson which sends some fireworks up from the ringpost directly at Wilson’s….backside. Danhausen pokes Miz in the eye as he’s on the apron, and then hits a high boot on Wilson. Danhausen’s cover gets three.

The greatest match in television history and I will hear no arguments to the contrary. 2 BILLION STARS

Post-match sees Miz lined up behind Danhausen, but the lights go out and Danhausen escapes before Miz can do any damage.

Here’s a frantic WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill looking for Michin backstage. Michin’s in a pile of broken kendo sticks and tells Cargill it was Rhea Ripley who attacked her. Cargill says she’s got Michin’s back and we go to commercials.

Tessitore runs down the known card for Smackdown next week including the ARMBAR and a Street Fight between the Wyatts and the MFT’s. He and Barrett then run down the current Wrestlemania card.

Here’s IYO Sky getting ready and being approached by Rhea Ripley. Ripley mentions taking out B-Fab and Michin and says she left Cargill for her. Sky asks Ripley to stay in the back so there’s no distractions. Ripley asks Sky to leave her something for Wrestlemania, and Sky leaves and Ripley claps her on. We go to commercials.

IYO Sky vs WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill

Sky hits an immediate running shotgun dropkick and starts throwing rights just after the bell. Sky gets yanked up and dumped off by Cargill, and Cargill trucks her down in response. Cargill slams Sky and stands on her as the ref counts one. Sky hits a running boot and a lofted dropkick that sends Cargill to the floor. Sky eats a Cargill right hand when she charges, and then Cargill yanks Sky up to drop her face-first onto the apron. Sky rolls in as Cargill bellows at the crowd and we go to commercials.

Sky and Cargill are down when the show returns. Sky hits a back elbow and some punches when both rise to their feet. Sky snaps Cargill’s arm over the top rope and then ascends for a top rope missile dropkick. Sky hits her pose and fires up the crowd before hitting a Meteora on a prone Cargill. Sky yanks Cargill into position but Cargill springs up to yank Sky up for a press slam. Sky slips off and slaps on a rear naked choke on Cargill. Cargill uses the turnbuckles to break Sky off and then misses a pump kick. Sky grabs a roll up for two, but Cargill yanks her up for a Blue Thunder Bomb that gets two. Cargill barks at Sky and then gets caught in a Sky roll-through followed by a double stomp. Cargill bails and Sky goes out after her to hit a big moonsault on the floor. They go back in and Cargill slips back out to the floor. Cargill yanks up Sky in a wheelbarrow slam on the ring steps before sending her back in. Cargill hits a pump kick and then pulls Sky into Jaded. Cargill covers and gets three.

That’s pretty easily Cargill’s best match in WWE right there. Now, some of that has to do with the opponent being a terrific wrestler, but Jade did really well tonight, let Sky have a bunch of offense, and then mounted the power comeback and finish at the right time. I enjoyed this a bunch given the shorter nature of it. 3.75*

Winner – Jade Cargill (Jaded)

Post-match sees Cargill grab a chair. Rhea Ripley sprints out from the back to stare Cargill down. Cargill decides to sit in the chair for a second before leaving the scene as the credits roll.

Once again, the big talking point out of tonight’s show is going to be the dreadfully long and sad Orton-McAfee-Rhodes-Jelly Roll segment. It’s not a productive use of anyone’s time and I remain baffled as to why it’s even happening. The wrestling was mostly okay tonight, the Fatu-Tonga match and the Cargill-Sky matches being the highlights. It was good to see Royce Keys finally get a television debut and he did well. I’m going thumbs leaning down tonight because I cannot shake the shitty feelings associated with the McAfee stuff. This show is hard enough to sit through, recap, and be entertained by without that braying jackass thinking he’s ’98 Austin.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your weekends and as a reminder AAA has an Intercontinental Title match tomorrow night between Penta and Vikingo that should be AWESOME.