WWE Friday Night SmackDown Review: 05/12

Cody Rhodes Starts the Show, Ilja Dragunov VS Carmelo Hayes: United States Championship Open Challenge

This week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown started with Drew McIntyre pulling up to the arena, but Nick Aldis was quick to bring security to remove him as Drew is still suspended! However, Cody Rhodes appeared inside of McIntyre’s car, attacking Drew, before Cody stormed down to the ring to demand that Drew McIntyre’s suspension be lifted! Rhodes seemed very adamant about this, but we will just have to wait and see how this goes!

Grade: C+

After Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley reunited to challenge Aleister Black and Zelina Vega to a match next week, Tommaso Ciampa was once again skipped over as Carmelo Hayes challenged Ilja Dragunov for the United States Championship in the opening match of the night! Ilja and Carmelo had one of he greatest NXT matches of all time back at NXT No Mercy 2023, so to say these two know each other well would be an understatement! Whilst this match wasn’t given the opportunity to be as great as some of Ilja’s previous bouts, the crowd definitely got into this as they continue to get more and more behind Carmelo Hayes! Unfortunately for Melo, despite delivering a beautiful DDT to the apron, Tommaso Ciampa took Hayes out behind the referee’s (and Ilja Dragunov’s) back, allowing Dragunov to nail Melo with an H-Bomb to earn yet another successful Title defense! After the match was over, Ilja saw the replay on the titantron, and to say that The Mad Dragon was angry would be putting it lightly!

Grade: B

Kairi Sane VS Alexa Bliss, Jade Cargill VS Alba Fyre, Solo Sikoa Promo

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair had another terrible backstage segment together, before LA Knight said he’s going to drop Gunther with a BFT to earn his way to retiring John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event! Kairi Sane then marched her way down to the ring as she was looking to get some revenge on Alexa Bliss after WarGames last Saturday! It wasn’t exactly clear who was going to win this match, as there really was arguments for both! I thought the action itself was alright, simple, but alright! Both Asuka and Charlotte Flair were watching on from ringside, meaning they were also factors in the proceedings, and in the end, Alexa Bliss was able to get the win with a Sister Abigail! However, after the match was over, Nia Jax and Lash Legend attacked all four women, standing tall with the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships held aloft!

Grade: C+

Cody Rhodes announced that at Saturday Night’s Main Event, he will face the winner of tonight’s NXT Championship match between Ricky Saints and Oba Femi, before Nia Jax and Lash Legend made it clear that no team is going to stop them from becoming Tag Team Champions together! The Storm had then arrived as Jade Cargill was ready to go one-on-one with Alba Fyre! As expected, this didn’t exactly go very long, as Jade dominated proceedings (despite a quick start from Alba)! Things only got worse for The Secret Hervice when Chelsea Green was attacked by Giulia and Kiana James, and this just made things even easier for Cargill to floor Fyre with Jaded to get the win! Like I say, basically every week, I’m not sure this is benefiting anyone!

Grade: C-

Both FRAXIOM and Ilja Dragunov want to get their hands on Tommaso Ciampa before Michin stepped up to Jade Cargill! MFT then made their way down to the ring as Solo Sikoa cut a promo on The Wyatt Sick6! Solo said that everything that Bray Wyatt used to own, everything that Uncle Howdy now owns, will soon belong to him! Sikoa even said that Howdy doesn’t deserve to have the Wyatt name, and all Solo needs to do is “Bolieve”! This brought out The Wyatt Sick6, who started a brawl, but I have to say, Solo Sikoa’s promo was great; what a week he’s had!

Grade: B+

The Last Time is Now Tournament Final: Gunther VS LA Knight

Credit: WWE

After Nick Aldis confirmed that Bayley will face Sol Ruca at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and Aleister Black and Zelina Vega accepted The Terror Twins’ offer, it was Main Event time as Gunther and LA Knight clashed in the Final of The Last Time is Now Tournament to determine who will face John Cena in Cena’s Retirement Match! There was good drama to this because the honour/opportunity of getting to retire John Cena is a pretty big deal, and in LA Knight, you had a guy that was by far the fan favourite! Also, LA would genuinely work really well as Cena’s final opponent, but let’s be honest, the odds have firmly been in Gunther’s favour since the moment this tournament was announced! Now, Knight fought valiantly, kicking out of multiple big moves, and he would’ve won had it not been for Gunther’s brilliant ring awareness to put his foot on the bottom rope! This all clearly angered The Ring General, as eventually, The Megastar was forced to tap out, booking Gunther a date with Cena in Washington, DC!

Credit: WWE

Grade: B-