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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
AUGUST 1, 2025
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY AT Prudential Center
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY ERIC CORBRIDGE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Mark Nash
Attendance: Wrestletix reports that 9,754 were distributed headed into the show. The arena was set up for 10,164. The arena has a capacity of approximately 19,500 when configured for concerts.
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[HOUR ONE]
– A drone shot outside Metlife Stadium was shown as Joe Tessitore stated that Summerslam will be held there in less than 24 hours. Tonight however, Smackdown is live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey. Tessitore pointed out that a steel cage is hanging mysteriously from the arena. Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa and his MFT group, Aleister Black, and Damian Priest were all shown arriving to the arena because they are in action tonight.
– The crowd erupted as the Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena made his entrance wearing “Gotham Green” New York Jets inspired attire. Wade Barrett mentioned that Cena had tried his best but failed to get out of his Championship Street Fight defense against Cody Rhodes that will happen Sunday night in the main event of Summerslam Night 2. As Cena paced the ring the crowd mostly booed and peppered with the typical “Let’s Go Cena, Cena Sucks” chants. Cena pointed as ring announcer Mark Nash who complied by giving him his GOAT/Last Real Champion introduction. Cena milked the response a little longer and when he was about to speak he was interrupted by the familiar music of his challenger The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes.
Cody made his way to the ring, wearing a track suit, and hugging a young fan at ringside. Cody and Cena stared at each other as the fans started a “Cody, Cody Rhodes chant.” Cena reminded Cody that he told him before that he was exhausted and that a match at Summerslam would be too difficult for him. But Cody didn’t listen, assaulted him, and forged his signature on the match contract. Cena said he only had one thing left to say: thank you. He said that it was the boot in the ass he needed because for years he forged his reputation on hard work and respect. But now he realizes that he flushed it down the toilet 5 months ago when he bought into someone’s crazy idea (The Rock) to do something that would make shocking TV. But then the dust settled and everyone that was supposed to be on Cena’s side left him alone trying to pretend to be something he’s not. Cena declared that he still wants to leave with the WWE Championship belt after his last match. But now it isn’t because he wants to ruin wrestling. He loves wrestling. He wants to take it home so that after he’s gone no one forgets about him. Cena said he was so hung up on how he’d be perceived tomorrow that he forgot to notice how stupid he was acting today, despite everyone trying to tell him over and over again. Cody forced Cena into a fight that will be brutal and forced Cena to dig down and be who he really is. Cena said that everyone should mark their calendar because today, August 1, is the day that Cena came back to the WWE. The crowd erupted for Cena.
Cena said he doesn’t know who will win on Sunday, but he knows that all the fans will win because Cena is finally over his BS and now he will be at his best against Cody at Summerslam. Cena then uttered his traditional catchphrase of “If you want some, come get some.” He finished by saying that on Sunday the only platinum rapper that is going to whip Cody’s ass is Cena. Cody was smiling. Cena yelled “The Champ is Heeeeere.” The crowd was on fire for all of this as Cody took off his track jacket. Cody asked for two beers from the timekeeper. He handed one to Cena and said, “Welcome back John Cena.” Cena took it and they each drank together. Cody left, still with a beer in his hand. As Cena made his way back up the ramp he held his Championship belt high and smacked hands with a few young fans.
Barrett speculated on whether they should buy in to what Cena just said, considering everything he’s done over the last several months.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: Well, that was interesting. (Cue Too Cool’s old music). For starters, that was a lively promo from Cena that added a sorely needed jolt of excitement and intrigue into Sunday’s main event match. The obvious question is whether Cena is genuine. Cody said he wanted the “real John Cena” so it’s very possible this is a ploy by Cena to lure him in to a false sense of security. However, IF that is the case, I don’t think Cena will be able to effectively turn babyface AT ALL before he retires in December. Why is that you may ask? Well, that promo was SO well done that frankly I don’t think he’d be able to top it. So, let’s look at the possibilities of what could happen if Cena IS being genuine. It could lead to Cena coming up short at Summerslam and then spending the next five months trying to regain everyone’s love and give them something memorable on his way out. It could also potentially lead to a double-turn on Sunday with the oft-talked about Cody heel turn. The good news is that I don’t think we will have to wait long to find out the answer to these questions.)
– Footage was shown from earlier today where Logan Paul showed up uninvited at a gym where Jelly Roll was training for their upcoming tag team match. Jelly called him a “fresh out of Fraggle Rock looking ferret.” Paul got in the ring and they started to fight. Drew McIntyre showed up to double-team Jelly. Paul held Jelly so Drew could hit him with a Claymore kick. Jelly was out.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: I still feel silly referring to a man as Jelly.)
United States Champion Giulia made her way to the ring for her title defense. She was accompanied by her official representative Kiana James. The challenger Zelina Vega made her entrance to a muted reaction.
(1) GIULIA (c) (w/Kiana James) vs. ZELINA VEGA– WWE Women’s United States Championship
Mark Nash gave the championship match introductions. Tessitore mentioned that Giulia won the title from Vega on June 27 and this is her first title defense. The match started 25 minutes into the show. The crowd chanted for the heel Giulia. The women felt each other out until Giulia pie-faced Vega and slammed her to the mat for a one-count. Giulia hit some chops and forearms followed by a delayed suplex. She covered for an early two-count. Vega rallied and flipped Giulia to ringside and then hit her with a baseball slide and a Meteora off the apron as they went to a split-screen. [c]
Giulia had Vega locked in a unique camel clutch-like submission hold. Vega managed to fight her way out and into a cover that earned her a nearfall. Giulia hit her with a modified curb stomp for another nearfall, but then Vega immediately surprised Giulia with a cradle pin attempt for another two-count. Vega hit a couple clotheslines and a side suplex, then kipped up. Vega with running knees in the corner, but Giulia side-stepped Vega jumping off the second rope. Giulia knocked Vega into the corner and lifted her to the top rope. Vega wiggled free and executed a German suplex off the second rope. Vega covered but only registered another two-count. Vega couldn’t capitalize and Giulia hit a butterfly suplex off the tope and held on so she could hit the Northern Lights bomb. Giulia covered but Vega kicked out. Giulia and James were both shocked as the crowd chanted “This is awesome.”
Giulia tried to hit another Northern Lights Bomb, but Vega countered this time and rolled her up for a very believable nearfall. Vega hit the backstabber and tried to gather herself as she climbed to the top rope. She attempted a moonsault but Giulia got her knees up. Giulia hit another Northern Lights bomb and covered again, but this time she got the victory.
WINNER: Giulia via pinfall in 13:00. Giulia retains the United States Championship.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: A very good match that had a couple believable nearfalls and built to a climactic finish. It was a definitive win for Giulia who will likely move on to a new challenger .)
– Cathy Kelley interviewed Solo Sikoa and the MFT in the back. Kelley said she’d heard that Solo asked for the steel cage to be hanging above the ring tonight. Solo denied it and said all he is worried about is his U.S. title and the MFTs. He also said that Big Jim is going to get a big boot across his big mouth against Talla Tonga.
– Legado del Fantasma made their way to the ring for the next match. [c]
Footage was shown from 2 months ago when Los Garza won the AAA World Tag Team Championships. Santos Escobar told the crowd that it was time for everyone to stand up and show respect for the AAA World Tag Team Champions. Escobar said that they were ready for any team that wanted to challenge them. The challenge was answered by AAA’s Mr. Iguana and Psycho Clown. Tessitore had an orgasm and claimed that Newark had turned into a “rainforest, a habitat for a cold-blooded egg-laying reptile.”
(2) LOS GARZA (c) (Angel & Berto w/Santos Escobar) vs. PSYCHO CLOWN & MR. IGUANA – AAA World Tag Team Championship Open Challenge
Angel and Clown started things off. Clown hit a hurricanrana and a springboard cross-body and ripped off his shirt. He also ripped off part of his mask. The crowd yelled for him to tag in the Iguana. Angel rallied with some help from his partner on the outside. Clown couldn’t make reach his partner at first but eventually did make the hot tag. Iguana had his reptile puppet in his mouth as he took control of the match with a twirling head scissors. Angel tried to throw a right hand, but it was caught by the puppet’s mouth. Iguana tried for a springboard off the ropes but stumbled. He recovered to hit an Iguana-rana on Angel followed by a crucifix bomb into a cover on Berto for a two-count.
Escobar was sweating on the outside, according to Barrett. Iguana somersaulted over the top rope but was caught by Los Garza and slammed at ringside. Back in the ring, Clown had Berto up in a fireman’s carry, but Berto escaped and hit a springboard kick to the face. He tagged in Angel who threw Clown to the outside since he wasn’t the legal man. Berto rolled Iguana back in and they hit a double-team super MTY. Berto covered for a nearfall. Angel tagged in but Clown hit a cross-body on him from the top rope. Los Garza recovered and hit an MTY on Clown that earned a three-count.
WINNERS: Los Garza by pinfall in 7:00. Los Garza retain the AAA World Tag Team Championships
(Corbridge’s Analysis: I know I should probably take the match 100% seriously. But I won’t. It was a reptile with a puppet and a deranged circus clown pretending to fight two men in their underpants. Fun match though.)
– Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre were walking backstage. Cathy Kelley asked them why they did what they did to Jelly Roll earlier, but they said they would tell the world later. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
– A hype video for the WWE Tag Team Championship TLC match aired. It was very well produced and showed highlights of each team involved in the match.
– Damian Priest made his entrance for the next match. There was a lot of smoke. Tessitore pointed out that there is a street in the Bronx named after Priest. His opponent Aleister Black made his creepy coffin entrance.
(3) DAMIAN PRIEST vs. ALEISTER BLACK
The match started slowly as each grappler jockeyed for position. Priest hit an arm drag but was met with a couple leg strikes from Black. Priest caught a third attempt and hit him with a strike of his own, leading to Black retreating to ringside. Barrett referred to them as the two best strikers in WWE. Black somersaulted over the tope and flattened Priest on the floor as they went to a picture-in-picture break. [c]
Black hit a devastating looking knee to the face that led to a two-count and prompted a replay. Black had dominated the match to this point. Priest tried to rally with some forearms and a flapjack. Priest hit a sloppy “Old School” cross-body and a big clothesline for another two-count. Priest set up for the Razor’s Edge as the crowd was oddly silent. Black countered but got kicked to the floor. Priest chased after him but ate another high knee to the face on the outside. Black attempted a moonsault from the top rope to the floor but Priest moved and Black landed on his feet. Priest pounced Black over the announce table and then cleared off the table. Black threw a chair into Priest’s face and was immediately disqualified.
WINNER: Damian Priest by disqualification 8:00.
Black continued to attack Priest with the chair after the match. The referee pleaded with Black to stop. Black didn’t stop. In fact, he slammed Priest’s head repeatedly into the steel steps. Then he told Priest that he brought it on himself and gave him a big Black Mass kick. Barrett begged for someone to send help for Priest.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: Decent match with an abrupt finish. Makes me wonder if they will try to add a rematch to Summerslam. The post-match attack was effective. They better acknowledge this as a DQ win for Priest when they show the evening’s results on screen later tonight. If it says it is a “No-Contest” I’m going to throw my computer out the window. Well…in reality I’ll just smirk and say, “that’s so stupid” and then go on with my report. But I digress.)
– The announcers discussed what happened last Friday when Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton fought off the Secret Hervice together. Back on the show, Cargill told Stratton that she didn’t need her help last week. Stratton said she just didn’t want Cargill to have any excuses when Stratton beats her tomorrow night. Cargill said she is going to finish what she started.
– Talla Tonga made his entrance for the next match, accompanied by Solo Sikoa.
(4) TALLA TONGA vs. JIMMY USO
Tessitore pointed out that Jimmy Uso is not a small man but he looks tiny standing next to Talla Tonga. Jimmy tried to use his speed advantage and gave Talla a few punches on the turnbuckle. Talla stopped Jimmy in his tracks with a big punch to the face after Jimmy jumped off the second rope. Talla dropped a leg on Jimmy and stomped on him as Solo taunted from ringside. Talla with a bodyslam. The announcers hyped the cage match between Solo and Jacob Fatu at Summerslam. Jimmy rallied with a dive through the ropes, but it didn’t take Talla off his feet. Talla was frustrated and Solo held him back as they went to another split screen break. [c]
Tessitore mentioned that this was Jimmy’s first match since his unsuccessful title match against Solo at Saturday Night’s Main Event a few weeks ago. Talla was in total control, playing with Jimmy. Jimmy tried to rally with chops, but Talla gave him one overhead chop that knocked him to his knees. Talla put a boot to Jimmy’s throat across the bottom rope. Jimmy was on dream street as Talla whipped him to the corner. Jimmy dodged a charge and hit a superkick to the gut. Jimmy was unable to pick up Talla and fell back down. Jimmy attempted to jump off the tope rope, but Talla caught him. Jimmy wriggled free, hit two superkicks, and clotheslined Talla over the top rope. Talla again stayed on his feet. Jimmy superkicked Solo off the apron, then superkicked Talla gain. Jimmy finally knocked Talla off his feet with a spear. Jimmy attempted an Uso splash but Talla caught him and chokeslammed him to the mat and covered for the victory.
WINNER: Talla Tonga by pinfall in 10:00.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: Talla did some basic big man things and won a predictable match. Jimmy really needs to do something else because losing to everyone isn’t helping. He’s looking more and more like the “Jannetty” to his brother’s “Michaels” as the weeks go by. And I don’t say that to discount his tag-team success over the years. But the difference between the two since they went solo has been stark.)
After the match, Solo called for the rest of the MFT to go in and beat down Jimmy some more. J.C. Mateo and Tonga Loa complied and Solo called for the cage to be lowered. Before the cage was fully lowered Jacob Fatu came running out wearing what appeared to a shrubbery on his head. The cage finished lowering as Solo retreated through the door, but Mateo and Loa were beaten down by Fatu in the ring. Fatu hit his running hip attacks and moonsaults form the top rope on Mateo and Loa.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: Who lowered the cage? All of Solo’s friends were in the ring. I know I know… I’m not supposed to ask those questions. I actually think Solo ran away because let’s face it: who wants to fight someone with a sticker bush on their head?)
– The announcers ran down the two-night Summerslam card.
– Cathy Kelley talked to Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. Cathy tried to get them to admit that they are more than just partners. Flair said that she respects Bliss for having her back even though Bliss is super annoying. Bliss took the “compliment” and agreed that Flair has had her back. Cathy suggested they were friends. They continued to deny it and agreed that they needed to focus on winning the tag titles.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: Eh I didn’t love that because it felt forced. I get that they want to make the story all about them not admitting they are friends. But believe it or not it doesn’t have to be the focus of EVERY segment they have. If you read my reports you’ll know that I want them to be unsuccessful in their Summerslam attempt to capture gold together. Their reaction to that is the better story, and their eventual big win will be the payoff. It’s too soon now)
– Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre were shown walking because their segment was coming up next. [c]
(Corbridge’s Analysis: They have been walking for a long time considering they were shown like 45 minutes ago doing the same thing.)
Paul yelled at a fan wearing a green shirt in the front row. He said that he and McIntyre were trying to defend this place from outsiders. He claimed that Jelly Roll thought Summerslam was a hot dog eating contest. Paul lied and said that he and McIntyre spent their whole lives dedicated to the wrestling business. He spoke directly to Jelly Roll, saying that he will never belong here. McIntyre talked to Randy Orton and said everything that happens to Jelly tomorrow is Orton’s fault. McIntyre said he has God on speed dial and claimed that when he talks to God bad things happen. A car was shown arriving to the arena on the big screen. Jelly and Orton got out of the car. Paul and McIntyre didn’t seem concerned.
Jelly and Orton walked to the ring, much to the chagrin of Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis who tried to stop them. They got in the ring and there was a pull-apart brawl between all four men. Several officials tried to break it up. The crowd chanted for Orton. Orton hit an RKO on two officials and then Jelly hit a chokeslam on the last one in the ring. McIntyre and Paul were flustered as they look on from ringside.
(Corbridge’s Analysis: Decent brawl to end the show, but not on the level of last week’s tag team carnage. McIntyre’s line claiming that when he talks to God bad things happen was a reference to 2024 when he said he prayed that C.M. Punk would get injured and he did at the Royal Rumble.)
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