Smackdown Review – 04.17.26

Since we’ve finally made it to the promised land, let’s catch up on everything and take a deep breath. AAA Lucha Libre | TNA Rebellion | Raw | NXT | Evolve | TNA Impact – Also, and I cannot stress this enough, you should watch the documentary and then read Kat’s EXCELLENT review of The Heartbreak Kid: Becoming Shawn Michaels

This is the final piece of WWE programming before Wrestlemania Weekend begins, thank goodness. It’s been a LONG Road to Wrestlemania this year, gang. The whole crew is in Las Vegas and tonight’s show comes to the USA/Netflix airwaves from the T-Mobile Arena. The announcing team for tonight’s show includes Joe Tessitore and Corey Graves on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. There’s no time like the present, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

A highlights package covering Wrestlemania from the beginning until now is shown. We get comments from many luminaries about what they think about when Wrestlemania comes to mind. CM Punk – Roddy Piper – Burt Reynolds – Aretha Franklin, The Usos – Yokozuna vs Bret Hart, Cody Rhodes – Macho King and Miss Elizabeth reconciling, Damian Priest – HHH vs Undertaker with HBK as the referee in Hell in a Cell, Jelly Roll – Rock vs Hollywood Hulk Hogan (I recently re-watched this for the first time in a long time and he’s not wrong, it is INCREDIBLE spectacle), Giannis Antetokounmpo – Brock Lesnar breaks Undertaker’s Wrestlemania winning streak, Tyrese Haliburton – John Cena winning the WWE title for the first time, Randy Orton – Wrestlemania 1 main event featuring his father teaming with Paul Orndorff against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T, George Kittle – Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Kevin Owens, Jade Cargill – Chyna turning on Kane, Shawn Michaels – Andre the Giant vs Hulk Hogan, Dominik Mysterio – Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero, Lil Yachty – Cody finishing the story in Philadelphia.

Some folks are arriving to work: Michin, B-Fab and WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill step off an elevator. Rhea Ripley roams a hallway. WWE Men’s US Champion Sami Zayn observes some cacti. Trick Williams is in a parking lot looking resplendent in white. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria admire Bayley’s visage on the side of a production truck. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss are wearing sunglasses indoors!

Pat McAfee and Randy Orton arrive in a red Dodge Ram and here’s Smackdown GM Nick Aldis to greet them. Aldis hands McAfee an agreement and mentions that they need to have a chat. Orton says he’s got something to say and he leaves McAfee with Aldis. McAfee asks “Foreign Adam Pearce” to park his truck as “Voices” hits in the arena.

The Vegas crowd dutifully sings along and Orton seems bouncy as Mark Nash introduces him. Graves calls McAfee a “catalyst” who unleashed something dormant inside of Orton. Orton grabs a mic and says that he’ll be the first one to admit that he doesn’t need Pat McAfee but the truth is he wants him because he’s the only straight shooter in the company. Orton says McAfee told him to just be himself and he thought it was going to be Drew McIntyre after winning the Chamber, but then Cody Rhodes (a fair amount of boos here at the mention of Cody) won the title back from McIntyre. Rhodes then gave Orton permission to be the Viper. Orton says there’s give and take in most friendships, but all Rhodes did was take, take, take. Orton talks about Wrestlemania 40 and how Rhodes didn’t call Orton, he called Seth Rollins. Orton says when Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline was all over Rhodes, Orton came out to help and got put through a table right after recovering from back surgery. Orton then talks about what went down between Rhodes and Kevin Owens and how much he tried to be a mediator before he got dropped by an Owens piledriver. McAfee has done more for Orton than Rhodes has done in a lifetime, says Orton. Orton says he’ll fix things tomorrow night in the main event and will take home number 15 with the three most dangerous letters in sports entertainment. Orton drops the mic and heads to the back.

Simple and effective, and without McAfee’s insults and bullshit. I’m fine with it.

Tessitore and Graves are at the desk and Graves calls the feeling of tonight’s show something akin to “Super Christmas Eve”. Tessitore mentions that Rhodes will arrive later to address Orton’s remarks, but now we have to see more of the Pat McAfee Saga and throws it to the back. McAfee is back behind the wheel of the red Dodge Ram and Orton gets in the passenger seat while dapping up McAfee. Aldis stands by as McAfee tells him that Orton is what a real superstar looks like. McAfee bellows “See you tomorrow, marks!” and they speed away. Graves: “If the voice in my head sounded like Pat McAfee, I’d want to kick people in the skull too.”

Solo Sikoa and The MFT’s make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Eight Man Tag Team Street Fight: The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, JC Mateo, Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga) vs The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, and Erick Rowan)

Nikki Cross is out with the Wyatts, while Tonga Loa remains at ringside with the MFT crew. The Wyatts charge prior to the bell and everyone gets into it right away. Rowan, Lumis and Gacy triple team Talla Tonga with Rowan sending him to the floor with a big boot. Gacy and Lumis hit stereo topes on Mateo and Sikoa. Talla Tonga runs over Rowan with a lariat and then yanks up the steps to drive them into Gacy and Lumis. Talla then throws the steps and nails Rowan right in the head with them. We go to commercials.

Sikoa has a kendo stick and he and Tama Tonga are arguing about how to attack Howdy when the show returns. Gacy charges in to help and he mashes Tama with a back handspring cutter. Lumis mashes Sikoa with a side suplex and legdrop, while Gacy prevents Talla Tonga from re-entering the ring. Gacy and Lumis hit their monkey flip-into-a-powerbomb move but Mateo breaks up the cover with a release German on Gacy. Mateo hits Tour of the Islands on Lumis and then bashes Lumis with an overhead suplex. Mateo puts the boots to Howdy but this only serves to fire up Howdy. Howdy attacks Mateo from behind with some clubbering rights until Talla Tonga charges in to yank Howdy away. Talla hits a Samoan Drop on Howdy and then does the same move to Lumis. Talla crushes Gacy with the Samoan Drop and then pulls a charging Rowan up. Rowan clubbers his way out of it and drives Talla to the floor with a high boot. Rowan hits a suicide dive on Talla and then tosses some plunder into the ring. Rowan and Howdy use trash cans on Sikoa’s back and then Rowan places a trashcan on Sikoa’s chest before splashing him. The Wyatt crew stands tall as we go to commercials.

Howdy is down in a corner and Sikoa misses a charge when the show returns. Howdy pulls up a chair and crushes Sikoa and Tama Tonga with shots before driving it onto Mateo’s back. Howdy pulls Sikoa into a uranage on the chair. Nikki Cross decides to ascend for a cross-body on Tonga Loa. Howdy wants Sister Abigail but Talla Tonga makes the save for Sikoa with a big boot. Sikoa ascends and he jumps over Talla’s shoulders to frog splash Howdy. Sikoa’s cover is broken up at two by a Gacy kendo stick strike. Talla hits a double chokeslam on Gacy and Lumis, and then no-sells a Rowan chairshot to the back. Talla drives Rowan to the floor with a high boot and follows him out. Tama Tonga charges in to prevent another Sister Abigail attempt by dropping Howdy with a sort of reverse Cross Rhodes. Tama wants the Cutthroat but Sikoa charges in and delivers a Samoan Spike to Howdy that gets three.

The crowd was pretty quiet for most of this. It’s a feud that’s been going for six months now, and I’m not sure if anyone was invested enough in THE LANTERN saga to really be into this. Plunder brawls without table usage also seem muted in the WWE, and whatever mini-story they’re trying to tell with Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa really needs to get moving and soon. I have no idea what either of these groups will be doing after this weekend, so I guess getting this denouement (if it actually is the end) is something, anyway. 2*

Winners – The MFT’s (Sikoa Samoan Spike on Howdy)

Post-match sees Sikoa and Tama Tonga eyeing each other up warily. There’s some verbals before the rest of the MFT’s enter to celebrate the win.

Here’s WWE Men’s Tag Team Champions Damian Priest and R-Truth backstage and Truth mentions that “Asuka” cursed the New Day. Priest says it was Danhausen, and Truth disagrees saying that Danhausen talked to them last week. Truth mentions that Xavier Woods “turned Sammy Sosa white and he speaks with a British accent” as a flabbergasted Priest confirms he’s actually talking about Grayson Waller. Truth tells Priest to get it together because they have a title match tonight!

The ARMBAR trophy is shown and Tessitore mentions it’s happening later tonight. Tessitore throws to a highlights package of some things happening around the show including Maryse and The Miz marriage renewal being interrupted by Danhausen. Danhausen says he’s the ring boy, the Best Man, and the Maid of Honor as an apoplectic Miz says he isn’t any of those things. Kit Wilson was officiating the ceremony and Miz asks him to do something about this. Wilson says “You may now curse the Bride” and well, MARYSE IS CURSED. Miz tries to choke Danhausen and of course Maryse ends up getting pushed face-first into the tiered wedding cake. Danhausen takes some frosting from Maryse’s face and has a taste of it. Danhausen: “Oooh, vanilla!”

Danhausen continues to be a shining light in a sea of McAfee dreck, friends.

After commercials, we get a quick video piece on Royce Keys. Keys mother passed away from an overdose in 2021 and he gets very emotional when talking about her. Keys sister talks about how proud her mother was of her kids. Mark Henry is listed as Keys mentor and says he’s a good kid. He’ll be in the ARMBAR later.

Tessitore and Graves talk over some highlights of last week‘s confrontation between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu. Las Vegas PD pulls into the arena parking lot with sirens blaring, and then into the arena. Here’s Jacob Fatu being released from the back seat and climbing onto the roof of the black-and-white. Fatu has a microphone and mentions that McIntyre wants to tell the world that Fatu is still a criminal, but Fatu isn’t ashamed of it nor does he live that life anymore. Fatu tells McIntyre that putting him in cuffs didn’t embarrass him or his family and even the po-po knows that Fatu isn’t the same guy anymore. Fatu talks about the Unsanctioned match and how no one can stop him from beating McIntyre’s ass. Fatu says there won’t be anyone to save McIntyre either. Fatu pulls the camera up close and tells McIntyre that by trying to put him back in the jail cell doesn’t matter because Fatu has left that life behind, and tomorrow he puts McIntyre in the rearview as well.

Loved this. Jacob Fatu is awesome and I hope he does indeed dogwalk McIntyre tomorrow.

Here’s Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss having a pre-match chat. Flair says the cherry on top of how good 2025 and 2026 have been so far would be winning gold tomorrow night at Wrestlemania but they have to get through Bayley and Lyra Valkyria tonight.

WWE Men’s Tag Team Champions Damian Priest and R-Truth make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Tyrese Haliburton is at ringside! I bet we’ll see a host of stars tomorrow and Sunday.

WWE Men’s Tag Team Championship: R-Truth and Damian Priest (C) vs Grayson Waller and Kofi Kingston

Waller and Priest start and Waller bullies Priest around a bit before running directly into a Priest high boot. Priest chucks Waller into his team’s corner, wallops him with an uppercut, and then tags in Truth. Truth smacks Waller with a bunch of right hands but Waller trips up Truth and tags in Kingston. Kingston whips Waller into Priest to send him to the floor, but Truth fires up with some uppercuts. Waller holds the ropes down and Truth tumbles to the floor, but Priest looms up behind Waller and goozles him. Kingston prevents anything further by dropkicking Priest from between the first and second ropes. We go to commercials.

Kingston gets a tag and waffles Truth with a legdrop as the show returns. Waller drops an elbow on Truth and Kingston covers for two. Kingston struts around and boots Truth in the chest. Waller grabs a blind tag and Kingston seems displeased. Truth pushes Kingston into Waller who was on the second rope, and Truth finally makes a tag to Priest. Priest immediately runs wild with right hands on Waller and Kingston before waffling both with running elbows. Priest hits a flapjack on Kingston and then does the ropewalk cross-body on to Waller. Priest mashes Waller with a lariat and Kingston breaks up the cover at two. Truth has made his way around to Kingston’s corner and calls for a tag so Kingston slaps his hand away. Truth thinks it was a tag and he comes in to do the Five Moves of Doom on Kingston while Priest slams Waller down. Truth and Priest do the You Can’t See Me bit and then drop stereo Five Knuckle Shuffles. Priest and Truth hit a combined flapjack on Waller and Priest covers him for three.

If the WWE was ever to have a “party match”, this was pretty much it. Everyone was out there having fun and the crowd was WAY more into this than the Wyatt-MFT thing from earlier. It’s wild to me that Priest is doing this stuff now, but he seems to be enjoying himself and I’m sure Truth is probably fun to hang with backstage. Kingston and Waller did their part, and this was fine for what it was. 2.25*

Winners AND STILL WWE Men’s Tag Team Champions – R-Truth and Damian Priest (Double flapjack to Waller)

A recap of last week’s McAfee-Orton-Rhodes-Jelly Roll segment is shown. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab are making their way out as we go to commercials.

THE MANIA MOMENT SPONSORED BY SNICKERS is from 2023 and showcases the Charlotte Flair-Rhea Ripley Smackdown women’s title match where Ripley was victorious and claimed the title with a second rope Riptide.

WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab head to the ring for a chat. Cargill doesn’t get a word out before “Demon In Your Dreams” hits and here’s Rhea Ripley out to saunter down to the ring. Ripley says she wanted to come out before Cargill wastes everyone’s time, but she doesn’t want to beat on Cargill so there’s some kind of excuse for Cargill not to show up at Wrestlemania. Ripley says Cargill is scared and she can’t wait to embarrass Cargill at the big show. B-Fab says the only one that should be embarrassed is Ripley because she keeps failing. Ripley says Cargill has been hiding behind social media, hides behind B-Fab and Michin, and has done anything she can to keep from seeing Ripley one-on-one. Cargill pushes Michin and B-Fab away and they exit the ring as Ripley enters. Cargill calls Ripley a “cosplay Goth kid with insecurities” and says she’s everything Ripley wishes she could be. Cargill says Ripley has had her way behind the weak-ass locker room behind her. Cargill says if Ripley keeps talking she’ll make things happen quick on Sunday. Ripley cackles at the suggestion that she wants to be anything like Cargill. Ripley says her insecurities don’t hold her back, they’ve made her who she is today. Ripley says they can make it quick on Sunday but it won’t be in Cargill’s favor before calling her a “narcissistic fake-ass bitch”. They go nose-to-nose and Cargill holds the belt aloft to get the money shot. Cargill leaves without another word and stares Ripley down from the aisle.

This was awkward and I think Cargill with an open mic would be a dangerous thing, but she held back and did the business to get the shot at the end. These two just need to fight, there’s been too much yap around this feud.

Here’s Solo Sikoa with the MFT’s backstage pumping them up over beating the Wyatts earlier. Sikoa says it’s finished because they worked together as a team. Sikoa orders Talla Tonga to win the ARMBAR and tells the group the next target are the tag team titles. Tama Tonga was noticeably stoic throughout this entire thing.

Tiffany Stratton makes her entrance as we go to commercials.

Dion Dawkins from the Buffalo Bills is in the crowd!

WWE Women’s US Championship #1 Contenders Match: Jordynne Grace vs Tiffany Stratton

WWE Women’s US Champion Giulia and Kiana James are at ringside but not on comms. Grace and Stratton exchange a handshake and we’re off. Stratton grabs a roll up for two, and then grabs a crucifix for one. Stratton does some acrobatics and then drops Grace face-first off an armdrag before covering and getting two. Grace pulls Stratton into a double underhook and slams her into a turnbuckle a few times, before walloping Stratton with a back elbow. Grace hoists Stratton and drops her throat-first over the top rope. Grace waffles Stratton with a lariat and covers her for two. We go to commercials.

Grace mounts Stratton in a corner when the show returns. Grace ascends and hits a second rope superplex, but Stratton rises up and DDT’s Grace in response. We reset with both women down. Stratton is up first and they start slugging it out. Stratton lifts a knee but misses a double stomp as Grace grabs a roll up for two. Stratton hits a back elbow and a shotgun dropkick before covering and getting two. Grace goes to the apron and heabutts Stratton a bunch of times. Grace hoists Stratton for a rolling Death Valley Driver. Grace pulls Stratton up for a package powerbomb that gets two. Grace gets hit with a handspring stunner and Stratton hits a rolling senton before ascending. Stratton hits the Prettiest Moonsault Ever and covers Grace for three.

The crowd is just terrible tonight and didn’t react to anything in this match. Stratton has regressed a bunch but she looked better tonight than the last few times she’s been on television. Grace was game but she’s just a bit player right now, and that bums me out. Stratton moves on to become the number one contender for Giulia’s title and we’ll see what happens when that match takes place. I’d like to tell you to seek this one out but the dead crowd just kills any heat this might have generated. 3*

Winner – Tiffany Stratton (Prettiest Moonsault Ever)

Post-match sees Stratton put the stink-mouth on Giulia. Trick Williams is on his way to the ring as we go to commercials.

Trick Williams is out to wake up this moribund crowd with a Whoop That Trick chant. No sign of Lil Yachty tonight. Trick says he’s usually all smiles and jokes, but tonight he’s got something to get off his chest. Trick mentions that Sami Zayn crossed a line last week and goes to some footage of Zayn wiping out Lil Yachty with a Helluva Kick as Trick was beating Matt Cardona. Trick says Zayn hit and hurt his friend Yachty with the Helluva Kick, and he doesn’t know when Yachty might be back. Trick says grown folks are talking and business is going to happen tonight before calling for the Gingerbread Man. Zayn’s music hits, and here’s a person in a Gingerbread Man costume. Trick introduces Vegas to the Gingerbread Man, Sami Zayn. Trick says that GB looks upset over the lack of die-hard Sami Zayn fans in San Jose last week and in Vegas tonight. Trick says when life gives you lemons, you put on the Lemon Pepper Steppers and mind your business when grown folks are talking. Here’s WWE Men’s US Champion Sami Zayn out to say he’s glad that Trick is taking things so seriously. Zayn says he hasn’t had a good time in a very long time even while walking into Wrestlemania as US champ. Zayn tells the crowd he’s not sure what he did wrong as they boo him vociferously, but he also says he doesn’t care. Zayn says he does what he does for the ride-or-die Zayn fans and says there’s plenty in Vegas. Zayn gets a “Shut the F*** Up” chant and then tells the Gingerbread Man to leave because he’s distracting. Zayn says he agreed with people when they said Trick was the future, but Trick hasn’t shown him much since. Zayn says when he looks at Trick now all he sees is a little punk rookie who’s walking into Wrestlemania with one of the best to ever do it. Zayn says Trick doesn’t have a plan, and Trick says he IS the plan. Trick says Zayn is crashing out because Zayn doesn’t know who he is anymore. Trick runs down Zayn’s accomplishments but says all of it’s gone by the wayside because Trick has gotten in his head. Zayn questions that Trick’s plan was actually standing in the ring with a Gingerbread Man two days before Wrestlemania. Fisticuffs ensue and Zayn sends Trick to the floor, and then turns to the Gingerbread Man. Zayn hits the Gingerbread Man with a Helluva Kick and then eats a Trick Shot from a recovered Trick. Trick holds the US title aloft and this segment mercifully ends.

So much yap around this feud, the damn match better deliver.

WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes exits the Nightmare bus as we go to commercials.

STRONGER TOGETHER PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on Women’s Tag Team four way. All the teams have comments and everyone vows to win the titles.

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs Bayley and Lyra Valkyria

Graves runs down Flair and Bliss’s friendship while saying he can believe Valkyria and Bayley are friends because no one else in the locker room likes them. COREY’S GOT JOKES, PAL. Valkyria slugs a stunned Flair prior to the bell and a Pier Six breaks out. Flair and Valkyria duke it out in the ring and Valkyria hits a leg lariat on Flair as Bliss drives Bayley into the ring steps. Here’s Nia Jax in the ring to smack Valkryia, and Lash Legend is out to beat on Bliss. Jax and Legend smash everyone around and Jax and Legend end things with a mounted legdrop on Valkyria.

I’m not rating anything here. What a complete waste of time.

No winners – match thrown out due to Legend/Jax interference

Here’s a video package on the ongoing Brock Lesnar-Oba Femi path of violence. Graves calls the match an “extinction level event” and I don’t disagree with him.

2026 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

There’s a ton of guys in the ring, including Sad John Wrestling, who is face down. Royce Keys and Joe Hendry get entrances. I’ll do my best here, gang. Kit Wilson is first out after tripping over Gargano. Gargano dumps Nathan Frazer out, and then Chris Sabin is next out. Both El Grande Americanos are dumped by Talla Tonga and they just continue fighting after being eliminated. Shiloh Hill is eliminated by Ilja Dragunov. La Parka gets eliminated by Los Garza, but Rey Fenix flies in to send Berto out. Psycho Clown gets sent to the floor by Royce Keys. Gargano eliminates Axiom, and then both he and Alex Shelley are sent out by Rey Fenix. Shinsuke Nakamura sends Apollo Crews out. Joe Hendry gets dumped by Aleister Black. Talla Tonga sends out Cruz del Toro and Joaquin Wilde. Everyone gangs up on Talla Tonga but he fights them all off. Talla sends Rey Fenix to the floor and then everyone teams up to hit Talla with a bunch of shots. Black dumps Nakamura and then sends Dragunov out with a high kick. Black wastes Akira Tozawa with a Black Mass before sending him to the floor. Otis gets some shine after being displeased with Tozawa’s elimination and he runs wild for a bit. Otis dumps Angel before hitting Gargano with the Worm. Otis sends Gargano to the floor, and then he dumps Matt Cardona.

Your final four: Otis, Royce Keys, Talla Tonga, and Aleister Black. Otis and Black start slugging it out and Keys sneaks in to send Black to the floor. Keys and Talla stand toe to toe, but Otis breaks it up with some power moves. Talla kicks Otis in the face and then sends him out. It’s Keys and Talla for the trophy. Keys hits a spinebuster and drops the straps. Keys sends Talla to the floor with a lariat and wins the match!

Hey, this was kind of fun and didn’t waste my time. I’m happy that Keys picked up the win here, it will be something that the announcers can talk about for a bit during the post-WM doldrums. Keys did take some time during the match to sit in a corner to gear up for the end sequence but given how many bodies were in there, I don’t mind it too much. 3*

Winner – Royce Keys (Eliminates Talla Tonga with a lariat)

Post-match sees some pyro go off as Keys stands next to the trophy. Tessitore and Graves run down both nights of Wrestlemania. Here’s a video package on the CM Punk-Roman Reigns feud that’s ignited since the Royal Rumble and will culminate on Sunday night in the main event.

“Kingdom” hits and here’s WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes out for a chat. Rhodes is in all black tonight and is wearing a bow tie just like Dusty used to. The HOF ceremony is after this, as Tessitore helpfully points out. Graves talks about the insane schedule Rhodes has had this entire week and says he must be exhausted at this point. Rhodes asks the crowd what they want to talk about and then says they are not going to talk about the last three Wrestlemanias before name-dropping The Final Boss, Travis Scott, and someone he’s not going to name but should just go home. Rhodes calls Orton his mentor and says tomorrow is about them and no one else. Rhodes addresses Orton’s comments from the beginning of the show and says Orton has never taken responsibility for anything he’s ever done. Rhodes mentions Orton’s spotty record at Wrestlemania and….here’s “Cult of Personality” to a huge crowd pop.

WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk joins the proceedings. Punk is also in a suit and tie, and he gives Rhodes a playful pat on the butt as he enters. Punk grabs a mic and Rhodes asks him if they shake hands and hug, will Punk kick him in the balls and turn on him as well? Punk says there’s a lot of folks who should get kicked in the balls but he’s not going to do it, before addressing the “tourist” who doesn’t deserve to get mentioned. Punk says it’s the first time he’s worn a suit on television since Teddy Long got married. Punk says he wants to take a moment to relish the situation of them both being champions and headlining two nights of Wrestlemania. Punk says he’s no longer a teacher but advises Rhodes to focus only on Orton. Punk mentions that they’ll both be there on Monday win or lose and asks that the fans come with them on the next adventure. Punk says he’s proud of Rhodes and goes to leave, but Rhodes stops him to share one thing with him. Rhodes says he knows who Punk is up against on Sunday and talks about Reigns record at Wrestlemania. Rhodes says Punk wasn’t born into it like he and Reigns were, but he loved it and wanted it bad enough to train with Harley Race. Rhodes mentions Punk getting ten years worth of chants while he was gone, and says Punk could have done a greatest hits tour when he came back, but Punk returned better than ever. Rhodes talks about the line of Mr. Wrestlemania’s and says that after Sunday it’s probably going to be CM Punk. Rhodes thanks Punk and says that his dad would be extremely proud of Punk before pulling him in for a tearful hug. Punk gets the music cut and says he’ll cry on Sunday after beating Reigns ass. Punk says they’re there to celebrate with the people and they head out to do just that. The credits roll and we’re out.

It’s hard to quantify this as a true “go-home” show. I mean, obviously it was, and there were some promos to that effect for sure. However, tonight’s crowd just SUCKED, and especially so during the matches. I’m now very interested to see how these big shows on Saturday and Sunday go based on this tepid reaction tonight. Maybe it won’t persist and this crowd was just hoping for something spectacular, but anyone who consumes Smackdown at this point should know better by now. My two favorite matches tonight were the battle royal and Stratton-Grace and you won’t remember either in a week. But, we’ve finally made it, we’re here, there’s no more yap, there’s no more matches, it’s time for the Showcase of the Immortals.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I hope you enjoy Wrestlemania. SK will have coverage here and I’m sure we’ll all be talking about it. On a personal level, as always, thank you VERY much for reading my recaps and commenting when you do. It means a lot. This was a long road to get to these shows and I’m happy we’re here finally. Be safe, enjoy the shows, and get back here to talk about them when you can.

As a reminder, there will be a AAA show on youtube tomorrow night and I’ll have a write-up of that on Sunday morning.