{"id":195649,"date":"2025-04-05T11:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-05T16:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=195649"},"modified":"2025-04-05T11:41:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-05T16:41:00","slug":"wwe-smackdown-results-4-4-corbridges-alt-perspective-report-on-cm-punk-confronting-reigns-and-rollins-braun-vs-fatu-debut-of-rey-fenix-naomi-vs-b-fab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/04\/05\/wwe-smackdown-results-4-4-corbridges-alt-perspective-report-on-cm-punk-confronting-reigns-and-rollins-braun-vs-fatu-debut-of-rey-fenix-naomi-vs-b-fab\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS (4\/4): Corbridge\u2019s alt-perspective report on CM Punk confronting Reigns and Rollins, Braun vs. Fatu, debut of Rey Fenix, Naomi vs. B-Fab"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-47170286\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3><strong>WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT<br \/>\nAPRIL 4, 2025<br \/>\nROSEMONT, ILLINOIS AT ALLSTATE ARENA<br \/>\nAIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK<br \/>\nREPORT BY ERIC CORBRIDGE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>Commentators:\u00a0<\/em><em>Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Ring Announcer: Mark Nash<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Attendance:\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/wrestletix\/posts\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/wrestletix\/posts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1743914329419000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ubnEIJQVQDqZZfsQxDHz2\"><strong><em>WrestleTix<\/em><\/strong><\/a><em>\u00a0reports that 15,368 were distributed headed into the show. The arena was set up for 15,637.\u00a0<\/em><em>The arena has a capacity of 18,500 spectators when configured for concerts.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>[HOUR ONE]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Joe Tessitore welcomed the audience to Chicago, a city that has hosted 3 previous WrestleMania. Tonight\u2019s happenings at the Allstate Arena will now prepare everyone for WrestleMania 41, which is 15 days away. Wrestlers arrived at the arena including Braun Strowman and Jacob Fatu, alongside Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa. Fatu and Strowman will square off tonight in a Last Man Standing match. Tonga will take on United States Champion L.A. Knight in one-on-one action. DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) and the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) will wrestle to determine the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Championships, currently held by The Street Profits. B-Fab strolled around some hallway, while her opponent tonight Naomi scowled as she checked her cell phone.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; They showed a recap of the intriguing contract signing from last week\u2019s Smackdown between C.M Punk, Seth Rollings, and Roman Reigns. Rollins vehemently protested that Punk didn\u2019t deserve to main event WrestleMania. Roman thought he was freed from his wise man Paul Heyman owing Punk a favor until Punk clarified that getting it into the contract that their match will close out Night One is NOT the favor that he is owed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Chicago\u2019s own C.M. Punk\u2019s music hit and the crowd erupted that it was \u201cclobberin\u2019 time.\u201d Punk hugged a fan at ringside on his way to the ring. Punk grabbed the camera from the cameraman inside the rings and praised the hot crowd while he filmed them. He told a story about how he was very fortunate to be alive because when he was born at a nearby hospital his umbilical cord was around his neck choking him. Punk mentioned several times that \u201che wasn\u2019t supposed to be here\u201d. But now the hard work begins because he earned the right to be in a main event of WrestleMania.\u00a0\u00a0He thanked his wife and dog, leading to \u201cA.J. Lee\u201d and \u201cLarry\u201d chants.\u00a0\u00a0He thanked the fans because he wouldn\u2019t be here without them. But now \u201cthe hard work begins\u201d and he\u2019s going to \u201cwhip Seth Rollins\u2019 ass\u201d and \u201cput a beating on the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Punk smiled as the familiar sound of \u201cLadies and Gentlemen, my name is\u2026\u201d was heard from Paul Heyman as he appeared in the entranceway. Heyman waddled to the ring and entered as the crowd chanted (and Punk) chanted \u201cEC-Dub\u201d. Heyman told Punk that he belonged in the main event of WrestleMania. Heyman ran down all of he and Punk\u2019s interactions over the past several months, including asking Punk for a favor and to help him and the OG Bloodline as War Games. Heyman had one more favor to ask. He asked Punk to tell him what the current favor is that he already owed him. But Punk said he preferred to tell Roman to his face, whenever he decides to show up. Punk left.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1968883701\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: It\u2019s a hot crowd in Chicago as expected. But there wasn\u2019t much to the segment. The only real takeaway is that Heyman appeared to not know what the favor is that he owes Punk. Hopefully it gets answered tonight. Also, it\u2019s a little silly to me that Punk is SO excited about \u201cmain eventing\u201d Night One of WrestleMania. No one can convince me that it means the same to him as it would to close out Night Two. Fortunately for Punk, IF he can stay healthy there is a C.M Punk vs. Roman Reigns match that should be waiting for him next year. THAT match could absolutely main event Night Two, especially if one of them is defending a world championship.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; A Ray Fenix vignette played. His match was up next. [c]<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; One-half of the\u00a0NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer (of Axiom) was already in the ring for the next match. Rey Fenix made his debut entrance to some generic music and an elaborate pyro display. Barrett referred to Fenix as one of the greatest high-flyers on planet Earth. He mentioned that he is PENTA\u2019s brother too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(1) NATHAN FRAZER vs. REY FENIX\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fenix and Frazer displayed their athleticism as Tessitore referenced the Lucha Brothers tag team (PENTA and Fenix). Frazer attempted to throw Fenix through the middle rope to the outside, but Fenix performed what can best be referred to as \u201creverse 619\u201d to save himself. They traded pin attempts. Frazer narrowly avoided disaster when he got his feet caught up during a dive through the middle rope and nearly face planted on the outside. Fenix responded by springboarding to the top rope and launching himself to the outside onto Frazer as they went to a picture-in-picture break. [c]<\/p>\n<p>Tessitore discussed PENTA\u2019s success on RAW since joining the WWE. Frazer impressively jumped to the tope rope and hit a roll-through superplex into a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Frazer awkwardly missed on a Phoenix splash but nailed a big knee to the jaw. Fenix countered with a dropkick and an incredible Amigo kick where he ran across the ropes and hit a kick to the head. Fenix followed up with a fire driver for a very close nearfall that the crowd thought was going to be it. The crowd was alive for this match. Fenix hit a superkick and an MMB Mexican musclebuster for the win.<\/p>\n<p>WINNER: Rey Fenix via pinfall in 9:00.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: That was an impressive debut by Rey Fenix. I personally have always found him to be a bit more exciting in-ring than PENTA, but I\u2019m splitting luchador hairs here. They are both fun to watch. Frazer was also impressive, but there were a couple of awkward spots. I know this might anger some fans, but I\u2019d like to see WWE bring back the Cruiserweight Championship. I have visions of mid-\u201890s WCW dancing in my head. Or maybe it&#8217;s Norman Smiley doing the Wiggle. Who can say?)<\/em><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2066382797\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&#8211; Post-match Byron Saxton was inside the ring. He asked Fenix how his debut felt. Fenix grabbed the microphone and passionately thanked everyone. He said that he waited his whole life to say that he was WWE.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Legado del Fantasma were shown watching from a backstage monitor. Santos Escobar said that Fenix\u2019s win was impressive and that that is what he expects from Los Garza.\u00a0\u00a0Humberto Carillo called Fenix a \u201cflying lizard\u201d and said he was better than him. Escobar promised to talk to Nick Aldis about making that match. [c]<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: Pencil in a Fenix vs. Carillo match for next week\u2019s Smackdown.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Drew McIntyre talked in a pre-taped segment. He was sporting an eye patch because of the glass he got in his eye after being chokeslammed last week by Damian Priest on a convertible. Drew said his eye may never be the same. Drew said that he was going to pray and that when Drew prays \u201cbad things happen\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: In case anyone forgot, Drew prayed that C.M Punk would get hurt at the Royal Rumble and he did.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; They recapped the Jacob Fatu post-match attack last week on Strowman. Strowman told Saxton backstage that he would defeat Fatu tonight and go on to WrestleMania to defeat L.A. Knight for the United States Championship and become a Grand Slam champion in WWE. Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga laughed at Strowman. Knight showed up to calm Strowman down. Knight said something about Solo \u201cbumping his bacon lips\u201d and said that Strowman needed to keep his eyes on the prize. Tonga \u201cyeah yeah yeah\u2019d\u201d and told Knight he should be worried about him tonight. Knight got this week\u2019s \u201cthrough the Gorilla position\u201d entrance and made his way to the ring for the next match. [c]<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: I laughed at \u201cbumping his bacon lips.\u201d I\u2019m not proud of this.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Tonga entered for his match, accompanied by Solo. Barrett said that Tonga is known as the \u201cTongan Terror.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>(2) L.A. KNIGHT vs. TAMA TONGA (w\/Solo Sikoa)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Knight hit a big elbow off the ropes, then followed up with a suplex. Tonga hit a back suplex for a one-count. Knight put the boots to Tonga in the corner. The action spilled to the floor as Solo lurked menacingly at ringside. Knight slammed Tonga\u2019s head into the announcer\u2019s table and then rolled him back into the ring. Solo distracted the referee and Knight, which led to Tonga knocking Knight to the outside. [c]<\/p>\n<p><strong>[HOUR TWO]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After the commercial, Knight used a sunset flip to get a two-count. Tonga retaliated with a vicious clothesline for a two-count of his own. Tonga mocked the \u201cL.A. Knight, Yeah\u201d chant, but then missed a leaping elbow from the middle rope. Knight gained the momentum with a neckbreaker and elbow drop of his own. Knight called for the BFT, but Tonga avoided it. Solo jumped up on the apron for a second time, which led to a roll-up nearfall by Tonga. Knight nailed the BFT for the victory.<\/p>\n<p>WINNER: L.A. Knight via pinfall in 9:00.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: Relatively easy win for Knight, who overcame multiple distractions from Solo. Barrett mentioned that the winner of tonight\u2019s Last Man Standing match will be Knight\u2019s WrestleMania opponent for the United States Championship. I predict that Strowman will win due to Solo interference. Let\u2019s see if I\u2019m right. I promise I won\u2019t change my prediction if I\u2019m wrong, though I suppose you\u2019ll never know for sure. I\u2019ve earned your unwavering trust after 2 weeks, right?)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Saxton talked to a frustrated Paul Heyman in the back near one of the arena\u2019s vehicle entrances. Heyman spoke directly to the camera (and to Punk) and said, \u201cwhatever the favor is, my answer is YES.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0As Heyman spoke, a car pulled up. Heyman presumed it was Reigns. But it was Seth Rollins who emerged from the car instead, wearing some big glasses. Rollins told Heyman that he looked awful. Rollins said that he had a great week because he formulated a plan. Rollins told Heyman to let him know when Reigns arrives because he wants to know what the favor is too.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: I\u2019m intrigued by Rollins saying he had time to think and formulate a plan. While I\u2019m on the prediction train, pencil this one in\u2026. Rollins is winning the triple threat match at WrestleMania. It\u2019s the most logical outcome based on the story being told. It will also be a tremendous \u201creward\u201d for Rollins\u2019 role in last year\u2019s WrestleMania.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Charlotte Flair entered for a face-to-face with Tiffany Stratton. [c]<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; An eerie vignette was shown, presumably for a returning Aleister\/Malakai Black.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The WWE Women\u2019s Champion Tiffany Stratton entered to the cheers of the crowd. Barrett said he was told to moderate this face-to-face. He introduced both women. Flair referred to the boos she received as a show of power. Stratton responded in kind by asking the crowd to chant \u201cTiffy Time.\u201d Flair said she chose to challenge Stratton because there \u201cis no comparison\u201d between them. Stratton said that Flair\u2019s biggest competitor is the fans and that she will never win that battle. Stratton speculated that no matter how many titles Flair wins she will always come in second to her father Ric, just like she will come in second to Stratton at Wrestlemania. Flair called out Stratton for saying the same things that all her opponents say. The crowd is 100% in support of Stratton.\u00a0\u00a0Flair got close to Stratton, but Barrett stepped between them. Stratton said she would win the Championship and that Flair \u201cain\u2019t the queen of sh*t.\u201d Stratton concluded by saying that after Wrestlemania, Flair will be just like she is outside the ring: \u201calone\u201d. Then she bailed to the outside, saying \u201cwhat is it now, 0-3?\u201d Charlotte snapped back with \u201cis that why (Ludwig) Kaiser is in my DM\u2019s?\u201d Stratton left, holding the championship belt high.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: That started off slow. Fortunately, the crowd hates Flair so much that it\u2019s giving life to this rivalry. However, Stratton escalated the tension when she referred to Flair\u2019s 3 failed marriages. The proverbial ink has barely dried on her most recent marriage to Andrade. Perhaps that\u2019s why Flair immediately snapped back with the line about Kaiser, who is Stratton\u2019s current boyfriend.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; General Manager Nick Aldis announced that next week there will be a Women\u2019s Tag Team Gauntlet match featuring teams from both Raw and Smackdown. The winners will challenge Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez for the WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; WWE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits entered in white suits with and their championships to watch the next match from ringside.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Smackdown: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/wwe-smackdown-post-show-4-4-keller-cadet-react-to-heyman-choosing-punk-over-reigns-tiffany-charlotte-shoot-mess-live-chat-callers--65366155\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cwade Keller\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=65366155&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>(3) THE\u00a0<\/strong><strong>MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Chirs Sabin &amp; Alex Shelley) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano &amp; Tomasso Ciampa)<\/strong><strong>\u2013 #1 Contenders Match\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sabin and Gargano started off the match. Sabin hit a few arm-drags before tagging in Shelley. The Machine Guns showed excellent teamwork. Shelley clotheslined Ciampa to the outside, then chased him around and back into the ring. Gargano speared Shelley as they went commercial split-screen [c]<\/p>\n<p>Shelley was beaten down throughout the break. Sabin tagged in and took control, hitting a dive through the ropes on Gargano and Ciampa on the outside. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins looked on from front row seats. Gargano broke up a double-team Skull-and-Bones attempt by crotching Sabin on the top rope. The turnbuckle cover came off leaving the turnbuckle exposed. Ciampa hit a powerbomb onto his knees on Sabin for a nearfall. Gargano tagged in and went for another pin, but Shelley broke it up. DIY went for a Meet in the Middle, but Sabin rolled out of harm\u2019s way. Sabin and Shelley hit the facial to the face of Ciampa. Gargano knocked Shelley off the top rope to the outside. Ciampa tried to use the rope for leverage to get a pinfall, but referee Charles Robinson caught him. While Ciampa argued, Sabin knocked him into the exposed turnbuckle and rolled him up for the win.<\/p>\n<p>WINNERS: The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) via pinfall at 9:00.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: Good match, but it never quite reached the level it could have if they got about 5 more minutes. It would be nice to get some clarity on the Smackdown Tag Team Championship match situation soon, since we\u2019re only 2 weeks from WrestleMania.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Miz and Carmelo Hayes encountered Pretty Deadly backstage. Miz referenced Preddy Deadly losing their Tag Team Championship match last week. Hayes said they fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line and questioned whether they were a tag team or the Chicago Bears? Kit Wilson and Elton Prince teased The Miz for all his failure Marine movies. Wilson asked Hayes why he wants to be in tag team with Miz anyway?<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; B-Fab entered with Michin for the next match. [c]<\/p>\n<p><strong>(4) B-FAB (with MICHIN) vs. NAOMI\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As Naomi was trying to make her entrance, Jade Cargill attacked her from behind. Naomi ran into the ring and the bell rang to start the match. B-Fab took advantage of the situation and hit a couple clotheslines. B-Fab hit a chokeslam for a 2-count. Naomi regained her composure and took control. Naomi\u2019s outfit is covered with yellow \u201cCaution Tape\u201d that gives shades of the late, great Owen Hart. Naomi hit what Barrett referred to as a \u201cmodified kneeling lungblower.\u201d It was enough to get the win.<\/p>\n<p>WINNER: Naomi via pinfall in 3:00<\/p>\n<p>After the match, Naomi called out Cargill, who immediately appeared and destroyed Naomi with a flying big boot. Security stormed the ring, but Cargill took them out too. Nick Aldis appeared and made the match official for WrestleMania between Naomia and Cargill.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: A quick, decisive win for Naomi as it should be. The match for WrestleMania is now official. Am I being fair by saying this is currently the hottest women\u2019s match on the WrestleMania card right now? I think so. Naomi\u2019s new finisher looked like a one-legged Codebreaker. I\u2019m not sure if she is trying to pay tribute to Owen Hart with her wrestling gear, but regardless of it makes me smile.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A pre-taped segment aired with Damian Priest saying that Drew McIntyre always plays the victim. He said he will see McIntyre in the ring next week and that he will become Priest\u2019s victim at Wrestlemania.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Owens was shown walking backstage [c]<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; As hour three approached, Nick Aldis was still in the ring. He said that he had to do something now that isn\u2019t fun. He asked the crowd to welcome Kevin Owens. Owens walked out wearing a Bret Hart jacket.<\/p>\n<p><strong>[HOUR THREE]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Owens said that he\u2019s been doing this \u201cwrestling\u201d for 25 years. It\u2019s allowed him to take care of his family in ways he\u2019d only dreamed of. Owens claimed that he\u2019s been dealing with a neck injury for the last 4 months and that he needs to immediately have surgery. He thanked WWE for allowing him to come out and tell the fans about this, and he said that he\u2019s really upset that he won\u2019t get to wrestle Randy Orton at WrestleMania. He apologized to the fans and left the ring.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; It was time to hear voices as Randy Orton\u2019s music played. Orton slowly made his way to ringside. As soon as Orton entered the ring, Owen retreated down the ramp. Aldis told Orton that he no longer has a match at Wrestlemania. Orton was visibly upset. Orton hit an RKO \u201cout of nowhere\u201d on Aldis. He stared at the Wrestlemania sign as Barret made a point that \u201cat this point in Orton\u2019s career he doesn\u2019t want to miss a single WrestleMania.\u201d [c]<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: Owens reportedly has a legitimate injury, so this is seemingly the way he is being written out of the current program with Orton. It will be interesting to see what plan B is for Orton at WrestleMania.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; New ring announcer Mark Nash explained the rules for a Last Man Standing Match. Jacob Fatu made his entrance alone. Strowman marched down to the ring as Nash announced him as Tessitore correctly referred to him weighing 385 pounds. Nash mistakenly announced him as 355 pounds. Oops.<\/p>\n<p><strong>(5) BRAUN STROWMAN vs. JACOB FATU \u2013 Last Man Standing Match to earn U.S. Championship match<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Strowman started things off with a big chop on the outside. Back inside the ring Fatu took Strowman down with a clothesline. Fatu hit two jump-up moonsaults early on. All Strowman could do was roll outside the ring at the count of 8 to survive as they went to commercial. The action continued with picture-in-picture [c]<\/p>\n<p>During the commercial, Strowman hit Fatu with the steel steps. Then he launched Fatu into the ever-present Prime display. Fatu dominated when they came back from the break. Strowman pulled table out from under the ring, much to the crowd\u2019s delight. Fatu barely made it to his feet after a 9-count. Strowman set up the table in a corner and hit a big boot on Fatu. Strowman charged at Fatu, but Fatu pulled the ropes down and Strowman fell to the outside. Fatu dove through the ropes and knocked Strowman over the announcer\u2019s table. The referee counted but didn\u2019t make it to 10.\u00a0\u00a0Fatu rammed Strowman into the ring post. Fatu attempted to run at him, but Strowman struck him in the face with a chair. Strowman ran around the ring and destroyed Fatu with a Strowman Express through the barricade! The referee counted as the fans chanted \u201cHoly Sh*t!\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Both men stood up at 9. [c]<\/p>\n<p>When they returned from the break, Strowman had Fatu prone on top of crate near the edge of the lower bowl at ringside. Strowman suplexed Fatu through some tables next to the crate! Both men were able to get up, but Tessitore pointed out that Fatu was in bad shape. Strowman was damaged too. Back in the ring, Fatu hit a running hip attack on Strowman through the table that had been propped up in the corner. Fatu got up at 9 and Strowman was unable to get to his feet before the count of 10.<\/p>\n<p>WINNER: Jacob Fatu wins at 16:00<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: That was a very good Last Man Standing Match. Fatu is impressive every time he steps in the ring and the hip attack through the table was a perfect way for him to get a dominant victory. Strowman does well in this type of match too. Fatu is now the #1 contender and is scheduled to wrestle L.A. Knight for the United States Championship at WrestleMania.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; They showed a recap of the John Cena\/Cody Rhodes confrontation from RAW. It was announced that Cody will be on Smackdown next week. Tessitore and Barrett ran down the announced matches for next week\u2019s Smackdown including the Women\u2019s Tag Team Gauntlet match that will include Kayden Carter\/Katana Chance, Lyra Valkyria\/Bayley, Shana Baszler\/Zoey Stark, B-Fab\/Michin, The Secret Hervice (Piper Niven\/Alba Fyre, and Natalya\/Maxxine Dupri. Rey Fenix will take on Berto.\u00a0\u00a0Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre will also meet face-to-face.<\/p>\n<p>Saxton caught up to a flustered Paul Heyman again out in the garage area and asked him when Roman Reigns would arrive. Heyman said \u201cany minute\u201d. [c]<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: Riveting. Way to earn that paycheck Saxton.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Roman Reigns finally arrived and walked right past Heyman without acknowledging him. Heyman followed.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: See what I did there?)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Roman went straight to ring. No stopping. No posing. No pyro. \u201cChicago: Acknowledge Me.\u201d Roman asked if Punk was here. Heyman confirmed that he is. Roman asked if Punk is still talking about the favor. Heyman affirmed that too. Roman shared that Punk wouldn\u2019t be back in WWE if it wasn\u2019t for Roman. Punk wouldn\u2019t be in the main event of WrestleMania if it wasn\u2019t for Roman. Roman pointed out that the fans are chanting for the Tribal Chief in Punk\u2019s city. Roman called for Punk to come out. Seth Rollins came out instead.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Rollins ran through all his catchphrases as usual. He told Roman that he\u2019s not sure what the favor is. Then he brought up Wrestlemania 31\u2019s \u201cHeist of the Century\u201d and last year\u2019s WrestleMania where Rollins got the better or Roman.\u00a0\u00a0Rollins mentioned that he has to deal with Punk being in a main event of WrestleMania now because of Roman. Rollins said that they need to adapt to reality. Roman told Rollins that the reality is that Rollins is untrustworthy. Roman said he keeps his promises, just like he did with Heyman and the favor. They both agreed that what was missing now was Punk himself.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Punk\u2019s music played and he came out once again. Punk carefully stepped between the ropes with a microphone in hand. Punk: \u201cThe favor. What\u2019s the favor? This is about friendship. This is about legacy. It\u2019s about promises kept. It\u2019s about loyalty.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Punk told a story about a time long ago where Heyman was told to fire Punk and he refused. Punk talked about a time where Heyman had decided to leave WWE. At that time, Punk, Heyman, Big Show, and Rob Van Dam sat on Show\u2019s bus and Punk said that when Heyman left they would fire Punk. Punk said he\u2019d be nothing without Heyman. Heyman assured Punk he\u2019d be fine at the time. Punk apologized for making it all about himself and asked Heyman if there was anything Punk could do for him. Heyman posited that WHEN Punk main evented WrestleMania one day that he needed to force \u201cthem\u201d to deal with Punk &amp; Heyman.<\/p>\n<p>Back in the present, Punk said he would force Roman to deal with Punk &amp; Heyman. Roman glanced over at Heyman. Punk proclaimed that at WrestleMania Heyman would be in Punk\u2019s corner. Rollins laughed. Roman looked confused. Roman asked if that was the favor and laughed. Roman said that Heyman loves Roman and needs him. Roman told Heyman to let \u201cthis desperate fool down easy.\u201d Heyman just stood there as the crowd chanted for Punk.\u00a0\u00a0Heyman started crying. Roman: \u201cyou better wipe those tears and tell him no.\u201d Roman said he took Heyman in. He said he\u2019d give Heyman one more chance to tell Punk no. Heyman\u201d \u201cNo, my Tribal Chief. I can\u2019t do that.\u201d Rollins was on his knees doubled over in laughter.<\/p>\n<p>Roman grabbed Heyman. Punk attacked Roman from behind and hit him with a GTS. Punk stared down Rollins as Heyman looked on in complete shock. Punk gave the GTS hand gesture as credits rolled.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Corbridge\u2019s Analysis: Hmm. This was a very interesting development. Heyman is the tortured soul, forced to choose between his two best friends. Roman is FINALLY paying for being overbearing to Heyman and taking him for granted. Punk has been good to Heyman and their friendship goes back way farther than Roman\/Heyman. So, it makes sense that if push came to shove that Heyman would side with Punk. Also, at first, I intended to write about how the \u201cfavor\u201d fell flat for me. But I thought more about it and I changed my mind.\u00a0\u00a0Punk\u2019s story about how Heyman gave him the confidence back in the day for when they\u2019d inevitably come to this moment hooked me.\u00a0\u00a0It SOLD me on the importance to Punk of having Heyman in his corner at Wrestlemania. Heyman inspires Punk\u2019s confidence, so he truly thinks he is not only gaining that from Heyman, but he\u2019s also TAKING it from Roman. Lastly, Rollins was terrific in his role by laughing at this entire back-and-forth.\u00a0\u00a0I stand by my prediction that Rollins will capitalize on the drama and be victorious at WrestleMania.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (4\/4) - WWE Smackdown w\/cohost Kurt Cadet\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sk3l6p27v48?start=6987&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-1452470193\"><div id=\"pwtor-71140366\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT APRIL 4, 2025 ROSEMONT, ILLINOIS AT ALLSTATE ARENA AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK REPORT BY ERIC CORBRIDGE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Commentators:\u00a0Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett Ring Announcer: Mark Nash Attendance:\u00a0WrestleTix\u00a0reports that 15,368 were distributed <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/04\/05\/wwe-smackdown-results-4-4-corbridges-alt-perspective-report-on-cm-punk-confronting-reigns-and-rollins-braun-vs-fatu-debut-of-rey-fenix-naomi-vs-b-fab\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS (4\/4): Corbridge\u2019s alt-perspective report on CM Punk confronting Reigns and Rollins, Braun vs. Fatu, debut of Rey Fenix, Naomi vs. B-Fab\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":185189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,48,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tvshowsandevents","category-tv_wwesmackdown","category-tv_wwetvreports"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-20-at-5.49.57\u202fPM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195649"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":195650,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195649\/revisions\/195650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}