Smackdown Review – 05.22.26

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WWE has two big shows over the next two weeks, Saturday Night’s Main Event tomorrow evening, and Clash In Italy next weekend. The cards are mostly fleshed out so I wouldn’t expect a ton of new developments tonight, but we will see. Smackdown is on the USA/Netflix airwaves this evening from the legendary Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. The announcers for tonight’s show are Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on interviews and breaking news. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever…..TOGETHER

We open with highlights from last week‘s show and the angle between WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes, GUNTHER, Royce Keys, and Solo Sikoa. Let’s see some folks arrive to work: Here’s WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes looking dapper as usual. A split screen brings us Shinsuke Nakamura on the left and Solo Sikoa being flanked by Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga on the right. Here’s WWE Women’s US Champion Tiffany Stratton waving to the camera.

“Demon In Your Dreams” brings out WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley who welcomes us to “Friday Night Mami”. Ripley mentions being missed by Jade Cargill and her crew so much so that all they did was manage to piss her off. Ripley agrees to a rematch for the title at Clash In Italy, and here’s Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss out with microphones. Flair wants Ripley to not get ahead of herself since there is a six woman tag tomorrow night at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Flair wants to address the elephant in the room since she and Bliss could have used Ripley’s help last week, and Ripley explains that she was seeing her family. Flair says her and Bliss have their own battles to fight, and Ripley points out that Flair had said she didn’t need Ripley’s help. Flair then helpfully points out that Ripley now requires Flair and Bliss’s help to deal with her problem. Bliss tries in vain to intervene while Ripley mentions that Bliss took the brunt of last week’s punishment and Bliss again tries to calm things down. Here’s Fatal Influence out and Jacy Jayne mentions she loves watching THIS DIVISION melt down in real time. Jayne credits Fatal’s arrival for launching this schism, and while it’s been happening, they’ve ascended. Flair says pick two of Fatal and her and Bliss will fight them. Jayne says bet, and Flair’s music plays.

Tessitore and Barrett throw to highlights of Talla Tonga wrecking Shinsuke Nakamura while he was chatting up Tama Tonga, and Solo Sikoa being soundly rejected by Royce Keys when he offered help in the form of a chair during the main event. Sikoa is confronted by Cathy Kelley live backstage and she actually wants to ask for Talla Tonga’s thoughts about facing Nakamura tonight. Sikoa answers for him and pointedly tells Tama Tonga to watch what happens. Here’s Royce Keys in to question why Sikoa cost him last week and says that if there’s an issue, they can hash it out. Sikoa says Keys started things by tossing the chair at him, and says he could order an ass kicking but he won’t because they’re family. Sikoa and the Tongas leave and head towards the ring as we go to commercials.

Here’s Charlotte Flair backstage finding out Alexa Bliss is not cleared, but she’s kidding because she’s “sick” of dealing with Flair and Ripley’s issues. Bliss says Flair is teaming with Ripley instead because they need to work out their issues before SNME.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Talla Tonga

Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga are ringside for this. Nakamura lifts a knee but walks into a Tonga right upper thrust. Tonga bullies Nakamura in a corner and puts his boot over Nakamura’s jaw. Tonga whips Nakamura hard into the opposite corner and then drops a knee on his forehead. Tonga yanks Nakamura up for a slam but then misses his next charge as Nakamura grabs a knee strike and a high boot. Nakamura sends Tonga to the floor with a lariat and invites him back in. Nakamura works over Tonga along the ropes but Tonga fires up to drag Nakamura out to the floor. Tonga launches Nakamura into the barricade and we go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out mid-ring when the show returns and Tonga yanks Nakamura up for a running powerslam. Tonga gets caught in a Nakamura triangle choke. Nakamura releases but continues the assault with a knee to the back and an enziguri. Tonga whips Nakamura into a corner but misses a charge. Nakamura drapes Tonga over a top turnbuckle and blasts him with a kick. Nakamura fires off a Scorpio Rising that gets two. Nakamura wants Kinshasha but Sikoa springs up on the apron to distract. Tonga uses that to grab Nakamura for a powerslam. Tonga yanks Nakamura up for a chokeslam and that ends things.

Talla Tonga works slowly and I don’t remember him being this lumbering in other places I’ve seen him work. This was plodding and just sort of “you do a move and then I’ll do a move” type stuff with no real heat to any of it. The crowd was pulling for Nakamura at the outset but just kind of sat there for most of it. 2*

Winner – Talla Tonga (chokeslam)

Post-match sees a predictable ass-kicking ensue but Tama Tonga prevents a Sikoa Samoan Spike. They bicker and Tonga delivers his Hidden Blade before grabbing a hug from Sikoa. Here’s WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion Damian Priest out with a chair to prevent further damage to Nakamura. The MFT’s make their exit while pointing and barking at Priest.

Tessitore and Barrett talk up Clash In Italy, and the first hour will be on ESPN as their newfound custom continues. Here’s a look at the ongoing war between WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu that lead to Tribal Combat being agreed to for the Italy show.

Here’s Smackdown GM Nick Aldis with Charles Robinson who leaves just before Cody Rhodes comes in to discuss the contract still not being signed for the Italy match with him and GUNTHER. Aldis promises to handle it personally, and Rhodes seems okay with that. When Rhodes goes to leave he runs into Sami Zayn who mentions that they’ve been up and down lately, but Zayn has dealt with GUNTHER in the past and offers his help should Rhodes need it. Rhodes says thanks but no thanks, and leaves. Zayn is pretty upset about this and then confronts Aldis about not being on the card tonight. Zayn asks if he is a top talent on the show and wonders what he did to be this disrespected while if “Golden Boy” Cody Rhodes wants some time, he’d get it without a question. Rhodes has been overhearing all of this and fires up to say that if Zayn wants some time on Smackdown, they can have a match later. I am guessing that’s our main event, team.

Here’s WWE Women’s US Champion Tiffany Stratton out for her Open Challenge match as we go to commercials.

The MFT’s are chatting backstage and Tama Tonga points out that everyone thinks they’re weak and Sikoa needs to prove they aren’t by handling Priest for the family. Sikoa agrees and leaves to talk to Nick Aldis.

WWE Women’s US Championship Open Challenge: Tiffany Stratton (C) vs Lash Legend

Nia Jax is out with Legend and she promises that they will end Brie Bella and Paige’s nostalgia tour tomorrow night, but Legend will first take the US title to start their weekend of fun. Legend pushes Stratton down and then tosses her off when Stratton tries a go-behind. Legend tosses Stratton into a cartwheel, and Stratton snaps off a dropkick as well. Legend trucks Stratton down and wants a pump kick. Stratton ducks that and clips Legend’s left knee a few times before smashing Legend with another dropkick. Stratton gets caught on the ropes when she tries a springboard cross-body, but Legend catches her and sells it anyway. Stratton clubbers away but Legend has had enough and chokeslams Stratton on the apron. Here’s Chelsea Green out to support Stratton as we go to commercials.

Legend is in control when the show returns and she’s driving a shoulder into Stratton in a corner. Stratton manages a very slow backslide that gets two. Legend crushes Stratton with a lariat and covers her for a long two. Legend ragdolls Stratton around but Stratton breaks out of it and sends Legend to the floor. Stratton slips a charge and starts clubbering away. Stratton hits a jawbreaker and her back handspring elbow. Stratton hits a springboard stunner and covers Legend for two. Stratton misses a charge buts ends Legend to a corner. Legend fires up and waffles Stratton with a jackknife powerbomb that gets two. Legend wants the Lash Extension but Stratton snaps her over in a crucifix that gets two. Jax interferes and causes Stratton to miss her top rope move, and Legend mashes her with a pump kick. Green flies around to start things with Jax and Legend decides to grab Green by the hair. Stratton uses that whole thing to grab a roll up on Legend from behind, and the ref counts three.

I thought Stratton was a little reckless tonight, and she had been cleaning a lot of that up lately, so this was a bit rough to see. Legend is such a fun hoss, but you could tell these two had some timing issues throughout the match. The crowd was pretty docile for this whole thing but they’ve kind of settled down overall. 2.5*

Winner AND STILL WWE Women’s US Champion – Tiffany Stratton (roll up)

Post-match sees Green pawing at Stratton while telling her “we did it!”. Stratton shoos Green away but Green continues to fan Stratton while barking at Jax and Legend.

Tessitore and Barrett talk up the short-lived Brock Lesnar retirement and subsequent sneak attack on Oba Femi Monday night. Here’s Lil Yachty meeting up with WWE Men’s US Champion Trick Williams as we go to commercials.

Nick Aldis is interrupted by a PA who mentions that the building is having a power issue that’s coming from a nearby room. Aldis opens the door to find Danhausen and his cloning machine. Aldis sees that Danhausen has a rigged up electrical outlet and is apoplectic. Danhausen causes another blackout and seemingly disappears, and Aldis then finds a body covered in a sheet on a table. From out of the background we hear Danhausen yell “DON’T TOUCH HIM!”. Tessitore talks about Danhausen cursing the Cleveland Cavaliers and how that’s been going.

Here’s Cathy Kelley with Kit Wilson and The Miz and Miz definitely doesn’t care what’s in Danhausen’s lab. Kelley brings up the Cavaliers curse since Miz is from Cleveland, and Miz insists there’s no curse and he’s definitely not cursed. Here’s FrAxiom in and Axiom gleefully suggests that Miz is full of it. Wilson says that disrespecting the Miz is TOXIC and Miz threatens to embarass Axiom in his hometown next week. Axiom is up for that and presumably, it’s on.

Here’s WWE Men’s US Champion Trick Williams out with Lil Yachty. Trick gets a hell of a reception and does the Booker T routine to the crowd’s chanting. Trick knows the people in Lexington love Trick Yachty Game and talk about the Miz. Yachty is not impressed by Miz’s record at all, and here’s Carmelo Hayes out with a microphone. Hayes wants to talk about it and says they both knew this day was going to come. Hayes says Trick needs to do the right thing because Trick screwed him out of the US title. Hayes says he’s not trying to discredit Trick and he’s always believed in Trick, but there’s a huge difference between carrying a title and being a champion. Hayes says he carried the belt like a champion, and he wants a shot at the title RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW. Yachty says Trick’s schedule is pretty full and runs down the list that includes a pedicure and a deep tissue. Hayes wants to know if Trick’s “secretary” will allow a match and says the old Trick wouldn’t have let someone speak for him. Trick mentions that Hayes should be quiet while grown folks are talking, but since they’re in Lexington he knows the people would want to see this. Trick agrees to the match but he makes sure to tell Hayes that it’s not an Open Challenge and his coming ass-whooping is on the house. Charles Robinson comes rushing out, and we go to commercials.

WWE Men’s US Championship: Trick Williams (C) vs Carmelo Hayes

We’re joined in progress with a Trick side headlock. Hayes escapes it and gets trucked by Trick before getting yanked up for a slam. Hayes snaps off a dropkick and flexes to some cheers. Trick eats some chops but finally catches one and pops Hayes with an uppercut. Trick backhands Hayes and then puts the boots to him. Hayes catches a kick and fires off an enziguri that drops Trick. Hayes starts chopping away again but runs into a Trick leg lariat. Hayes grabs a quick roll up for two but walks right into a Bookend that gets two. Trick pulls Hayes to a corner for some chops and then whips Hayes into a top turnbuckle. Trick hits a spinning leg lariat and covers Hayes for two. Trick hits a back suplex and then drops Hayes over the top rope neck-first. Trick misses a charge and ends up crotched over the top rope. Trick goes to the floor but Yachty comes over to prevent anything further from Hayes. We go to commercials.

Trick is in control with a rear chinlock when the show returns. Hayes breaks out of it with a jawbreaker and they start slugging it out. Hayes tries a cazadora but Trick shakes it off and snaps off a neckbreaker. Trick nips up and here’s Ricky Saints at ringside seemingly outta nowhere. Hayes recovers with some clotheslines and Dirty Diana. Hayes covers and gets two. Hayes and Saints start barking at each other and Hayes starts firing off some kicks to a recovered Trick. Trick ends that flurry with a huge pump kick that gets two. Trick drops the knee pad and runs right into the First 48. Hayes covers and gets two. Hayes ascends but Saints bothers him enough to allow Trick to fly in wiht an uppercut. Trick pushes Saints away from barking at a fallen Hayes and tosses him back in. Saints leaps on the apron and Robinson starts dealing with him as Hayes grabs a long visual pin on Trick. Trick uses all the distraction to nail Hayes with the Trick Shot and that ends the whole affair.

I felt like that was a LOT of content just to set up an angle for Ricky Saints and Carmelo Hayes moving forward, but here we are. The match was good but again the crowd was pretty quiet for large swaths of this. They wanted to get behind Hayes a bit which is a good sign for him given how wildly over Trick is. 3*

Winner AND STILL WWE Men’s US Champion – Trick Williams (Trick Shot)

Here’s a super-pissed Sami Zayn backstage running into Sad John Wrestling laid out on a production cart. Zayn has a one-sided chat with Gargano who doesn’t even blink through most of it. Gargano tips over the bottle of water that Zayn leaves behind. We go to commercials.

Here’s Ricky Saints wandering backstage before being grabbed by Cathy Kelley. As he’s answering her question, Carmelo Hayes flies in with a right hand that drops Saints. Hayes tells Saints to stay out of his business and leaves the scene.

Tessitore and Barrett talk up Brock Lesnar’s return on Monday night and then throw to highlights of said event. Heyman calling Lesnar-Femi 2 “the biggest rematch in history” is wildly hysterical, but here we are.

Charlotte Flair and WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley vs Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid

Flair starts with Henley and runs her right over with a lariat to start things. Flair trips Henley down and ragdolls her around a bunch with her legs. Ripley tags in and Flair sends Henley away to tag in Reid. Reid charges into a kick, a facebreaker, a dropkick, and another kick. Reid slips a charge and wants a cross-body, but Ripley catches her and drops her in a fall-away slam. Flair tags in by tapping the top of Ripley’s head. Flair boots Jayne off the apron and turns into a huge right hand from Reid. Henley tags in and smashes Flair around on the floor before mashing her with a clothesline. Fatal stand over Flair as we go to commercials.

Flair fights out of a double-team when the show returns. Reid snaps off a superkick that cuts off Flair’s flurry and then puts the stink-mouth on Ripley. Flair goes the apron where she blasts Henley down and then boots a charging Reid. Jayne uses some distraction to pull Flair down to the floor before tossing her back in. Henley tags in and Reid drops Flair with a twisting neckbreaker. Henley flies in and covers Flair for two. Henley works an overhead elbow lock and Flair finally breaks out of it. Henley eats some forearms but kicks Flair right in the ankle. Flair takes out Reid and then drops Henley to the floor with a kick. Reid flies in to clip Flair’s knee and then talks more trash to Ripley. Flair and Reid hit simultaneous neckbreakers and both are down. Flair finally tags in Ripley to a huge pop. Ripley smashes Reid and Henley around and drops Henley with a release German. Ripley hits a high kick on Reid and then drops her with the Razor’s Edge. Ripley’s cover is broken up at two by Henley, who turns right into a huge Flair pump kick. Flair hits a rolling tackle on Jayne and Henley, and Ripley ducks out of the way as Flair eats a Reid superkick. Ripley hits Riptide as Flair grabs a blind tag. Flair flies in and hits Reid with Natural Selection which ends things.

I thought this was solid in terms of formula and psychology, and they even snuck in the final bit of storytelling right the end to kind of wrap things up nicely in terms of the match. Flair played Ricky Morton pretty well here and Ripley is always good for a hot tag. Reid and Henley were pretty sharp tonight and they got a fair amount of respect from the veterans in terms of bumping for their stuff. No complaints with this one. 3.5*

Winners – Flair/Ripley (Flair Natural Selection on Reid)

Post-match sees Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin charge into attack Flair, Ripley, and Bliss. Flair and Bliss get sent to the floor and Fatal also join in on the attack. Cargill kicks Ripley down and yanks her up for Jaded. Cargill has some words for Ripley as she stands over top of her. Cargill makes her exit and talks some smack into the camera.

Here’s a pensive Cody Rhodes backstage with Cathy Kelley. Rhodes mentions that Zayn is his friend but he doesn’t really recognize Zayn anymore. Rhodes says Zayn’s behavior is becoming too much and Rhodes says he’s going to make Zayn look in the mirror tonight. Rhodes says GUNTHER can come sit ringside to watch things if he wants because he can’t escape Rhodes when it comes to Italy.

Tessitore and Barrett talk up the ongoing Bloodline drama from Raw, and we see highlights. TRIBAL COMBAT is on for Italy, friends.

Here’s Solo Sikoa heading to the ring flanked by Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga. We go to commercials.

Here’s Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab being hit up by Cathy Kelley, and Michin says they will prove who the dominant group is tomorrow night. B-Fab mentions maybe Flair and Bliss not even showing up tomorrow night. Cargill puts down Fatal Influence and talks about getting her title back in Italy. Cargill pushes Kelley’s mic away and they leave in a huff.

WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion Damian Priest vs Solo Sikoa

Remember that months-long feud that Priest had with Aleister Black that lead to one guy getting released and the other guy being put in a comedy tag team with R-Truth? YEAH. Priest sends Sikoa to the floor with a lariat as the bell rings. Priest smashes Sikoa and has words with Talla Tonga. Priest sends Sikoa into the ring steps which fly apart from the force. Priest whips Sikoa back in and walks into a Sikoa uppercut. Sikoa smashes Priest into a turnbuckle but Priest fires off a flying elbow in response. Sikoa dumps Priest to the apron where he mashes a charging Sikoa with a kick. Priest is distracted by Tama Tonga on the floor and gets caught by Sikoa for a Samoan Drop. We go to commercials.

Sikoa catches a right hand from Priest when the show returns. Priest ascends to deal with Sikoa and they start slugging it out. Sikoa fires off some headbutts but Priest fires up with an ear clap. Priest fires off a superplex and we reset with both guys down. Priest hulks up and he and Sikoa start throwing bombs at each other mid-ring. Priest gains the advantage with kicks and drops Sikoa with a right hand. Sikoa misses a charge and Priest pulls him into a Broken Arrow that gets two. Priest goes after the floor crew and Sikoa pulls him by the hair. While the ref admonishes Sikoa, Talla Tonga flies in with a right hand to Priest’s jaw. Priest turns into a Sikoa uranage that gets two. Sikoa lines up Priest and runs right into two high boots from Priest. Priest his a lariat and then crushes Tama Tonga off the apron. Priest pulls Sikoa into a Flatliner and then has to deal with Talla Tonga on the apron. Priest tries to boot him down and walks into a Sikoa Samoan Spike which ends the proceedings.

Hey, Solo won a match! He usually only gets dubs in tag matches, so this was a cool thing. I thought procedurally this was fine and the crowd, which has been up and down all night, was mostly into this one. Sikoa is better than people give him credit for, and Priest is fine in the role he’s in now. 3*

Winner – Solo Sikoa (Samoan Spike)

Post-match sees a three on one beatdown ensue, and here’s Royce Keys charging down to get rid of both Tama and Talla. Keys turns to Sikoa and wants to go, but Sikoa chooses to duck out of the ring instead of throwing hands. Sikoa holds back Tama from charging. Keys pulls up Priest who is still apparently addled from the attack because he goozles Keys. Keys shakes it off and screams at Priest that he’s trying to help him. The main event is next, and we go to commercials.

Here’s WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Brie Bella and Paige in a pre-tape promo talking about being fighting champions since winning the titles at Wrestlemania. Bella and Paige mention having to still deal with Nia Jax and Lash Legend and promise that if they are underestimated, no one will know what hit them.

Tessitore and Barrett run down the Saturday Night’s Main Event card. Here’s Chelsea Green running into Blake Monroe backstage and Monroe says she saw Green out at ringside and wishes she hadn’t. Here’s Nia Jax and Lash Legend in to wreck Green before putting the stink-mouth on her.

Sami Zayn makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

Here’s Royce Keys backstage confronting a very pissed off Damian Priest who says he doesn’t know or trust Keys, and doesn’t care if R-Truth called him or not. Truth understands why Priest tried to goozle him, but warns Priest that if he wants it they can have a problem.

WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes vs Sami Zayn

Zayn offers a handshake which is accepted. Rhodes grabs a headlock and Zayn escapes it and hits an armdrag. Zayn offers another handshake which seems to annoy Rhodes. Rhodes goes back to the headlock and Zayn gets dropped with a facebreaker. Rhodes offers a handshake and Zayn doesn’t take it while indicating that Rhodes should bring it. A chop battle breaks out and Rhodes then hits the Orton snap powerslam. Rhodes does the quick ascend and Zayn leaps up to send him to the floor. We go to commercials.

Both guys are down when the show returns but Zayn has been working Rhodes knee throughout the break. Zayn clubbers away and gets caught by a Rhodes back suplex. Rhodes fires off some rights and goes to Flip, Flop, and Fly with the bionic elbow. Rhodes hits a Cody Cutter and covers Zayn for two. Rhodes gets dumped to the apron and then Zayn blasts Rhodes all the way onto the announce desk with a charge. Rhodes beats the count at nine and a half and Zayn has him lined up. Zayn misses a charge and Rhodes hits the Super Cody Cutter for two. Rhodes gets pulled into a jackknife roll up for two, and then Zayn hoists Rhodes up for a Blue Thunder Bomb that gets two. Zayn goes back to kicking Rhodes in the knee and then slaps on a Figure Four. Somehow, Rhodes just seems to know how to turn the Figure Four over, which he does. Zayn goes to the rope to break it and starts slugging it out with Rhodes. Rhodes hits a Disaster Kick and here’s GUNTHER up on the apron to slap on a sleeper. Zayn charges and Rhodes slips it as Zayn bashes into GUNTHER. Rhodes uses that distraction to hit the CrossRhodes which ends things.

I thought this was decent for a non-title television match, but both guys were saving bigger and better stuff for later, it felt like. The crowd was awake for this one and was pulling hard for Cody by the end. GUNTHER getting the heat for Italy in the post-match makes sense and they’re still trying to mine something out of this slow-burn turn from Zayn. 3.25*

Winner – Cody Rhodes (CrossRhodes)

Post-match sees GUNTHER charge in to continue assaulting Rhodes, until Zayn confronts him. Zayn watches GUNTHER lock in the sleeper, before leaving with just a short look back. GUNTHER releases the hold and yanks up the title to hold it over a fallen Rhodes. Zayn stays in the aisle looking remorseful. Tessitore reminds everyone of GUNTHER and Rhodes meeting in Italy in JUST NINE DAYS. GUNTHER celebrates in a corner as Rhodes lies prone in the ring. The credits roll and we’re out.

Weirdly, this felt like more of an ad for the Italy show than tomorrow night’s SNME, but they have a lot of shows in a short period of time to get over and it is what it is right now. This was the penultimate three hour show before we go back to two hours in June, and this one felt lighter than the past few weeks. It moved along better for me, anyway. The new blood has refreshed this show a bit and it’s showing with better overall content, at least tonight. So we’ll see where we are after SNME and we’ll have the go-home for the Italy show in Barcelona next Friday night. With that show being taped, I expect a very coherent presentation.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your weekend.