WWE Smackdown 2/21/2025

WWE Smackdown 2/21/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/02/wwe-smackdown-2142025.html

We are in New Orleans, LA. Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett are on commentary.

They tell us The Rock wil lbe here tonight and we see various wrestlers arrive.

Cody Rhodes and Nick Aldis talk. Nick says Cody is out of the 6-man tonight and it's out of his hands. Nick says there's no one they can call about it if you smell what Nick is cooking. Nick says it's coming from The Final Boss and says The Final Boss wants to see Cody in the ring.

Jimmy Uso talks on his way to the ring. He asks if Drew will win at The Elimination Chamber or at Mania. Uso motions "no yeet".

Drew McIntyre vs Jimmy Uso

Uso hits shots after Drew taunts him. Uso hits corner punches on him. Uso top rope crossbodies him. Uso boots him out of the corner then Drew belly to belly suplexes him as he comes off the 2nd rope. Drew hits another then sends him into the rails.

Jey spinning head kicks him then topes him outside. Jey is swept on the apron then Drew reverse alabama slams him on the steps. Drew then poses on the commentary table. We go to PiP break and return. 

Drew's head is banged off the post then Uso 2nd rope corkscrews him. Uso hits a superkick and punches him. Uso samoan drops him for 2. Drew flying headbutts him and spinebusters him for 2. Drew comes off the top and is superkicked. Uso then spears him for 2.

Drew avoids a top rope move and hits a neckbreaker. Uso superkicks him. Drew headbutts him back. Drew hits forearms and a headbutt. Uso rolls him up off the reverse alabama slam and wins.

Thoughts: It was on the shorter end. It was okay but these two were taking it easy and kind of went by the numbers. Uso winning was a surprise.

Drew nails Uso outside after. Drew then hits mounted punches and bangs Uso's head off the mat. Drew says Uso means nothing to him. Drew puts Uso's head against the post then officials come out to save Uso.

Drew breaks free of the officials then claymore kicks Uso in the ring.

We see Solo Sikoa arrive. Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu see him. Solo says what happened last week to Tama was an accident. Fatu says it's all good. He says if it wasn't an accident then Solo wouldn't be standing here right now. Solo says he's glad they are on the same page. Solo says he will be in their corner tonight. Fatu says they've been running things the last two weeks and says Fatu and Solo will run the play instead. Solo says that's why he loves him. Solo says he will talk to Aldis.

R-Truth and Carmelo Hayes talk in the back. Truth says they have a tag match tonight. Melo doesn't know about it. Truth says "him" made it. Melo says he's "him". Truth then points at Miz and says he made the match. Miz says they are "Melo Don't Miss". Truth says he has a Louisiana legend for his partner but doesn't name him. Miz hypes up the Melo Don't Miss name and wants a fist bump but Melo doesn't oblige.

We see clips from WWE LFG.  

We get a Zelina Vega video. She says her size has never stopped her before. She says she has never had it easy but it's a fresh start on SD. She says she has something to prove and her dreams are bigger.

R-Truth says his tag team partner is a local legend from New Orleans. He says his partner is Louisianna Knight. La Knight complains. Truth gives him a po-boy and Mardi Gras beads. 

Melo Don't Miss (The Miz and Carmelo Hayes) vs R-Truth and LA Knight

Melo knees Truth in the gut and hits a springboard twisting lariat. They trade pin attempts. Truth hiptosses him. LA neckbreakers Melo then Truth armdrags Melo. Truth tags Miz in, thinking Miz is his partner. Melo knocks Truth off the apron.

We go to break and return. Truth rolls up Melo for 2. Truth stunners Melo out of the suplex. LA gets in and hits shots on Miz. He flying lariats him. LA stomps on Melo in the corner and lariats Miz. LA powerslams Miz then elbow drops him for 2.

Melo and LA botch a tilt-a-whirl. Melo superkicks LA. LA blocks a jumping codebreaker. Truth tags himself in then flying shoulders Melo. Truth blue thunders Melo then hits a five knuckle shuffle. Truth flying corkscrew forearms Melo. Truth then puts Melo in the STF. Miz breaks it up.

LA lariats Miz over the top and throws him into the rails. Shinsuke Nakamura then kicks LA and sends him into the post without the ref seeing it. Truth takes a codebreaker + skull crushing finale combo and is pinned.

Thoughts: It wasn't that good. Miz and LA had a botch here and we had a dirty finish with Nakamura getting involved. I liked Miz and Melo's combo finisher though.

We get a video on Charlotte Flair. She says she has a legacy that no one can touch and says she's back.

Tiffany Stratton comes out to talk. She says everyone has been obsessed with her since she won the title. She said she had Nia Jax beat until LaRae interfered. She says her and Trish will make sure the unstoppable force comes to a definitive end. She says Charlotte Flair picked her as her Mania opponent. She says no one loves to kick a girl while she's down like Flair. She says she's not coming for Flair's legacy, she's coming for the spot she desires the most - the #1 spot as the top girl in the WWE.

Nia Jax and Candice LaRae come out. Nia syas it's cute Tiffy thinks she beat Nia last week. LaRae says Tiff wouldn't be standing there right now if it weren't for Trish Stratus. Nia says she's coming for her WWE Women's Title once they beat her and Trish at Elimination Chamber. She says Tiff won't even see the grandest stage of them all.

Tiff says LaRae won't have anyone to do her dirty work for her soon. Nia and LaRae said they don't wanna wait for the match and wanna take her out now.

Tiffany Stratton vs Candice LaRae

This started during the break. CL wristlocks her. Tiff flips out of it using the ropes and armdrags her. Tiff dropkicks her. Charlotte Flair then comes out. Tiff misses a handspring backflip back elbow on CL. CL pulls her neck forward then armlocks her.

CL is tripped into the ropes and Tiff hip attacks her there for 2. CL lariats Tiff for 2. CL armlocks her. Tiff basement dropkicks her for 2. Tiff's elbow is busted open. CL goes out and Tiff top rope moonsaults onto her and Nia outside but neither really catches her and Tiff lands hard.

We go to PiP break and return. Tiff lariats CL then handspring backflip back elbows CL. Tiff spinebusters CL for 2. The screen blacks out supposedly due to a Tiff wardrobe malfunction. Tiff misses a top rope swanton and lands hard. CL step up sentons Tiff's back.

Tiff finlay rolls CL and Nia pulls CL out. Tiff dropkicks Nia on the floor. Tiff alabama slams CL into the rails. Tiff points at Flair on commentary. Tiff hits a prettiest moonsault ever on CL and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't that good. LaRae didn't add much to this and Tiff took some hard falls which isn't good with Mania coming around.

Nia nails Tiff from behind after. She goes for a banzai drop then Trish Stratus comes out. She kicks Nia down from the ropes then thesz presses CL with punches. Tiff spinebusters CL. Trish hits shots on Nia and CL clips Trish. Nia headbutts Trish onto Tiff. Nia banzai drops both. 

Flair comes in the ring and points at the Mania sign after. She then pushes dust on Tiff from the ring mat.

Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest talk in the back. Cody says he doesn't know why The Rock is here and says it will be eventful. Priest says last year him and Cody were both champs. Priest says it can only be one of them this year. Priest says he's coming for Cody's title after The Chamber and Cody says he wouldn't have it any other way.

Braun Strowman comes in. He says Elimination Chamber would look different if it weren't for Solo last week. Priest says he beat him to the punch. Priest says they face Solo and Fatu tonight and ask if they are handling business. Braun says he just wants his hands on those two.

We get a package on the girls in the Elimination Chamber.

Byron interviews Naomi and Bianca Belair. Naomi says she knows Liv and Raquel were responsible for the attack on Jade. Bianca says they are ready and have been waiting for months for revenge. Bianca says they can finally move on once they get revenge. Naomi says they will feel the glow on Monday and tonight.

We get a video on Alexa Bliss. She says there was a lot of change while she was away but the desperation stays the same. She says she loves The Chamber and says it'll be a heel they never experienced before. She says this is her division and she's in charge. She then smiles and says see you soon.

Naomi vs Liv Morgan

Liv and Raquel Rodriguez attack Naomi and Bianca before the match. RR and Bianca trade shots. Liv clips Bianca. RR one arm powerbombs Bianca. RR throws Naomi down backwards. Liv hits oblivion on Naomi. Officials then come down to break things up.

We see The Rock's car arrive.

Chelsea Green and Piper Niven talk to Nick Aldis in the back. Green doesn't want Bianca and Naomi to make Elimination Chamber. Green says she wants to be on Elimination Chamber. Nick says Green's testing her patience. Nick tells her she will be on SD next week and tells her to pack her bags.

The Rock comes out with some new New Orleans "The Block is Hot" intro before his song. The Rock's first line is half-bleeped out. He says Wrestlemania is coming back to New Orleans. He says Wrestlemania 42 will be in New Orleans. He sings "Oh When The Saints Go Marching In" then yells at the crowd for singing along. He calls the crowd trailer park trash. He says he came here to call out Cody Rhodes. 

The Rock says the crowd loves Cody. The Rock says him and Cody have become good friends since last year's Mania. Rock says they were last together on the Raw Netflix debut. Rock says Cody is a great champ and says their moms have become good friends.

The Rock says he's on the TKO board and they own WWE. The crowd boos it and Rock says, "don't boo that". The Rock says Cody is a great champ but he wants him to be more than that. He wants him to be Rock's champion.

Cody says he's the fans champ. Rock says he knows Cody's goal is to bring as much happiness to everyone. Rock says Cody has millions of followers but he has half a billion. He says he wants that for Cody. Rock says he can open up doors for Cody if he becomes his champ.  Rock says he invited Cody to Moana 2's debut.

Rock says the one thing he never had that he wants is a brother. He says Cody can be that. Rock says he wanted to face Roman for the title at Mania last year and said he talked to Triple H and Nick Khan about it. The Rock then gets bleeped out. He says Cody stood up to him and slapped him. He says no one does that. He says that's why he should be Rock's champ. Rock tells him to think about it and says to give him the answer at Elimination Chamber. 

The Rock says he wants Cody's soul more than anything. Rock says he will see him at Elimination Chamber.

Thoughts: The censors blocked out some important lines here. I didn't think the segment was that great and thought it needed some build prior to this to really make it work. It's just out of character for The Rock and he's a pretty well established character. Rock has also gone from heel to face to seemingly heel again and it's hurting whatever the goal is here.

DIY come out. DIY says Pretty Deadly embarrassed them and they will return the favor tonight. Ciampa says they want a moment of silence for Pretty Deadly right now.

WWE Tag Titles - DIY (c) (Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano) vs Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson)

PD get pounded on as thye enter. PD hit stereo dropkicks and send DIY out. Elton hits punches on Ciampa then Ciampa pumping knees him off the apron. JG superkicks Elton from the apron.

We go to break and return. Elton takes a double team backdrop move. Kit boots JG on the apron then Ciampa facekicks Kit off the apron. Elton and Ciampa crossbody each other at the same time. Kit flying back elbows JG. Kit hits a double lariat on DIY. Kit is launched into a codebreaker on JG for 2. Elton suplexes Ciampa with a crotch hold. The Street Profits then run down and interfere to cause a DQ win for Pretty Deadly.

Thoughts: We didn't get to see too much one of this one before it ended. What we got was fine but nothing too special. The ending didn't help it.

Dawkins rams Kit into the post after and Elton also goes into the post. JG fights off The Profits then is popped up into a backdrop. Ford top rope splashes Ciampa.

The Motor City Machine guns come out and fight The Profits. Ford lariats Alex then Dawkins hits a big ending on Sabin. Sabin then takes a sky high + neckbreaker combo.

Kevin Owens does a video. He says Sami got what he wanted again. He asks if Sami thought about his family. We then see KO outside of Sami's house filming them. KO says Sami is selfish and won't be able to provide for his family at Elimination Chamber. He says Sami will make KO do this to them. He says he will see him in Toronto and says he asked for this and it's all his fault.

We see more clips from WWE LFG.

Solo and Fatu talk on their way to the ring. Fatu says they will even the score up tonight and says they have been dropping bodies like breadcrumbs.

Damian Priest and Braun Strowman vs The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu)

Solo and DP push each other. Solo hits shots on DP and headbutts him. DP hits big forearms. Solo hits head and gut punches on DP. DP then hits shots on Solo. solo uppercuts DP and DP hits him back. Braun corner splashes Solo. Braun crossbodies Fatu.

Braun shoulders over Fatu and DP chops Solo from the apron. Braun runs around the ring and punches a chair out of Tama's hand. Fatu then knocks himself and Braun over the timekeeper rail.

We go to PiP break and return. Fatu knocks Braun over and sentons him. Solo corner hip attacks Braun. Fatu corner hip attacks Braun. Braun tries to hit a boot out of the corner but doesn't hit it. Braun spinebusters Fatu.

DP hits shots on Solo. DP flying forearms Solo and flying back elbows him. DP spinning heel kicks Fatu. Solo superkicks him then DP spinning high kicks him. DP lifting flatliners him. DP high kicks Solo from the apron. DP ropewalk crossbodies Solo.

DP jumping kicks Solo. Tama Tonga gets on the apron and is hit. Fatu pulls DP down on the top rope and Solo uranages DP for 2. Fatu kicks Solo on accident. DP throws Fatu out. DP hits a big lariat on Solo then Braun pounces Fatu and Tama outside. DP hits a south of heaven on Solo and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't as good as it should have been. Braun looked injured or really gassed here. The furthered the Solo and Fatu situation some. This was just not much to write home about and was kind of a weak main even for TV.

Overall thoughts: It was easily the weakest SD since the move to 3 hours and really wasn't that good. It's not like things didn't make sense, but nothing really hit here inside or outside of the ring. The Rock's segment with Cody wasn't that great and nobody really had that great of a night here. I'd give this one a 5 out of 10 and really wouldn't recommend it at all.