Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include John Cena’s return, the annual WrestleMania weekend Andre the Giant Battle Royal, and The Street Profits defending the WWE Tag Team Championships against Motor City Machine Guns. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
WWE SmackDown Card:
- John Cena Returns
- Andre the Giant Battle Royal
- WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c) vs Motor City Machine Guns
WWE SmackDown Results:
In the parking lot, Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga arrive. Sikoa walks off. LA Knight appears and attacks Tonga from behind. Knight slams Tonga’s arm in a car door.
Seth Rollins is Here!
The crowd serenades Rollins as he holds the mic in the air. Rollins welcomes the crowd to “Friday Night Rollins.” A loud “CM Punk” chant breaks out. Rollins smiles and sits cross-legged in the ring. Rollins notes that Punk claims that he came back to wrestling because the crowd chanted his name for ten years. The thing is, when Punk did come back, it wasn’t to a WWE ring. It wasn’t because of the fans; it was because someone wrote him a big fat check.
When Punk burned that bridge, he came back to WWE, but not for the fans, but for another big fat check. Rollins rants about Punk being a coward and a fraud. Say what you want about Roman Reigns, he doesn’t claim to care about the fans or WWE. Reigns is in it for Reigns. CM Punk says he sacrificed; no, Rollins knows sacrifice. This whole thing started with Paul Heyman. When Heyman brought the Sheild in to be Punk’s Shield.
Rollins didn’t get any credit while everyone in the back only cared about Reigns. This all came to a head last year when Rollins was a Shield for Cody Rhodes to end Reigns’ reign. Rollins promises to sacrifice everything he has to ensure this business moves forward in the right direction. That’s not a prediction; that’s a spoiler.
Grade: A
Seth Rollins cut a fantastic promo to kick off the show. Rollins filled in the blanks for those who haven’t been watching for the last 12 years and drove home the significance of the main event of night one of WrestleMania. Rollins may have also teased going full-blown bad guy and aligning with Paul Heyman. Side note: Rollins’ irrational hatred for Punk is one of the most hilarious things going in WWE today. Punk breathing sends Rollins into a fit of uncontrollable rage… while wearing something from the Elton John collection. You can’t make this stuff up.
Andre the Giant Battle Royal
After the field thins, we are left with Carmelo Hayes, Shinsuke Nakamura, Andrade, and Rey Fenix as the final four. After a standoff, everyone brawls. Nakamura misses a Kinshasa and gets dropkicked out of the ring by Andrade. Fenix almost tosses Andrade and Hayes at the same time, but they both hold on. Fenix lands a flurry of offense on Hayes.
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Fenix goes for goodbye, amigo, but El Grande Americano appears out of nowhere and eliminates Fenix. Hayes and Andrade are the final competitors. Andrade and Hayes unload on each other. Andrade drops Hayes with his feint spinning back elbow. Andrade tries to catch Hayes while springboarding, but Hayes pushes Andrade over the top rope for the win!
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
Grade: B
Amazing win by Hayes. The incoming rant isn’t about him… but they have lost the plot of what this match was supposed to be about. Why is this not on the pre-show of WrestleMania? Having this on SmackDown is a waste of time. Get all of these people on the WrestleMania card.
Mami is Always on Top
Ripley says she lost her focus before her title defense. She isn’t going to focus on the past; she’s walking out of WrestleMania as the new champion. WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY interrupts. Before SKY can get to speak, Bianca Belair‘s music hits. Belair skips to the ring. Belair starts talking, and the crowd boos… Belair ignores it, and Belair says she’s walking out as champion. Naomi’s music hits. Naomi says Belair came to SmackDown and didn’t even come find her. She’s been calling and leaving messages for Belair for weeks.
Naomi says she didn’t want to do this here but… Belair says she isn’t doing this right now. Naomi asks if Belair cares about Jade Cargill that much? Cargill power walks to the ring. Naomi hides behind Belair. Naomi rolls out of the ring. Cargill yells at Belair about protecting Naomi. Belair claims she wasn’t. Ripley steps in and says this isn’t about Cargill. Naomi rolls back into the ring and pushes Jade into Ripley, who crashes into Belair. All four women brawl. SKY takes everyone out with the Over The Moonsault.
Grade: B
When this thing started, it appeared as if these three were just going to have the same segment they had been having for the last few weeks. It was getting tired. Wrestling works best when it doesn’t happen in a vacuum; if Belair is on SmackDown, it’s nonsensical for her not to interact with Naomi somehow. All of these stories’ intertwining adds much-needed realism to the proceedings. Also, +1 for the Ripley/Cargill tease. That match, when it happens, will do numbers.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c) vs Motor City Machine Guns
Shelley and Sabin land dives as Ford and Dawkins make their entrance. Sabin and Shelley work over Ford. Dawkins tags in and lands a spinning splash in the corner. The Street Profits hit their Doomsday Blockbuster. Sabin breaks up the pin. Sabin tries a dive but gets popped by a nasty right hand from Dawkins while in the process. After the break, Sabin and Shelley drop Ford with a dropkick/flatliner combo.
Dawkins pounces Sabin into a suplex from Ford. Sabin kicks out. Dawkins gets dumped over the top. Shelley and Sabin hit the facial on Ford. Shelley and Sabin set up Skull and Bones. Dawkins breaks up the move. The fight spills out of the ring. Ford dives over the ring post and takes everyone out. While Ford is celebrating, #DIY hops the barricade and attacks everyone. Gargano and Ciampa steal the tag titles and leave.
No Contest
Grade: B
This match was humming until #DIY caused the no-contest. Ford and Dawkins were clearly trying to show out and show the brass the mistake they made by not putting this match on the WrestleMania card. Having #DIY break this match up isn’t a good thing… unless this ends with a multi-team match AT WrestleMania… hopefully with a ladder.
The Viper
Orton announces he doesn’t have an opponet for WrestleMania. There is no way in hell he’s sitting out this year’s WrestleMania. If he competes, this will be the 20th WrestleMania for Orton. Orton announces that he’s issuing an open challenge for WrestleMania.
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Orton announces he doesn’t have an opponet for WrestleMania. There is no way in hell he’s sitting out this year’s WrestleMania. If he competes, this will be the 20th WrestleMania for Orton. Orton announces that he’s issuing an open challenge for WrestleMania.
Grade: C
Orton lost himself a bit during that, but the points were made… interesting that they are going the open challenge route, but that opens the door for some exciting match up opportunities. Will it be Rusev? Carmelo Hayes? Aleister Black?
Zelina Vega vs Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green
Green tries to distract Vega by tossing her entrance skirt at her. Vega avoids it, which leads to a wheelbarrow arm drag from Vega. Green boots Vega and lands a flurry of strikes. Green tosses Vega out of the ring and into the barricade. Vega tosses Green into the timekeeper’s area with a backbody drop. Both women are almost counted out. Vega and Green trade punches. Vega floors Green with a series of clotheslines. Vega goes up top. Green cuts Vega off. Vega surprises Green with a Code Red off the second rope for the win.
Winner: Zelina Vega
Grade: B-
This was a fun, quick TV match. Vega getting the win works here since it will lead to a title match and, hopefully, a longer feud for these two.
United States Champion LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa
Knight rolls out and meets Sikoa in the isleway. Sikoa and Knight trade shots. Sikoa launches Knight into the ring steps, knee first. After the break, Sikoa is working over Knight. Knight fires up. Jacob Fatu hits the ring and attacks Knight, causing a disqualification. Braun Strowman makes the save.
Winner: LA Knight
SmackDown GM Nick Aldis walks out on the stage and makes this a tag team match.
United States Champion LA Knight and Braun Strowman vs. Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu
Fatu and Sikoa take turns beating down Knight. Knight manages to tag in Strowman. Strowman sends Fatu flying with a dropkick. Strowman freight trains Fatu and Sikoa. In the end, Knight avoids a Samoan Spike and lands the BFT on Sikoa for the win.
Winners- LA Knight and Braun Strowman
Grade: C
These four have basically had versions of the same match over the last few months. This needs to end, and hopefully, it will at WrestleMania.
The LWO vs. American Made
Fenix and Brutus trade punches. Rolling rana hold by Fenix. Brutus kicks out. Dragon Lee tags in and gets beatdown in American Made’s corner. A rana from Lee sends Julius out of the ring. Dive by Lee. Gable breaks up the pin. Rey Mysterio tags in and chases Gable around the ring. Julius and Brutus attack Mysterio. Gable, Julius, and Brutus land diving headbutts on Lee.
After the break, Lee has all three members of America Made in the Tree of Woe. Triple double stomp by Lee. Lee manages to tag Fenix. Lee blasts Julius with the Destino. Fenix follows that with a super Meteroa win.
Winners: The LWO
Grade: B
Fun match. Fenix is doing on SmackDown the same thing his brother Penta is doing on Raw: shining.
Final Face-Off
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes grabs a mic. Before he can speak, John Cena’s music hits. Cena slowly walks to the ring. Cena calls Rhodes a kid and tells him to shut his mouth. The crowd boos as Cena says no one has had the courage he has to end his career the way he is choosing to. No one believes Cena is really retiring because wrestlers never retire. That’s because all wrestlers are pathetic cowards who need the WWE Universe. Cena doesn’t need a single one of us.
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Cena says Rhodes will lose because he cares about these people. These people do not write history. Winners do. Cena says that when Rhodes made his choice, when the Rock made his offer, Cena knew he could be Rhodes. Rhodes doesn’t have a chance. Cena is going to prove to the people that they don’t matter. To beat Cena, Rhodes will have to choose. Will he do what the people think is right, or will he choose to win? The crowd lightly boos Rhodes. Cena mocks the crowd for proving him right.
Rhodes notes that Cena called him underwhelming. Rhodes calls Cena overrated, overbearing, and, more importantly, out of touch and out of time; skinny legs and he’s paler than Sting at Starrcade ’97, and it’s 2025, and Cena STILL can’t wrestle. The crowd goes wild. Cena calls the crowd idiots and quips that they are just like Rhodes; they don’t know what they want. Cena says to beat Rhodes, he doesn’t have to wrestle. Eye poke by Cena. Cena smiles and sets Rhodes up for the Attitude Adjustment. Rhodes slips out and destroys Cena with a wicked Crossroads.
Grade: A+
Cody Rhodes is an exceptional professional wrestler. What he did with this pro-Cena crowd tonight was masterful. Rhodes took their boos, powered through, and lit Cena and his legacy ablaze in the middle of the ring. This is the second confrontation that ended with Rhodes leaving Cena in the dirt. That doesn’t bode well for Rhodes’ title reign at WrestleMania. Also, and this is important, Cena just used an old-school wrestling bad guy eye poke. The John Cena we get at WrestleMania is going to generate 1980s Ric Flair levels of bad guy heat.
WWE SmackDown Review
This show was all over the place in the best way possible. It featured chaotic action and above-average promo work. WrestleMania go-home shows almost always stink, so this was a welcome change. The match of the night was the LWO vs. American Made, and the promo of the night was the closing segment featuring Cena and Rhodes. The stage is set for a wild WrestleMania. Who will come out on top? Let us know in the comments!
Rating: B+
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