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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
MAY 16, 2025
GREENSBORO, N.C. AT FIRST HORIZON COLISEUM
AIRED ON LIVE ON USA NETWORK AND LIVE ON NETFLIX INTERNATIONALLY
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Mark Nash
Attendance: WrestleTix reports right before showtime 11,844 tickets were distributed. The arena was set up for 12,124. The arena has a capacity of 22,000 spectators when configured for concerts.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Chris Adams to review WWE Smackdown LIVE on YouTube. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
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[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with an aerial view of Downtown Greensboro, N.C. as Joe Tessitore introduced the show. He noted it’s a city rich with wrestling history. They showed arrival shots of Tiffany Stratton and Nia Jax.
-A video recap aired of Backlash.
-Solo Sikoa led Jacob Fatu and Jeff Cobb to the ring. Wade Barrett called Cobb “a ball of muscle.” Solo said “my man, J.C.” helped keep the U.S. Title in the family. Cobb kinda shot Fatu a look after staring at his U.S. Title belt. Solo said when Roman Reigns lost to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, they lost everything, but he’s there to take it all back. He said that starts with him winning the Money in the Bank qualifying match tonight and then winning the briefcase and bringing the WWE Title back to where it belongs. He said anyone who steps in front of him will be dealt with by J.C. and Fatu. Solo started doing Fatu’s catch-phrase excitedly when Fatu forcibly yanked the mic away from him. Fans chanted, “Fatu! Fatu!”
Fatu told Solo “not to get this thing twisted over here.” He said he was bringing the U.S. Title back to the family, with or without him. He said if anyone gets in his way, line them up because he’ll deal with them all by himself. Solo sneered. Fatu said at the end of the day, he’s all gas, no brakes. Solo joined Fatu at the end of the catch phrase. He then said of course he knows what he means, as does everyone. Solo said the reason he’s doing all of this is because he loves him. He said the belt over his shoulder is proof he loves him.
Solo then asked Fatu to say that thing he used to always say to him. Fatu said, “I love you, Solo?” Solo said that wasn’t how he used to say it, with more gusto, “loud and proud.” Solo pushed Fatu shoulder and asked Fatu, “Who do you love, Jacob?” L.A. Knight’s music interrupted the tense moment. Everyone turned to the stage, but instead Knight showed up on the opposite side of the ring and yanked Cobb out of the ring and rammed him into the announce table. Barrett said Cobb attacked Knight at Backlash, so this was his modicum of payback. Knight then fled through the crowd.
(Keller’s Analysis: So who was the co-conspirator who played Knight’s music if he wasn’t at Gorilla where they trigger the entrance theme playing for run-ins? I’m glad they addressed that Fatu has stopped telling Solo how much he loves him.)
-B-Fab told Michin to go qualify and then win the MITB briefcase. Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, and Alba Fyre walked up. Green said she was the MVP of the MITB match last year. She said when she wins it this year, she’ll implement “a beautiful social economic policy with trickle down effects that will lower interest rates for her Secret Hervice.” Alexa Bliss walked between them and said she’d see them out there. B-Fab then informed Green no one would be allowed at ringside. Green said in a huff, “I’m putting tariffs on mediocrity and you two are first!”
-Bliss’s ring entrance took place. [c]
(1) ALEXA BLISS vs. CHELSEA GREEN vs. MICHIN – Money in the Bank Qualifier
After the break, Michin’s entrance aired followed by Green’s. The bell rang 21 minutes into the hour. Michin kicked Green out of the ring at the start. Bliss and Michin then battled. When Green entered, she tripped immediately over Bliss and then Michin dropkicked her to the floor again. Bliss rolled up Michin quickly for a two count. Michin countered for a two count of her own. Green complained at ringside that “this is my time!” Michin and Bliss delivered stereo wrecking ball kicks. Michin threw Green into the ring. Bliss yanked Michin to ringside. As Bliss and Michin argued, Green leaped over the top rope onto both of them. They cut to a double-box break at 2:00. [c/db]
All three were fighting in the ring after the break. Bliss landed Twisted Bliss on Michin at 8:00. Green broke up the cover and delivered an Unprettier to Michin. Bliss yanked Michin out of the ring. Bliss laughed as Green threw a fit. Bliss delivered Sister Abigail for the win.
WINNER: Bliss in 9:00 to qualify for the Money in the Bank.
-A sponsored recap aired of the tag team match and angles last week.
-Nathan Frazer and Axiom made their ring entrance. [c]
(2) AXIOM (Nathan Frazer & Axiom) vs. DIY (Tomasso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano)
As DIY made their entrance, Tessitore said this was DIY’s first match since losing “that epic TLC match.” The bell rang 39 minutes into the hour. When Frazer dove through the ropes at Ciampa, Ciampa bumped with force into the front row onto an adult fan. Gargano yanked on the rope to knock Axiom off balance when he was going for a springboard move. They cut to a break at 4:00 with DIY in control. [c]
Axiom hot-tagged in Frazer after the break and he went on a flurry against Gargano. He scored a two count after a shooting star press. Gargano avoided a Phoenix Splash. Ciampa and Gargano then delivered a Fairy Tail Ending, but Axiom broke up the cover. Gargano flung himself over the top rope onto Axiom at ringside. Ciampa delivered a Project Ciampa on Frazer for a near fall at 9:00.
Ciampa saved Gargano from a pinfall after a superkick/brainbuster combo by Fraxiom. Axiom transitioned Gargano into a submission. Ciampa yanked on Axiom’s mask. Frazer intervened. Gargano rolled up Axiom, but Axiom countered into a three count.
WINNERS: Fraxiom in 12:00.
-Just as Fraxiom began celebrating, Gargano and Ciampa attacked them. The Motor City Machine Guns charged out for the save.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good tag team action. The clearcut babyface-heel dynamic led to an engaged crowd.)
-Andrade was chatting with Fenix backstage. Fenix said the fire inside him is burning hotter than ever. He said he’s ready for MITB. Solo, Fatu, and J.C. showed up. Solo asked where Knight was. Fenix and Andrade talked to each other in Spanish, so Solo scowled and left.
-They showed Jax warming up backstage. [c]
-The Street Profits congratulated Fraxiom backstage on their win. Angelo Dawkins said they’re on a roll with several wins lately. Montez Ford said they just left Nick Aldis’s office and he told them they have a WWE Tag Team Title match next. Ford said the match will take place next week. Fraxiom were thrilled. Dawkins said they’ll be 100 percent, “so I hope you boys are, too.”
(Keller’s Analysis: The tone Dawkins took suggested he felt they might not be 100 percent next week. Ford inflection is way way too much for me.)
[HOUR TWO]
-In a sitdown interview, Wade Barrett talked with R-Truth in the locker room about what happened between him and John Cena. Truth said Cena always said “Never give up” and “My time is now” and “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect.” He said it’s a beacon of light. Barrett said Truth sounds crazy. He told Truth that he saved Cena from losing to Orton, but then Cena repaid him by slamming him through the table at the press conference. Truth said Cena wanted to win on his own, that’s all, and Cena wouldn’t ever turn his back on friends. He said he might beat Cena back to his senses, though. He said he already talked to Aldis. He said the match will take place at SNME.
-Aleister Black made his ring entrance. [c]
-A vignette aired with Damien Priest saying that it appears he and Drew McIntyre are embroiled in a cycle of getting involved in each other’s business. He said he’s upset, mostly at himself, for getting caught up in the vortex of Drew’s nonsense. He challenged him to a cage match at SNME and he wants to beat him so badly, they’ll need dental records to identify him.
-A backstage promo aired with Carmelo Hayes and Miz. Hayes said this beef with Black will never end, but tonight is Black’s “grand closing” one month after his “grand opening.” He then headed to the ring with Miz.
(3) ALEISTER BLACK vs. CARMELO HAYES (w/The Miz)
The bell rang 13 minutes into the hour. Black outmaneuvered Hayes early and then sat cross-legged. Black then went for a moonsault to ringside, but Miz moved Hayes out of the way. Hayes then flip dove onto Black at ringside. Black didn’t stand there staring at Hayes waiting to catch him, but sold the idea that he was distracted by Miz at ringside and trying to deal with both at once, thus he was vulnerable Hayes landing on him. They cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Black was in control after the break and scored a near fall. They cut to a wide shot of the crowd as Tessitore touted a crowd of “over 12,000-plus.” Hayes made a comeback and scored a near fall after a flurry of moves. Miz stood on the ring apron and gave Hayes some advice. Hayes turned to him, and then Black shoved Hayes into Miz. Black landed a spinning back elbow. Hayes countered with a gut-buster. Black landed a leaping knee to Hayes’s jaw. When Black set up a Black Mass, Miz attacked him from behind for the DQ.
WINNER: Black via DQ in 9:00.
-When Miz went for a Skull Crushing Finale, Black landed a Black Mass. Hayes attacked Black. He leaped off the top rope and landed his Nothing But Net legdrop to the back of Black.
-Byron Saxton interviewed Bliss backstage about qualifying for MITB. She said it feels amazing and she wants to be the first woman to win it twice. She saw something off to the side and walked over. The camera followed and it was Charlotte. Bliss asked Charlotte if she gave any thought to what they talked about. Charlotte said they were never that close. Bliss said when she first came to NXT, Charlotte was a decent human being when most wouldn’t give her the time of day. Charlotte said, “Yeah, I don’t remember that.” Giulia walked out of Aldis’s office. Aldis then stepped out and said Giulia is the newest member of the Smackdown roster. Aldis said he wanted to talk to Charlotte about MITB. Charlotte told Bliss to stay out of her way because she doesn’t need her. After Charlotte walked away, Bliss said, “Keep telling yourself that.”
-They showed Drew McIntyre walking backstage. [c]
-A video package previewed Tiffany vs. Jax.
-Drew made his ring entrance. He addressed Priest through the camera and said he is obsessed with him. He said it was getting to the point that he was genuinely concerned he wanted to wear his skin to his birthday party. He said Priest is jealous of him because he represents everything Priest wanted to be. He talked about Priest chokeslamming him off the platform and slamming his head into concrete at Backlash. He said it has to end, so he’ll accept his challenge to a cage match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. He said only one man is going to walk out of the cage and the other is leaving on a stretcher.
(Keller’s Analysis: Short, intense, and to the point. SNME, on-brand, is the place for a feud that’s very much ready to end is ended when they have one more match they think they can eek out of it.)
-Solo Sikoa made his ring entrance. [c]
-Jimmy Uso cut a brief promo backstage before heading to the ring about his intentions to win the match and go on to win MITB.
(4) SOLO SIKOA (w/Jeff Cobb, Jacob Fatu) vs. JIMMY USO vs. REY FENIX – Money in the Bank Qualifier
Rey Fenix’s entrance took place next. The bell rang 50 minutes into the second hour. At 4:00, Fenix leaped off the top rope onto Solo and Jimmy at ringside who were waiting below to catch him. Fenix scored a two count on Solo in the ring seconds later. Fenix followed with a leap off the top rope, but Solo caught him and landed a Solo Slam. Solo knocked Jimmy off the ring apron. Jimmy went face-first into the announce desk. Solo slammed Jimmy onto the announce desk. As Solo struck a pose on the ring apron, they cut to a double-box break. [c/db]
Back from the break, Barrett said it was turning into an absolute barn burner.
[HOUR THREE]
Fenix and Jimmy battled center-ring with Solo knocked down on the ring apron. Fenix walked the top rope and kicked Jimmy in the head as he was left leaning over the top rope. Jimmy surprised Fenix with a spear for a near fall at 12:00. Jimmy moved to the ring apron, but he had to fend off Fatu. Solo then gave Jimmy a Samoan Spike. Fenix then walked the top rope and kicked Solo in the head. Fenix knocked J.C. off the ring apron and then played to the crowd, and when he turned around, Solo gave him a Samoan Spike. Tessitore said Fenix was “admiring his work too long.” Solo scored a three count.
WINNER: Solo in 13:00.
-L.A. Knight ran out to attack J.C. again and then shoved Fatu into the ringpost. He stood on the announce desk with a chair in hand and almost took a spill. Aldis walked out and told Knight that if he’s so desperate to get his hands on J.C., they can deal with it in the ring next. “Is this really happening?” asked Tessitore.
(Keller’s Analysis: I’m a fan of announcers drawing attention to wrestlers – both heels and babyfaces – playing to the crowd in the midst of a fight with high stakes backfiring.) [c]
(5) L.A. KNIGHT vs. J.C. MATEO (w/Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu)
The bell rang 9 minutes into the hour. Tessitore started referring to Jeff Cobb as “J.C. Mateo,” not just “J.C.” at this point. Barrett talked about Mateo’s history in the 2004 Olympics in freestyle wrestling for Guam and then “being a major force” in pro wrestling for 15 years “primarily in Japan.” Mateo threw Knight around for a while. Knight made a comeback at 3:00. Solo distracted Knight at ringside, giving Mateo a chance to take over again at 4:00. They cut to a break. [c]
Mateo was in control after the break and scored a one count on Knight after a slam. Mateo grounded Knight in a bear hug. A minute later, he threw Knight into the ringpost and then leaped at him. Knight moved, so Mateo crashed into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Knight landed a leaping neckbreaker. Mateo delivered an inverted DDT and then rolled up to his feet. Fans cheered as he circled the ring and signaled for his finishing sequence. He landed a running elbowdrop for a two count at 13:00. Mateo broke free from a BFT attempt and delivered a twisting slam for a two count. He followed with a standing moonsault press for a two count.
Knight springboarded off the middle rope onto Solo and Fatu at ringside. He then returned to the ring apron and leaped at Mateo, but Mateo caught him and landed his Tour of Violence scoop powerslam for the win. Fatu and Mateo eyed each other afterward in the ring as Solo stood between them.
WINNER: Mateo in 15:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Mateo looked okay, but nothing special, more along the lines of Solo’s ring style than the dynamic energy of Fatu.)
-The announcers commented on a reply of the drama with Santos Escobar, Angel Garza, and Humberto Garza.
-Backstage Angel told Santos that he couldn’t find Humberto all week and he thinks he just needs space. Santos said he fears he’s listening to the wrong people. He said he’s willing to forgive what happened last week. He said he has secured an opportunity for them, but he needs Angel to find Humberto and then he will share it with both of them together. He said he will reveal it at a dinner party. He said it’ll put their names in the lights. Angel said he’ll try his best. Santos said he has always seen him as loyal so it would be a shame to lose that over the actions of one selfish person. Angel took a deep breath as Santos walked away. [c]
-A vignette aired with Shinsuke Nakamura speaking about Knight and how he is the same person. He said Knight has a hunger for attention and that hunger will bring Knight down. He said he is not scared of Aleister Black. He said he hides behind smoke and mirrors, but deep down he’s scared of the dark. He said a deeper darkness lurks behind the shadows. He said he has been watching and he knows every moment his heart beats and every trigger that causes him to lose control. He said he will face them in a three-way next week to qualify for MITB. He said he is an unstoppable storm, blade, and being. All his words were translated to English in captions.
-Tessitore hyped Zelina Vega, Charlotte, and Giulia will battle in a MITB qualifier next week in addition to the Profits defending against Fraxiom.
-They cut to Tiffany backstage. Jade Cargill said she is up next because she’ll take the title via Money in the Bank from whoever wins between her and Jax. Tiffany said as long as she’s champion, Jade will never be good enough to cash in on her. [c]
-A graphic running down the results of the show so far ruled the Black-Hayes match “a no contest” when it obviously should have been a “DQ win” for Black due to Miz’s interference.
(6) TIFFANY STRATTON vs. NIA JAX – WWE Women’s Title match
The bell rang 45 minutes into the hour. At 2:00 Jax had control. She threw Tiffany into the ringpost from inside the ring and then smashed her head into the ringpost with a hip attack. They cut to a double-box break at 3:00. [c/db]
Jax dominated during the break. Tiffany made a comeback including a schoolboy for a near fall. She landed a handspring back elbow and then a spinebuster for a near fall at 8:00. Jax came back with a powerbomb and a legdrop for a two count. Jax sat on the top turnbuckle, but Tiffany met her up there. Jax lifted her and went for a powerslam, but Tiffany shifted momentum and powerslammed Jax for a two count at 10:00. With both down, Naomi’s music played and she walked out with a chair in hand.
When Naomi arrived at the ring apron, Cargill ran out to her music and attacked Naomi. They fought through the crowd. Tiffany avoided a charging Jax who went shoulder-first into the corner. Tiffany landed the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for a near fall. Tessitore went bonkers saying that no one had ever kicked out of that before. Barrett said that move has defeated everyone the last four years in NXT, PLEs, and Smackdowns. He said something special is driving Jax. Tiffany climbed to the top. Jax stood and shoved Tiffany to the floor. Jax cleared the announce desk and delivered a Samoan Drop. She stuck out her tongue and laughed before throwing Tiffany back into the ring.
Jax set up an Annihilator, but Tiffany stood and tried to turn it into a sunset bomb. Jax countered into an Annihilator. Tiffany grabbed the bottom rope and stopped the ref’s count. A frustrated Jax grabbed the Women’s Title belt. The ref took it and returned it to ringside. Jax, meanwhile, grabbed a chair. Tiffany dropkicked the chair into Jax’s face and then hit another Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win. Tessitore called “a classic” and said “it had everything.” Barrett called it “a banger.”
WINNER: Tiffany in 14;00 to retain the WWE Women’s Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Another strong showing from both Tiffany and Jax. Jax should be silencing critics at this point as she’s really delivering in the ring and as an effective heel character. Tiffany came across as badass and tough in enduring some massive impact moves from Jax.)
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Chris Adams to review WWE Smackdown LIVE on YouTube. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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