Smackdown Review – 05.01.26

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It’s time for another episode of Smackdown and it comes to the USA/Netflix airwaves from the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK. WILL IT ACTUALLY BREAK LOOSE TONIGHT? The announcing team for tonight’s show are Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley and Byron Saxton on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever……TOGETHER

Tessitore says tonight’s show is “gushing with talent!”. So there’s that. Hey look, it’s highlights of Monday evening’s chat between THE TRIBAL CHIEF and our good friend Jacob Fatu, who helpfully applied the Tongan Death Grip to nudge the Tribal Chief towards accepting the challenge for Backlash. We’re eight days away from that show, and we have some arrivals for tonight’s events: WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Brie Bella and Paige show off the gold while walking in, and here are their opponents for tonight, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend). Here’s Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss posing in a photo booth, and here’s Flair’s opponent for the evening, Jacy Jayne, who’s flanked by Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. Here’s Sami Zayn fresh and happy after the FOOLING he put on to Trick-Yachty Game last week.

Here’s WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes out to a raucous crowd rendition of “Kingdom”. The nice thing about these three hour shows (Is “nice” the right word?) is that Cody gets his entire entrance and can let the crowd chant a bit. Rhodes has met with Nick Aldis to find out if he’s cleared for return by Medical, and the answer is of course he’s cleared for action. Rhodes wants to know what’s next for Cody Rhodes on Smackdown, and here’s Ricky Saints out to make his Smackdown debut. Saints puts himself over and mentions that he and Rhodes are definitely not strangers. Saints says there’s a revolution coming, and the leader of that revolution’s name is Ricky Saints. Cody: “Okay, well, Friday night Saints it is!”. Rhodes asks Saints what the difference is between this time and the last time he came at Rhodes. Saints says Rhodes is all beaten up and the three world titles have aged Rhodes thirty years. Saints says he’s here to relieve Rhodes of his champ duties and Rhodes mentions again that he’s cleared, and if Saints is feeling squirrely, they can do it tonight. Saints leaves after telling Rhodes that he didn’t come out to make a statement, he came out to change who the show is about. Rhodes hits his new “I’m easy to find, and hard to beat” catchphrase, and the champ’s theme music plays everyone off.

Here’s a look at the arrival of Fatal Influence to Smackdown last week. They left Rhea Ripley laying, and here’s Cathy Kelley getting a comment from Charlotte Flair about the numbers advantage. Here’s WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley to offer some help evening up the numbers when Flair takes on Fatal. Flair declines, and Ripley points out they actually need her. Flair just wants Bliss with her despite her and Ripley sharing a “goth thing”. Flair and Bliss leave as Ripley looks on sadly. Flair makes her entrance and we hit commercials.

Fatal make their entrance and Jacy Jayne has a microphone when the show returns. Jayne says last week was just a small taste of what Fatal will bring to Smackdown. Fatal love to embarrass a legend, and tonight they plan on taking the legends one at a time starting with Charlotte Flair.

Charlotte Flair vs Jacy Jayne

So Jayne’s singles debut matches are Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. I’d say they have big plans for her. Flair offers a clean break and invites Jayne in. Jayne gets rammed into a corner and chopped by Flair. Flair trucks Jayne but Jayne recovers to blast Flair in the back of the head with a forearm. Jayne puts the boots to Flair in a corner and then snaps off a rana. Flair pulls Jayne into a facebreaker and then yanks her down to roll Jayne around with her legs. Flair does the Flair strut and gives a DX “Suck It” gesture before trying for the Figure Eight. Jayne bails and runs directly into Bliss as we go to commercials.

Jayne is working a rear chinlock when the show returns, but Flair shakes her off and catches Jayne on a charge. Flair hits a side suplex and they start slugging it out. Flair hits a bunch of chops and her walkover clothesline. Flair goes to the apron and puts up a big boot when Jayne follows, and then Flair ascends for a cross-body that Jayne reverses for two. Flair hits another running big boot and calls for the moonsault. Flair ascends and hits the moonsault but Jayne kicks out at two. Jayne clips Flair’s knee and then mashes Flair with a running knee strike. Jayne walks into a high boot and goes right to the Figure Eight. Henley pulls Flair’s arms to break the hold, Bliss flies around to wallop Henley, and then Bliss gets dropped by Reid. Flair blasts Reid off the apron with a high boot but turns right into Jayne’s Rolling Encore. Jayne covers and gets three.

Hey look, a singles win over Charlotte Flair is a pretty big accomplishment for Jacy, Fatal shenanigans notwithstanding. I think they clearly have big plans for Jayne on the main with the caliber of opponents they’ve given her in her first two weeks on the show. Let’s hope she can stay healthy and get to where they clearly see her. 3.25*

Winner – Jacy Jayne (Rolling Encore)

Post-match sees Jayne order more attacks on Flair, and Bliss’s attempt to help gets overwhelmed by the numbers. Here’s Rhea Ripley out to drop Henley in the aisle and go to work on Jayne. Ripley wants Riptide, but Jayne slips off and pushes Ripley towards Flair. They have a staredown as Fatal retreat back up the aisle.

Here’s Byron Saxton with Brie Bella and Paige who were watching the Flair-Jayne match on a monitor. Bella puts over Fatal Influence, and Paige says karma is a real thing in terms of them attacking Ripley and Flair. There’s some chat about The Irresistible Forces, and Bella and Paige say Smackdown is their house.

EARLIER TODAY WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion R-Truth was chatting with Nathan Frazer and Axiom as WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion Damian Priest joins the huddle. Truth says he was chatting with “Los Americanos” and Priest is baffled but moves on to tell FrAxiom they’re getting a tag title shot tonight. They scamper away and Truth bickers with Priest about giving tag title shots away. We go to commercials.

Here’s Kit Wilson and The Miz arguing over how to be rid of Danhausen, and so far their best solution is “Free Human Monies”. Wilson wants to use a rigged briefcase. Danhausen saunters in and discovers the Monies, which he takes and leaves. Miz opens the case to yell about the monies and gets hit with the spray that was supposed to debilitate Danhausen. I love that these segments are now right out of the Looney Tunes playbook.

WWE Men’s Tag Team Championship: R-Truth and Damian Priest (C) vs FrAxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom)

Axiom and Truth start and Truth trucks Axiom who responds with an armdrag and a dropkick. Frazer tags in and Truth tags in Priest. Frazer wants a side headlock but Priest shakes it off. Axiom gets a tag and Priest drops Frazer with a forearm. Priest boxes Axiom’s ears and then yanks him up for the Razor’s Edge, but Axiom reverses it to a rana. Axiom and Frazer drop a charging Truth and then hit stereo superkicks on Priest and Truth. Priest and Truth avoid topes and we go to commercials.

Truth drops Axiom with an over-the-shoulder cutter and both guys are down when the show returns. Priest and Frazer get tags and Priest runs wild with running flying elbows. Priest hits a facebreaker on Frazer, and then plants Axiom with a discus lariat. Frazer slips away from a South of Heaven attempt and smashes Priest with an enziguri. Truth tags in and goes into the Cena routine and ends with nailing Frazer with the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Axiom yanks Priest off the apron and Frazer grabs a roll up on Truth for two. Frazer and Axiom nail Truth and Priest with topes and then Frazer flies in for a tope con hilo. Axiom hits a jumping moonsault and they toss Truth back in. Axiom and Frazer combine for a top rope dropkick but Priest breaks up the cover by pushing Frazer into it. Priest drags Truth over for a tag and he wipes out Axiom off the apron to start. Priest hits the South of Heaven on Frazer and then pulls Axiom up for the Razor’s Edge. Priest covers Axiom and gets three.

I think Priest is embracing this role with as much gusto as he can muster while realizing he’s no longer an upper card singles wrestler. Working with Truth is probably an easy gig in and of itself, and getting to do his power stuff to tiny flippy goobers like Nathan Frazer is more than likely delightful. I thought this was fine for what it was, but there was no build, there was never likely going to be a title switch here, and we did commercials through this because we have to. 2.5*

Winners AND STILL WWE Men’s Tag Team Champions – R-Truth and Damian Priest (Razor’s Edge on Axiom)

Post-match sees Talla Tonga attacking the tag champs before double-chokeslamming FrAxiom. Solo Sikoa looks on from a corner as Tonga chokeslams Priest onto one of the tag title belts. Sikoa and Tonga stand tall over the fallen competitors and we go to commercials.

Solo Sikoa has a mic when the show returns and he mentions that Jacob Fatu made a big mistake last week when he destroyed the MFT’s after defeating Sikoa for the first time. Fatu took out Sikoa’s family and Sikoa is very grumpy about that. Sikoa promises that Fatu is a dead man walking when he arrives tonight. Here’s Big Jim and Main Event Jey Uso out for a chat. Jim tells Sikoa he understands the beef, but also mentions that the OTC also has a big problem with Fatu. Jey tells Sikoa that Fatu using the Tongan Death Grip crosses a line and that move is the family’s “last resort”. Jey tells Sikoa his plans are going to have to be on hold until the Tribal Chief has dealt with Fatu, and Sikoa seems to think there’s enough Fatu beatings to go around. Jey says they aren’t asking Sikoa, they’re telling him that this is how it’s going to be. Sikoa tells Tonga it’s time to go, and nods at him, so Tonga instead drops Jim and Jey with big boots. Sikoa leans down and tells Jim and Jey that Roman is not HIS Tribal Chief and whether or not Roman likes it, they are taking out Fatu tonight.

Here’s Cody Rhodes bumping into Sami Zayn backstage, and Zayn is whining about Rhodes mentioning Zayn during his promo last week. Zayn says he and Rhodes are the last of a dying breed of “good guys”, and Rhodes says there’s a lot there, but they are definitely not the same. Rhodes leaves as Tessitore mentions that his match with Ricky Saints is NEXT. We go to commercials.

Nick Aldis has made Sikoa/Tonga vs The Usos for later tonight! Jalen Brunson commented about acknowledging Roman Reigns and here’s Danhausen once again to say that after the Knicks were un-cursed they won, and Stephen A. Smith is still CURSED. Seems fair.

WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes vs Ricky Saints

This is non-title, and I didn’t mention it earlier, but Rhodes is still sporting his shiner from Wrestlemania. Also, Ricky Saints holds the last pinfall victory over Oba Femi currently. There’s some armdrags to start and Saints seems pretty tranquilo to start. Rhodes pops Saints off the apron and then runs into a double boot from Saints. Saints clotheslines Rhodes to the floor and we go to commercials.

Saints is torquing on Rhodes neck when the show returns. Saints runs into a Rhodes forearm, but Saints responds with a forearm of his own before dropping Rhodes with a swinging neckbreaker. Saints drops a knee and covers Rhodes for two. Saints bullies Rhodes along the ropes and then goes to his rope-walk strut with a fist drop. Rhodes fires off a snap powerslam and a springboard Disaster Kick. Rhodes hits the Cody Cutter and wants another move, but Saints reverses into a Cross Rhodes and gets two. There’s a couple of covers that get two, and Saints snaps off his Revolution DDT for two. Saints wants Roshambo, but Rhodes reverses into a Cross Rhodes and covers Saints for three.

I thought this was a fine debut for Ricky Saints, who’s about as interesting as a bowl of day old oatmeal these days. Saints getting to work immediately with Good Buddy Cody probably alleviated whatever nerves he might have had. Regardless, welcome to the big show Ricky, now enjoy the mid-card forever. 2.75*

Winner – Cody Rhodes (Cross Rhodes)

Post-match sees GUNTHER run in to slap a sleeper on Rhodes. Rhodes is out basically immediately and Gunther has to be pulled off by a group of referees. Gunther sets up the title belt and then holds it aloft. Gunther tosses the belt disdainfully back at Rhodes and exits to a chorus of boos. We go to commercials.

Here’s Danhausen out in the Hausen-mobile to tell Tulsa that he will be spending his found Human Monies on his fans to give out some merch-hausen. Here’s The Miz out to say that ever since Danhausen showed up everything has been terrible. Miz says he realizes now he is actually CURSED and he tells Danhausen he will be his mentor. They go to shake on it, but here’s Kit Wilson out to tell Miz that he’s lost his mind for not wanting to mentor Wilson anymore. Miz says that Danhausen has actually lived up to Miz’s “Master, Inspire, Zone In” demandments, and Wilson isn’t even in Danhausen’s league. Wilson begs for another chance and has a poem that ends with an offer to shake Wilson’s hand. Danhausen offers his hand, and in the biggest decision since Sophie’s Choice, Miz shakes Danhausen’s hand. Miz wants Danhausen to CURSE Wilson, but when he does it, Miz blasts Danhausen from behind. Miz hits a Skull-Crushing Finale and then sets Danhausen up for a Wilson flying elbow drop. Miz puts the stink-mouth on a fallen Danhausen.

Here’s Royce Keys warming up. He’ll take on Angel after commercials.

Here’s a vignette on Blake Monroe who says nothing burns brighter than her. She’ll be here soon!

Royce Keys vs Angel

Berto is out at ringside with Angel. Angel tries some shenanigans at the outset and Keys sends him into a corner. Angel bails to the floor and then when he comes in Keys hits a big clothesline to send Angel down. Keys hits a running splash and then dumps Berto off the apron. Keys catches an Angel cross-body attempt before planting him over a top turnbuckle. Keys ascends and yanks Angel into a rolling powerslam. Keys drops the straps and then yanks Angel into the ULTIMATE SPINEBUSTER. Keys covers and gets three.

That was fairly emphatic right there. Hopefully they’ll figure out a singles program for Keys here at some point but him squashing geeks is fine work for now, I suppose. 2*

Winner – Royce Keys (ULTIMATE SPINEBUSTER)

Cathy Kelley is backstage with WWE Women’s US Champion Tiffany Stratton. Stratton has decided to start an Open Challenge because God hates me. Chelsea Green joins the scene to offer a trip out for Stratton’s birthday, which doesn’t sound too appetizing to the champ. Here’s Kiana James and a stone-faced Giulia to put the stink-mouth on Stratton. Stratton offers a title match to James, and this does nothing to change Giulia’s surly attitude. We go to commercials.

Royce Keys will call someone back, and here’s Jacob Fatu in for a quick hug. Keys and Fatu have known each other a long time, and Keys offers up some words to Fatu to hype him up for Reigns and says they take everything they want. Here’s Talla Tonga blasting Keys while Sikoa comes in to attack Fatu. Sikoa and Tonga leave Fatu and Keys laying.

Here’s Sami Zayn out to presumably celebrate taking out Trick Williams and Lil Yachty as The Gingerbread Man last week. Zayn mentions loving being in Tulsa, and puts over Bob Dylan who’s museum he went to today. Zayn talks about Dylan being booed for going electric and how he can relate to it based on the reactions he’s getting lately. Zayn says it doesn’t really bother him because he’s got his Ride or Die club with him in the house tonight. Zayn says he can deal with mixed reactions but he can’t deal with disrespect and the fact that Trick Williams used the Gingerbread Man bit to insult Zayn. Zayn says it’s hard doing what he does giving every bit of heart, soul, and passion every day of every year. Zayn says Gingerbread Man is Trick not taking Sami or the business seriously and Zayn wants to punch the Gingerbread Man every time he sees it. Zayn shakes the Gingerbread Man’s hand and then kicks him in the groin. Zayn destroys the costume and here’s WWE Men’s US Champion Trick Williams out to attack. Zayn decides to bail after taking a few shots and Trick puts up the X signal so that the Gingerbread Man costume can be attended to.

I’ll tell you this much, we are doing some COMEDY tonight on Smackdown, friends. Between the Danhausen bit and now Trick’s wildly funny X-signal followed by some Medical personnel taking the Gingerbread Man costume for a trip to the LOCAL MEDICINAL FACILITY, things truly are BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA TONIGHT.

Arby’s sponsors a look back at Brie Bella and Paige winning the women’s tag titles at Wrestlemania. Here’s Nia Jax and Lash Legend with Byron Saxton and Jax notes that they didn’t lose the titles at WM, because Paige pinned Charlotte. Jax says when they win the titles back tonight Brie and Paige can go back to the couch with Nikki Bella. BURN! We go to commercials.

Here’s Trick Williams commenting that this time Sami Zayn has crossed a line because NOBODY TOUCHES THE GINGERBREAD MAN. Trick tells Zayn to pray to the Lord Above that Gingerbread Man recovers, and he’ll see Zayn at Backlash for a title rematch. The “doctor” emerges from Medical and gives a throat slash, so now IT IS ON.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Brie Bella and Paige (C) vs The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend)

It’s Legend and Paige to start, and Legend uses some Jax distraction to whale Paige with a right. Legend hits a splash and covers Paige for two. Jax tags in and smashes Paige with a headbutt. Paige tags in Bella who smashes Jax with a missile dropkick. Bella lifts a knee and then boots Legend off the apron. Jax dumps Bella to the apron and then smashes her with a forearm after Legend had grabbed Bella’s leg. We go to commercials.

Jax misses a charge when the show returns, but Legend prevents Bella from making a tag. Bella snaps off a rana and tags in Paige. Paige fires off some forearms and a low dropkick that drops Legend. Paige hits a bunch of knee lifts from the apron and then ascends. Legend catches the cross-body attempt but Paige drops off her back and Bella gets a blind tag. Paige hits the Paige-Turner and Bella flies in with the Bella Buster before covering Legend and getting two. Jax breaks up the cover and smashes Paige out to the floor. Jax trucks Bella in a corner and sets her up, but Paige kicks Jax down and Bella rolls up Jax for three.

I didn’t think much of this overall personally. This nostalgia act is taking up spaces for younger and just-as-talented folks in developmental, but here we are. Hunter has put a lot of eggs into the women’s tag basket at this point and I’m almost wondering if it’s time to hit re-shuffle on some teams and send some folks back out into singles-land. I think you can go to youtube highlights for this one. 2*

Winners AND STILL WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions – Brie Bella and Paige (Bella roll up on Jax)

Tessitore reports that The Gingerbread Man has indeed passed on. Sad news, that. Tessitore is verklempt and right before commercials hit you can clearly hear Barrett dying with laughter. IT IS COMEDY NIGHT TONIGHT, FRIENDS.

Smackdown will be in JACKSONVILLE next week. Time to break out the FTR Tank, Tony! There will be a funeral for the Gingerbread Man while in DUUUUUUVVALLLLL, prepare your kleenex now, friends. Sami Zayn is livid and is complaining to Smackdown GM Nick Aldis who asks for some respect as everyone is grieving. Zayn wants the title match made for Backlash, and Aldis agrees. Here’s Danhausen to demand a match with Miz and Wilson, and Aldis says if he can find a partner, they’ll do a tag match to settle things.

The Usos (Big Jim and Main Event Jey) vs Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga

Tonga starts with Jey and Tonga trucks Jey with a lariat after a short flurry. Tonga stands on Jey and tags in Sikoa. Sikoa drops a headbutt but Jey hits an enziguri that drives Sikoa into the Uso corner. Jim tags in and starts throwing chops and a high boot. Sikoa catches a second rope springboard and hits a uranage on Jim. Sikoa hits a Hip Attack on Jim sending him to the apron as we go to commercials.

Tonga has trucked Jim on the floor with Sikoa celebrating above when the show returns. Sikoa tags in and pops Jim with a big right before putting the stink-mouth on Jim while bullying him along the ropes. Jim hits a high boot but gets trucked by Tonga again while the ref admonishes Jey. Tonga tags in and drops a leg on Jim before torquing on Jim’s neck. Jim tries to fight out but Tonga hoists him up for a running Samoan Drop that gets two. Tonga drives Jey off the apron and Sikoa tags in. Sikoa wants the spike and Jim breaks out of Tonga’s hold and sends a charging Sikoa to the floor. Tonga misses a charge and goes to the floor, and here’s Jey making his way back up on the apron. Jim crawls over and makes the tag. Jey hits a tope on Tonga and then waffles Sikoa with a top rope cross-body. Jey fires off some rights and a superkick. Jey hits a spear and covers Sikoa for two as Tonga breaks up the cover. Jim and Jey hit superkicks on Tonga and then send him to the floor with a simultaneous lariat. Tonga catches a charging Jim with a right hand, and then delivers a throat thrust to a charging Jey. Tonga sends Jey into the barricade and then runs Jim shoulder-first into the ring steps. Tonga dismantles the announce table and here’s Jacob Fatu flying in with a lariat. The bell rings as Fatu destroys Tonga with repeated ramming into a ring post. Fatu grabs the ring steps and mashes Tonga with them before confronting Sikoa in the ring. Sikoa tries to talk his way out of a beating, but Fatu slaps on the Tongan Death Grip. Tonga recovers and saves Sikoa, before catching a Fatu dive. Fatu slaps on the Tongan Death Grip and then hits a Samoan Drop that sends Tonga directly through the announce table. Fatu climbs back in the ring where Jey and Jim are waiting, and Fatu decides to walk through the Usos while barking at the camera and exiting up the aisle.

I was enjoying this tag match before the expected overbooking DQ sequence. Without having Roman in person, this did a bunch to build up Fatu even more as an unstoppable and unpredictable wrecking machine. I had the match at 3.25* before the finish and we’ll leave it there as they’re really trying to weave a family drama story into a very short build and don’t have a lot of alternatives in how to get there.

No Winners – Match thrown out due to Jacob Fatu interference

Fatu has a microphone and tells Jim and Jey to tell Roman Reigns that Fatu is going to dogwalk his ass at Backlash. All gas, no brakes, yaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddddddddddddddamean, FA-TU. The credits roll and we’re out.

See, when you get rid of spoopy spoopyheads like the Wyatts and Aleister Black, the comedy just FLOWS on good old Smackdown. The mood was definitely lightened this evening, that’s for sure. I would tell you that nothing wrestling-wise really stood out as something you should chase down immediately. The main event angle was fine, as I mentioned, given the compressed nature of the build for Backlash. Everything else was just kind of there, and Ricky Saints debuted with a hard-fought loss. I thought Jacy Jayne getting a relatively clean-ish pin of Charlotte Flair in just her second match on the main roster might be a good talking point, but we’ll see how and if any of this gets followed up with matches either on Smackdown or Backlash.

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