WWE Friday Night SmackDown Review: 13/02

Tiffany Stratton Starts the Show, RHIYO VS Lash Legend and Nia Jax: WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Credit: WWE

This week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown, live on SYFY, kicked off with Tiffany Stratton stating that she’s returned to recapture a World Championship! This was literally all Tiffany could say before she got interrupted by Lash Legend and Nia Jax, who felt like beating up Stratton before Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky arrived! This then neatly led into the opening match of the night as RHIYO put their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line against Lash Legend and Nia Jax! I thought this match was alright; there were some decent moments, particularly with Rhea and Lash, but there were also multiple sloppy moments! I’m not really sure what we’re doing with these women right now, with Ripley and Iyo Sky clearly set to compete in the Elimination Chamber despite being Tag Team Champions! Anyway, this match didn’t end clean, with the referee calling for the bell, before Iyo sent Nia crashing through the announce table as Legend wrecked Ripley through the barricade!

Grade: C+

Carmelo Hayes’ United States Championship Open Challenge Gets Interrupted, Giulia VS Alexa Bliss VS Zelina: Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match

After Carmelo Hayes told The Miz that he’s the one person he won’t give a Title opportunity to, Aleister Black and Zelina both hyped up the Elimination Chamber, with Zelina sending a warning to her Qualifying match opponents! Carmelo Hayes then came out to call his shot in terms of getting a World Championship opportunity at WrestleMania, before Melo said that Ilja Dragunov was the guy he wanted to gift a United States Championship opportunity to! However, Solo Sikoa and the MFTs made sure that this wouldn’t happen, and eventually, appearances from Matt Cardona, Apollo Crews, and Shinsuke Nakamura led us into a 10-Man Tag Team match! It feels like we’ve seen the MFTs compete in this style of match plenty of times by now, but it seems to be the only way they win! I’m not sure that this was a match that particularly benefited Carmelo Hayes, but what I will say is that Apollo Crews looked pretty good alongside some strong talent! Eventually, it was Tama Tonga who scored the win by pinning Hayes following a Cutthroat, and yeah, I’m not really sure if this was needed or not, but at least it should set up a future Melo-Tama match for the US Title!

Grade: C+

Nick Aldis told Damian Priest that he will be in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match next week, before Kit Wilson came in to read some of his “Toxic Poems”! In fairness, R-Truth seemed to enjoy these a lot! Anyway, we then went into a Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match as Giulia, Zelina, and Alexa Bliss all attempted to book their ticket to Chicago! Charlotte Flair was in the corner of Alexa Bliss throughout this match, but unlike most ringside guests, she didn’t exactly do anything! This match wasn’t that great; I don’t feel like Giulia is being able to showcase herself fully, whilst Zelina is not that good in the ring (unfortunately)! Eventually, Alexa was able to get the win following a Sister Abigail to Zelina, and I assume Bliss and Flair will have more issues once Charlotte qualifies next week!

Grade: C

Trick Williams VS Rey Fenix, Jade Cargill VS Jordynne Grace: WWE Women’s Championship

Jordynne Grace said she’d quite like to face Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania, before Tiffany made fun of Chelsea Green (who was being pushed around in a wheelchair by Alba Fyre)! After Sami Zayn wished Rey Fenix luck, the masked Luchador was set to go one-on-one with an ever-fired-up Trick Williams! Before the match had started, Trick Williams took plenty of shots at Sami Zayn, something Rey Fenix didn’t take too kindly to! In fact, Fenix got a lot of offence in during this match; far more than I expected, but it was all to build up the narrative that Trick is resilient; an interesting thing to do considering he’s one of the bigger Heels on the show! Anyway, eventually, Williams was able to score the win with a Trick Shot, and I’d expect him to qualify for Elimination Chamber next week (in a match that includes his old buddy, Carmelo Hayes)!

Grade: B-

Credit: WWE

After Giulia snapped at Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky, Jacob Fatu had a promo saying that he’s the guy who’s most used to being locked inside a chamber! Anyway, after Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio showed up to have their own Valentine’s date, it was time for Jade Cargill to finally put her WWE Women’s Championship on the line against The Juggernaut, Jordynne Grace! To be honest, this match was completely overshadowed by the whole Liv and Dom thing, and I feel like WWE knew that this was going to happen! Jade VS Jordynne should’ve been a focus on two powerhouses, but instead, the match felt secondary to a far more entertaining couple of performers! Eventually, Cargill would score the win with a Jaded, and yeah, I’m not sure this achieved anything (which about sums up Jade’s Title run to this date)!

Grade: C

Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Cody Rhodes VS Sami Zayn VS Jacob Fatu

Credit: WWE

After Johnny Gargano continued to be depressed, and Oba Femi found Kit Wilson’s poem to be rather amusing, it was Main Event time as Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and Jacob Fatu clashed in a Triple Threat Match to try and earn their way into the Elimination Chamber! This was a star-studded Qualifying Match, with an argument for all three men winning! Cody Rhodes was the favourite because he’s Cody Rhodes, Jacob Fatu had a chance because the story is there for him, whilst Sami Zayn could’ve easily won given the fact that Rhodes and Fatu can’t stand each other! Instead, what happened was Drew McIntyre nailed Jacob Fatu with a Claymore to break up a pinfall before he delivered another one to Cody! This was interesting as before the match had started, Drew told Sami that he hopes that he wins this match, and he quite literally tried to help him win here! Despite that, Rhodes was still able to kick out following a McIntyre Claymore, before a Helluva Kick from Zayn to the Undisputed WWE Champion opened the door for Cody Rhodes to deliver a Cross Rhodes to get the win! Of course he did!

Credit: WWE

Grade: B-