SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
SEPTEMBER 19, 2025
TOLEDO, OHIO AT HUNTINGTON CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Mark Nash
Attendance: WrestleTix reports as of today 6,108 tickets were distributed so far. The arena has a capacity of 9,341 spectators when configured for concerts.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Christopher Maitland 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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[HOUR ONE]
-As Michael Cole introduced the show, they showed the arrivals of Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, Chelsea Green with her Secret Hervice, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, Carmelo Hayes, and Sami Zayn. They cut to a wide shot of the arena bowl and then went to ringside where Cole introduced Corey Graves. Cole said he has to head to the back because Brock Lesnar wants to start the scheduled backstage sitdown interview now.
As Cole got up and walked down the aisle, Brock Lesnar’s music played and he walked out. Cole stopped and looked concerned. Lesnar took off his cowboy hat, smiled at the fans, and looked around. He walked up to a petrified Cole and then picked him up and carried him over his shoulder around ringside and then up the steps and into the ring. Cole got caught up in the ropes so Lesnar just shoved him into the ring. (Is this a babyface turn?)
Graves entered the ring and asked Lesnar to take it easy on Cole. Lesnar turned to Graves and gave him an F5. Lesnar leaned into the camera and yelled, “John, I’m coming for you. It’s D-Day tomorrow and I’m coming for blood.” Lesnar then dropped to ringside and tossed aside the energy drink display for Logan Paul’s product. (Okay, this is definitely a babyface turn!) He then entered the ring and gave Graves a second F5. Fans (obnoxiously) chanted, “One more time!” Then they booed when Lesnar dropped out of the ring and walked to the back.
(Keller’s Analysis: That ridiculous crowd reaction is on WWE for playing the “did we entertain you?” card over and over rather than sticking to an immersive world of storytelling between good and bad with believable scenarios and consequences that people could buy into. This goes back 15-20 years at least. So fans now have been conditioned to just want to see “moments” and be part of the show instead of feeling like privileged audience members who get to witness battles between athletes for coveted prizes like they do with actual competitive sports.). [c]
-They showed Graves being tended in the ring.
-They replayed what Brock did before the break.
-Lesnar was shown backstage walking. He ran into Paul Heyman. Heyman stared at him like an old friend. Lesnar patted him on the chest and said, “We should talk.” He walked away. Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker were flanking Heyman. G.M. Nick Aldis walked up and saw Lesnar leave the arena. He told Heyman he needs two signatures on a contract for the tag match tomorrow. He said what he doesn’t need are any more problems. Heyman said he is there to broker peace between his men and the Usos. Aldis said he knows the Usos are in Indianapolis. Heyman played dumb and complimented his suit.
-Cole returned to the ringside. Fans applauded as Cole gathered himself. Fans chanted “Michael Cole!” Cole said Graves came to his aid and he’s never felt as helpless as he did there. He said if that’s what’s in store for John Cena tomorrow, he’s not sure Cena has any answers.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…
KELLER’S TAKE: Cody Rhodes feels disrespected and disregarded by ESPN and WWE in the build to Wrestlepalooza, he deserves better
(1) CHARLOTTE FLAIR & ALEXA BLISS vs. CHELSEA GREEN & ALBA FYRE
Cole said it might take a few minutes to get settled. He spoke about what Lesnar did to Cena over a decade ago at Summerslam, characterizing it as one of the most one-sided beatings he’s ever witnessed. The bell rang 19 minutes into the hour. Alba Fyre interfered from ringside against Bliss, ramming her into the ringpost. As she and Green struck a post, they cut to a very early double-box break. [c/db]
Green beat up Bliss during the break. Miz also joined Cole at ringside during the break to do commentary in place of the injured Graves. Back from the break, Miz implored Cole to “get that energy up.” Charlotte tagged in and got in some offense. At 6:00, Fyre leaped off the top rope and landed a Swanton on Charlotte for a two count. Charlotte and Bliss made a comeback with stereo Natural Selections and Charlotte scored a three count on Green.
WINNERS: Charlotte & Bliss in 8:00 to retain the Women’s Tag Team Titles.
-B-Fab told Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins that it’s fine they don’t always see eye to eye. As she gave them a pep talk, Michin walked in and told B-Fab that Aldis was ready to talk to them. When B-Fab left, Ford told Dawkins they’re always good and he’s going to go talk to Aldis about getting a tag title shot. Dawkins seemed less-than-jovial, but hand-slapped Ford. Ford left. Uncle Howdy told Dawkins that Ford won’t listen to him, but he will. Ford barged back in and shoved Howdy against the wall. Howdy said he directs lost souls to a new path and then laughed. Erik Rowan jumped Dawkins. [c]
-R-Truth told Angel Garza and Humberto how to use the ESPN app and gain access to Wrestlepalooza. He also showed off a QR code. Angel said he already has ESPN on his cable system. Truth said then just log in with the app. Humberto said he doesn’t have cable. R-Truth told him to go to stream.ESPN.com and sign up for the ESPN Unlimited plan.
(Keller’s Analysis: You know WWE and ESPN are concerned about the confusion over how to watch the show tomorrow. And they should be. They really need to clear and overt in saying it will not air live on the main ESPN cable channel and that’s streaming only through the app.)
-Fraxiom entered the ring. Breakker and Reed attacked them. They tossed Nathan Fraser and Axiom out of the ring. Heyman entered the ring. Miz credited Heyman with Lesnar’s attack earlier. Not sure if that’s right. Heyman said Fraxiom remind him of the Usos, down and out, victimized, and flat on their backs.
Fraser and Axiom returned to the ring and attacked Reed and Breakker in the ring and with dives to ringside. Aldis walked out and said it appears Reed and Breakker aren’t just there to hang out. He booked a match against those two teams next.
(Keller’s Analysis: Who were Fraxium ostensibly scheduled to face? Why are they excluded from a scheduled match just because of a pre-match attack by two heels?) [c]
(2) FRAXIUM (Nathan Fraser & Axiom) vs. BRONSON REED & BRON BREAKKER (w/Paul Heyman)
The match was joined in progress after the break about 42 minutes into the hour. Reed and Breakker beat up Axiom for a stretch early in the match. Fraser tagged in and rallied against Reed. He landed a frog splash for a near fall. Reed avoided a top rope corkscrew splash. Reed landed his Jagged Edge. He followed up with a Tsunami set-up, but Axiom kicked him. Reed shoved Axiom into a spear by Breakker. Reed then landed the Tsunami for the win.
WINNER: Reed & Breakker in about 5:00.
-Heyman went back to what he was saying about giving a “spoiler” for Wrestlepalooza. The Usos interrupted on the big screen from the concourse of the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. They vowed victory. They showed Heyman snarling at them.
-They showed Nia Jax walking backstage.
-A commercial aired with Cody walking viewers through how to get ESPN Unlimited. [c]
-A video package aired of WWE wrestlers all over ESPN programs this week including the Usos, Breakker, C.M. Punk, A.J. Lee, Paul Levesque, and Cody Rhodes.
-Cole hyped the Cody-McIntyre contract signing later.
-Nia Jax made her way to the ring. She mocked Tiffany’s catch phrase “Tiffy Time” and said she’s obnoxious. (Is she turning babyface?!) She said she dominates the division, no one else. She complimented Jade Cargill and said she looks fantastic until she has to get in the ring against her. She said she will annihilate anyone in the ring.
Tiffany came out to her music. She said everyone is sick of Jax obsessing about her. Tiffany said no one wants Jax anywhere near the title. She said she is the one and only WWE Women’s Champion. She said there is nothing Jax can do or say about it. She then extended her arm and dropped the mic. She headed to the ring. Jade followed behind. She hit two WWE officials unprovoked. Miz laughed. Aldis warned of severe consequences if they didn’t stay where they were. He announced that next week on Smackdown, the Women’s Title would be on the line in a Triple Threat match. Miz yelled, “You’re not allowed to touch officials!”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW…
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[HOUR TWO]
-Truth told Dragon Lee, Chris Sabin, and Alex Shelley how to watch Wrestlepalooza on ESPN Unlimited.
(Keller’s Analysis: Truth keeps saying if you have ESPN on cable, you just need to sign in. He’s not saying that with streaming services, you need to sign in on the actual ESPN app with your streaming login credentials. That’s an important detail he’s omitting.)
-Carmelo Hayes made his ring entrance. [c]
-Cole hyped the Triple Threat match on Smackdown next week. Then he commented on a clip of what Lesnar did to him and Graves earlier. He plugged the Lesnar vs. Cena match at Wrestlepalooza.
(1) SAMI ZAYN vs. CARMELO HAYES – U.S. Title match
The bell rang 11 minutes into the hour. Miz said Carmelo told him the day he met him how much he wanted to be U.S. Champion some day. They cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Sami scored a leverage pin at 8:00. When Sami went for a Helluva kick, Carmelo kicked him in the face. Both were down and slow to get up as they cut to a double-box break at 9:00. [c/db]
Sami went for a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Hayes slipped out of and landed The First 48 for a near fall at 14:00. A minute later Sami avoided a Nothing But Net and then landed a Blue Thunder Bomb for the win.
WINNER: Sami in 16:00 to retain the U.S. Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match.)
-Damien Priest barged into Aldis’s meeting with Kit Wilson and demanded a match with Aleister Black. Wilson told Priest he was acting out in hyper-masculine and verbally aggressive ways and he’s toxic. Priest threw Wilson through a wall set up for the skit. Aldis called for medical. [c]
-Part two of a video series on the Cena-Lesnar history, narrated by Joe Tessitore, aired. Batista called Cena “a natural born entertainer.” Lesnar said Cena is in the spot he’s in only because he left WWE for a while. “He’s on some retirement escapade, this staged retirement party,” he said. “I’m about to f— that up.”
-Cole and Miz previewed the Wrestlepalooza line-up. Then they recapped the Cody run-in last week to save Randy Orton from an attack at ringside by Drew McIntyre. They showed the ring being set up for the contract signing. [c]
-A vignette aired with Solo Sikoa. He told Tonga Loa that he’s the only soldier left. He said he’s the son of Haku, the most dangerous man on the planet. He said he brought gold to the family with the tag titles. He said he owes it to him to make him a champion. He said as long as he is part of his family tree, his loyalty will be rewarded. Tonga put his hand on Solo’s shoulder and said, “I love you, Solo.” Dramatic music played throughout.
-Aldis stood mid-ring and said tomorrow night’s main event of a landmark event in WWE history will be for the WWE Championship. He introduced McIntyre first. Then Cody. Cody spoke first. He said on this day 15 years ago, they won the WWE Tag Team Titles. He said afterward, no one in the back was talking about it. He said the world doesn’t revolve about them. He said it’s about the fans. He said the fans don’t need to know all the lore because sometimes they just want to see two of the best fight. He said Drew has slayed The Beast, “but lately the Scottish Warrior has just been a keyboard warrior.”
Cody encouraged Drew to take his phone out and get over on social media and “get one over on me.” He said it’ll be the last time he gets one over on him. Drew held up his phone and it said, “Thank you, Cody!” (That’s brave to hold your phone in the air on live TV given a notification you don’t want everyone to see suddenly appear.)
Drew said Cody is the corporate champion. He said that used to be a bad thing. He said Cody can put personal issues aside and won’t jeopardize the main event of Wrestlepalooza. He said the fans will turn on him and side with the next flavor of the month. He said some day, Cody will be sitting back at home and realize he was right.
Cody said Drew’s legacy will be that he’s the man who lost to him at the premiere of Wrestlepalooza and failed to win the WWE Title. Cody signed. He handed the contract to Drew and Drew signed it. Cole said it’s now official. Drew stood and headbutted Cody. He punched away at Cody at ringside and then set up the same kick through the side of the announce desk. He paused, though, and decided not to. He then told Cody he’s not going to kick his head through the table again and instead is going to beat him for the WWE Title tomorrow night.
Aldis approached Drew as Drew said, “I wasn’t going to screw it up for myself.” Cody dove through the ropes and tackled him. They were pulled apart by officials. Drew broke free and landed a Claymore to Cody’s face as the show ended.
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 PWTorch’s Christopher Maitland 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/bdjxkeenrs
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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