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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
AUGUST 15, 2025
BOSTON, MASS. AT TD GARDEN ARENA
AIRED ON ON USA NETWORK AND ON NETFLIX INTERNATIONALLY
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Mark Nash
Attendance: WrestleTix reports as of today 12,044 tickets were distributed so far. The arena has a capacity of 19,580 spectators when configured for concerts.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by ProWrestling.net’s Jake Barnett 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.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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[HOUR ONE]
-Joe Tessitore introduced the show as they showed an aerial scene of Downtown Boston and then the front of T.D. Garden Arena. They showed Drew McIntyre arriving. Tessitore said what Drew did to Cody at the end of Smackdown “has so many of us concerned.” A clip aired of Drew kicking Cody into the announce desk and then trash-talking him afterward.
-Solo Sikoa, J.C. Mateo, Talla Tonga, and Tonga Loa walked to the ring wearing “MFT” t-shirts. Tessitore said “MFT” stands for “My Family Tree.” A clip aired of Sami Zayn pinning Solo last week on Smackdown, but then the MFTs attacking Sami during the Raw main event. Solo said they are there to remind everyone they run Smackdown. Fans chanted, “Solo sucks!” Solo said they stomped out Sami’s ass last week.
Sami came out. He entered the ring and said he was just there to talk. He said if he beat Rusev last week, he could have possibly been heading to Clash in Paris to wrestle for the World Title. He said he felt furious when that didn’t happen, but he also felt liberated. He said he’s been talking so much about becoming a World Champion, it stopped him from accomplishing anything else. He said he was spinning his wheels. He thanked Solo for helping him look at other goals he has. Solo looked perplexed.
Sami said there are so many other things he wants to accomplish. He said besides the World Title, there’s another title he’s never held in WWE, the U.S. Title. He pointed at Solo’s belt. Solo said Sami won’t hold that title anytime soon He said Sami is part of the Raw roster anyway, so he should get off his show and he never wanted to see him again. Sami told Solo that as of tonight, he’s now officially on Smackdown. Solo took a swing at Sami. Sami blocked him. The MFTs attacked Sami. Jimmy Uso made his way to the ring for the save. He entered the ring. Wade Barrett said the odds aren’t good for him, though, as it was just four-on-two. Jacob Fatu’s music then played and he marched out and then charged into the ring.
G.M. Nick Aldis walked out and said he was booking a six-man tag match with any three of the MFTs against Fatu, Sami, and Jimmy.
(Keller’s Analysis: I’m glad they’re actually addressing that there are rosters with brand-specific assignments. Sami made a decent pivot there away from the World Title goal, although I doubt that won’t come into play again down the line.)
-Byron Saxton interviewed Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, and Alba Fyre. Green was upset with getting cake in the face last week. Niven said no one messes with Green and gets away with it. Fyre said Niven is going to take out Alexa Bliss.
-Bliss made her ring entrance. [c]
-Tessitore talked about a stat related to WWE’s prior visits to Boston as they showed an aerial scene of the skyline.
-Highlights aired of the opening segment.
(1) ALEXA BLISS (w/Charlotte) vs. PIPER NIVEN (w/Chelsea Green, Alba Fyre)
The bell rang 22 minutes into the hour. They cut to a double-b0x break about two minutes in with Niven in control. [c/db]
Back from the break, Bliss made a comeback. She had to deal with a brief distraction of Green standing on the ring apron. Charlotte yanked Green down. Fyre then jumped onto the ring apron. Bliss punched her. Niven went after Bliss, but Bliss ducked and rolled up Niven for the win.
WINNER: Bliss in 8:00.
-Afterward, Charlotte entered the ring to stop a post-match attack and chopped away at Niven and Green in the ring. Niven, though, eventually knocked Charlotte down and then landed a senton. Green yanked Charlotte to ringside and threw her into the ringpost and then into the time-keeper’s area. Green, Fyre, and Niven stood together in the ring and saluted together.
-They cut backstage to Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton arguing. Aldis told them to calm down. Nia Jax walked in and said Jade won King of the Ring and showed she doesn’t have what it takes to win. Tiffany told Jax that she can prove again that she is the best, so “bring it.” She walked away.
-Miz and Carmelo Hayes made their ring entrance. [c]
(2) MIZ & CARMELO HAYES vs. FRAXIOM (Nathan Frazer & Axiom)
The bell rang 40 minutes into the hour. Miz opened against Axiom. They cut to an early break after “dive after dive to the outside” by Axiom and Frazer, as Tessitore called it. “The Dive Train here in Boston,” he said. [c]
Back from the break, Hayes was in control against Axiom. Miz yelled some advice at Hayes. Axiom rolled up Hayes for a sudden two count. Barrett said Hayes should listen to Miz more. Frazer and Miz tagged in. Frazer went on a flurry of offense leading to a two count. He went for a Phoenix Splash off the top rope, but Miz moved and then kneed Frazer. Hayes tagged back in, but Frazer shoved Miz into Hayes. Frazer then caught Hayes on the second rope and delivered a face plant for a near fall at 10:00. A minute later, Frazer and Axiom double-teamed Hayes with a Spanish Fly/Phoenix Splash combo. Miz broke up the cover by stomping on Frazier’s back and then DDT’d Axiom.
Miz broke up a double-team move seconds later. He DDT’d Axiom on the ring apron. Hayes then countered Frazer mid-move off the top rope and drove Frazer into the mat with a cutter. Miz tagged himself in just as Hayes was setting up Nothing But Net. He gave Frazer a Skull Crushing Finale. Hayes looked upset with Miz stealing the glory. Barrett said that was an astute veteran leadership move by Miz. Miz hugged Hayes, but Hayes looked unsettled by the closing sequence.
WINNERS: Miz & Hayes in 13:00.
-Tessitore solemnly spoke about what Drew did to Cody Rhodes last week. He said they have no update on Cody. Highlights then aired of the attack. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
-Tessitore noted that two-day combo tickets for WrestleMania in Las Vegas go on sale next month.
-They showed Tiffany backstage walking down a hallway for no apparent reason when, eventually, Kiana James approached her. She offered her services. Tiffany said she doesn’t need back-up since she’s champion already. Kiana said if she’s not with them, she’s against them. She said Giulia can take her title. Tiffany huffed and left. Mia Yim then walked up to Kiana and told her she has a match with Giulia.
-Drew made his ring entrance. He asked them to replay the clip of his basement dropkick of Cody into the ringside table. He said he doesn’t hate Cody, he feels sorry for him. He said Cody needs the validation from fans and what management think about him. He said he was Cody five years ago, so he knows. “And then I evolved,” he said. He realized, he said, that in five years, fans move on and forget about you. He said that’s why he wants to win the WWE Title now. “I deserve it,” he said. “I earned it. I want it for me, for my family, for that big paycheck.” He asked who Cody is without his story and without the title. He answered that he’s a nobody without them. He said he didn’t attack Cody last week. “He attacked me,” Drew said.
Drew said the match last week was legally over when Cody threw him into a ringpost and then cleared the announce desk. He said Cody was planning to take him out, so he defended himself. He said Cody is good at pissing people off and he’s good at taking people out. He said he’s not the bad guy, but if you provoke him, he will do very violent things. “I’m the real nightmare,” he said. He threw down the mic and then said to the camera, “Get well soon.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Strong promo from Drew that continues his approach to framing himself in sympathetic light and justifying his actions.)
-Backstage, Saxton asked The Street Profits if they think if they win tonight, they will get a tag title shot. Solo and his crew interrupted. He said if they want the tag titles after their match tonight, they have to run through them. Montez Ford said, “We want the smoke.”
-DIY made their entrance. [c]
(3) DIY (Tomasso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano w/Candice LeRae) vs. THE STREET PROFITS (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins w/B-Fab)
The Profits made their entrance. The bell rang 19 minutes into the hour. They cut to a double-box break at 2:00. [c/db]
The Profits set up a double-team blockbuster. LeRae rammed B-Fab into the ringside steps during the set-up. Ciampa took over and tagged in Gargano. DIY delivered a Fairy Tale Ending. Dawkins broke up the cover at 7:00. Ford rammed Gargano into Ciampa. Ford dove onto Ciampa. When Gargano went for a dive, Ford hit him. LeRae head-scissored Ford off the ring apron onto Dawkins at ringside. Gargano shoved Ford into the ring and then landed a DDT for a near fall. B-Fab attacked LeRae at ringside. Ford avoided a charging Ciampa and then delivered a knee. Dawkins and Ford then finished Ciampa after a Ford frog splash.
WINNERS: The Street Profits in 10:00.
-Backstage, Hayes asked Aldis what he needs to do to get a U.S. Title match. Miz interjected and apologized to Aldis for Hayes’s approach. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley were standing by and tried to stir up trouble. As they yelled at each other, Aldis suggested they wrestle next week. [c]
-Tessitore hyped Clash in Paris.
-Saxton asked R-Truth how he feels about John Cena’s “literal attitude adjustment.” Truth expressed excited approval. Aleister Black showed up and said with friends like Damien Priest, who needs enemies. Truth got in Black’s face and asked who is he to tell him who he is. He said he’d see him next week.
-Sami was chatting with Jimmy Uso in the locker room. Sami told Fatu he appreciated him having his back. Fatu said he was out there for Jimmy, not him because “I don’t know you like that.” Sami said he doesn’t know him either, but asked if they’d be cool as partners. Fatu said as long as he stayed out of his way.
-Solo led MFTs to the ring. [c]
(4) SAMI ZAYN & JIMMY USO & JACOB FATU vs. SOLO SIKOA & J.C. MATEO & TONGA LOA (w/Talla Tonga)
The bell rang 48 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 2:00 after Talla kicked Sami at ringside as Loa distracted the ref. [c]
Solo was in control of Sami after the break. Fatu got a hot-tag at 7:00. Loa lifted his knees on a top rope flip senton by Fatu. Solo then landed a top rope splash for a two count. Fans chanted “Solo sucks!” They hit each other with superkicks and then collided. Both went down and were slow to get up. Sami called for a tag. Fatu crawled over and made the tag, although he snarled a bit before doing it. Sami landed a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count, with Mateo interrupting the cover. Mateo punched away at Sami. Jimmy superkicked Mateo. Loa knocked Jimmy out of the ring. Fatu cleared the ring and dove over the top rope onto Talla, sending him over the announce desk. Solo tried to surprise Sami with a Solo Spike, but Sami blocked it and then landed an Helluva Kick for the win.
Fatu and Sami bonded afterward and celebrated with Jimmy.
WINNERS: Sami & Jimmy & Fatu in 11:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Hey, a pinfall finish in a WWE TV main event. More of that, please. A formula match but it told a good story within that structure. Sami “earned” a shot against Solo for his U.S. Title and forged some trust with Fatu in the process.)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by ProWrestling.net’s Jake Barnett 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.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
VIP MEMBER EXCLUSIVE VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE
LINK TO BE A VIP CALLER: https://streamyard.com/qs5kqibyw3
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine).
OPEN TO EVERYONE – LINK TO WATCH LIVE RIGHT AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN TONIGHT: CLICK HERE
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