WWE Friday Night Smackdown 3/14/2025

WWE Friday Night Smackdown 3/14/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/wwe-smackdown-372025.html

Note - I'm watching the international feed on this one so I'll be seeing some extra stuff people in the US don't see.

We are in Barcelona, Spain.

Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive. Paul Heyman has a soccer ball.

LA Knight comes out to talk. LA says we are making history as it's the first SD in Barcelona. He said he stood too long without the title. Jimmy Uso comes out. He says he's desperate. He says his road to Mania is running short. He said his only way to start the road to Mania is to challenge him for the US Title.

The Bloodline of Tama, Fatu and Solo come out. Solo says if anyone deserves a US Title shot, it's Jacob Fatu. Solo says LA stole the pin in a match weeks ago. Solo tells Jimmy to step aside since he's the failure of the family. Jimmy says his biggest failure was trusting Solo as his brother. He says Solo losing the necklace to Roman was the biggest failure. The Bloodline attack and a fight breaks out. Braun Strowman then comes to help out. Braun hits shots on Fatu and Solo. Jimmy superkicks Fatu then Braun lariats Fatu over the top.

Nick Aldis comes out. he says he can feel the intensity and sets up a 6-man tag.

The Bloodline (Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) vs LA Knight, Jimmy Uso and Braun Strowman

Solo bangs Jimmy's head off the buckles and pounds on him. Jimmy goes up and over then hits shots on Solo. Jimmy hits corner punches. Jimmy upercuts Solo then Solo uranages him. Solo face rakes Jimmy on the ropes and Tama punches Jimmy.

Tama slingshot swantons Jimmy. Tama pounds on him. Solo corner hip attacks Jimmy. Fatu does a trapezus hold to Jimmy. Jimmy spinning enzugiri's Fatu. LA hits punches on Fatu. LA jumping neckbreakers Fatu. LA ddt's Fatu for 1. Fatu superkicks him. Fatu then lariats him.

Fatu misses a corner splash on LA. LA then double jump springboard elbow drops him. LA takes a flying back elbow from Fatu. Tama splashes and pounds on LA. Tama stomps LA then Solo stomps LA's hand. LA is sent hard into the buckles.

Solo back elbows LA for 2. Tama headbutts LA's shoulder then sliding lariats him. Fatu headbutt drops LA. Fatu corner hip attacks LA. Solo misses a corner hip attack. LA backdrops Solo.

Braun is tagged in. He shoulders over Tama and misses a facekick on him that is sold. BS runs around the ring and knocks over the heels. LA dropkicks Sol through the ropes then Jimmy topes Fatu over the commentary table. BS corner lriats Tama then powerslams him to win.

Thoughts: It was okay. It wasn't anyone's best work and wasn't memorable but it was acceptable enough.

Solo samoan spikes Braun after the match. LA sends Solo over the rail outside. Fatu flying back elbows LA then hits headbutts on Braun. Fatu double jump moonsaults Braun 3 times. Fatu goes to leave with his buddies then runs back down and basically sends himself into the rails, only barely knocking Braun through them.

Cathy Kelley interviews Jade Cargill earlier in the day. Jade says she's okay and ready to go. She says Naomi crying about her struggles is pathetic. Jade says she can only recall being knocked onto the car and seeing Naomi running away. She says Naomi attacked her physically and attacked her heart. She said she knew she had to take things in her own hands.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez come in. They argue with Jade. Jade says she will see Liv next week. Liv agrees and tells her not to get knocked onto any cars until then.

B-Fab talks before her match in Spanish. She says she hopes Flair didn't sleep on her. She says she's here to build her own legacy and if it has to be built on Flair, that's just how it is.

Charlotte Flair vs B-Fab

I really don't know what this company sees in Fab or how she has stuck around so long. She's one of the worst workers on the roster, maybe even worse than Maxxine. She's really not some great personality and I don't think she's some super model either.

They lock up and CF armdrags her. CF shoulders her over. then chops her. CF hits chops. Fab side kicks her then lariats her. Fab chokeslams her for 2. CF goes out. Fab chases her around the ring and CF boots her as she tries to get in.

They bridge up together and CF kind of neckbreakers her. CF throws her down backwards. CF side hide headlocks her. Fab crossbodies her. Fab's head is banged into the buckles and CF stomps on her. CF tells the crowd to suck it. CF bangs Fab's head off the mat with a headscissors. CF then rolls her around with the headscissors.

CF is pushed into the buckles off a figure eight attempt. Fab hits shots then hits a corner spear. Fab suplexes her. Fab spinning heel kicks her in the corner. Fab gets a 2 count on her after a pump kick.

CF high kicks her then hits natural selection. CF then figure eight's her to win.

Thoughts: It was an average match and not too much of note. Fab didn't show a ton here but didn't botch anything.

CF keeps the hold on after the bell as Fab does a bad job selling it. Tiffany Stratton runs down and fights with CF.

Officials then come down to break it up. Flair jumps off the commentary desk onto Tiff as 12 weak security guards somehow can't separate them. Tiff then top rope swantons all the guards.

Drew McIntyre does a promo. He says he focused on people in front of him and didn't realize people benefited when he got screwed. He talks about getting cashed in on by Damian Priest then, Priest beating him. Drew then talks about getting screwed by Punk on his MITB cash-in against Priest. He then says Priest pushed him out of the Rumble and pinned him at Elimination Chamber. Drew says if Priest wanted his attention he got it. He says it's about putting Priest down for good so he can't take anything away from him again.

Thoughts: This was a good video that tied a bunch of stuff together that most people didn't even notice.

Miz TV

Miz goes to talk. Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair fight near the entrance and officials try to break it up with security. Tiff is sent into boxes. Tiff then jumps off the tron and swantons Flair and the guards. Tiff is then sent to the back. Miz says that was a great way to start off Miz TV.

Miz says his guest should have taken The Rock's offer and said he got beaten up by 2 rappers. Miz brings out Cody Rhodes then cuts his entrance music off. Miz says he doesn't have time to be interrupted again. Cody then hits him and drops him with a cross rhodes.

Cody says he doesn't want to talk to anyone who isn't named John Cena.

Nick Aldis talks to Shinsuke Nakamura. He asks how he could mist the ref. Nakamura says he wants a rematch and Nick says he should be suspended. Damian Priest comes in and looks for Drew McIntyre. Nick says Nakamura left already. Nakamura talks in Japanese to Priest. Priest says he doesn't know what he said then talks to him in spanish, which he won't understand. He then says he wants to give Nakamura a beating. Nick sets the match up.

Thoughts: This was a stupid segment.

We get a vignette for a new wrestler who looks like Rey Fenix.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Damian Priest

They lock up and Sn is bakced up in the corner. DP wristlocks him. SN hammerlocks him. DP side headlocks him. SN foot chokes him. DP hits shots in the corner. DP flapjacks SN then lariats him over the top to the floor.

DP drops SN throat first on the rails. DP forearms him. DP misses a corner splash and is kicked in the back of the neck. SN running knees DP in the corner. SN flying knees DP off the 2nd rope. 

SN chokes DP on the ropes. SN hits knees to the ribs. DP hits forearms. SN gets a 2 count on him and then does a chickenwing. SN is caught off the 2nd rope and takes a lifting flatliner. DP hits kicks and forearms him.

DP flying back elbows him then hits a broken arrow. DP then runs and shoves SN onto the commentary table. DP walks the top rope and crossbodies SN. SN rolling armbars him. DP running larits him.

Drew McIntyre comes out. DP gets distracted and SN rolls him up for 2. SN spinning heel kicks him. DP then hits a south of heaven chokeslam on SN. Drew then comes in and beats up DP for the DQ.

Thoughts: It wasn't anything too special. They did a lot of strikes that didn't look all that great and it wasn't super exciting. The finish didn't help.

Drew and DP fight after. Drew rakes his eyes and SN hits a kinshasa on DP. Drew then pounds on DP and throws him into the rails. Drew then hits DP with the steps. Drew walks away then claymore kicks DP. Drew tells DP he screwed him this whole year and he wants nothing more than to make DP's life a living hell.

Cathy Kelly interviews DIY in the back. Ciampa says SD has the best tag division because they are at the top of the mountain. They say they made The Street Profits better but they still aren't as good as them. Johnny accuses them of choking. The Motor City Machine Guns walk in. They say the entire tag division is after DIY. Sabin says they didn't forget about them and says there's unfinished business when they are done with The Profits.

Chelsea Green, Alba Fyre and Piper Niven are interviewed in the back. Green says she has faced injustice and brought out her secret weapon. She says The Green Administration is in full force. Zelina Vega comes in and says her name being announced as the champ sounds good. Piper tells her she has to go through them to get to Chelsea. Vega says that's fine.

Randy Orton vs Carmelo Hayes

Melo doesn't shake Orton's hand. He shoves him and gets euro'd. Melo's head is banged off the buckles. Orton hits corner punches. Melo is sent into the post shoulder first. Melo is then backdropped on the commentary table.

Orton eye pokes him outside and backdrops him on the commentary table again. Orton is tripped into the ropes inside. Melo clubs on him from behind. Melo hip attacks him on the ropes. Melo hits elbows on Orton's throat/shoulder.

Melo chops Orton over then chinlocks him. Melo superkicks him for 2. Melo chinlocks him again. Orton lariats him then powerslams him. Orton goes for a bridging ddt but Melo escapes. Melo springboards and is caught with a powerslam. Orton hits a draping ddt. 

Melo stunners Orton over the top rope. Melo blind springboard ddt's Orton for 2. Melo goes up top and is caught. Orton superplexes Melo. Melo codebreakers Orton then Orton hits an RKO. Orton then picks up the win.

Thoughts: It was a decent match that got a lot of time. Orton did a bit more than he usually does here and seemed inspired. I liked the springboard crossbody into the powerslam spot. Orton won here as expected as Melo never wins these matches yet keeps getting put in them.

Orton picks up Melo after. Melo piefaces him then is RKO'd. Orton goes for the punt but Kevin Owens saves Melo. KO sends Orton into the post.

The Bloodline talk in the back. Solo tells Fatu to take out Braun Strowman. Fatu asks if Braun thinks he can touch that. Fatu says he will dogwalk him next week in a match.

Gunther comes out to talk. He says The Road to Wrestlemania in Europe stars here in Barcelona. He says he had to be here as the greatest Euro wrestler and says he wishes they were in Madrid instead. Gunther says he wants to prove a point. He says the fans love Jey as he's wasting his time entertaining them. He says there's no substance to it once the bell rings and says its meaningless.

He says he heard A-Kid is the best wrestler out of Spain and one of the best talents in WWE. He says the fans love him and says he will prove it doesn't mean a thing. He then brings out Axiom.

Thoughts: Look, I know it's no real secret that A-Kid is Axiom, but can we atleast pretend he's not? 

Gunther vs Axiom

They wrestle for position. Ax chest kicks him in the corner. Gunther throws him. Ax hits kicks to the leg. Ax chops him and avoids a shot. Ax hanging armbars Gun over the top rope. Ax boots him then Gun hits a big chop on him.

Gun snapmares him then slams him. Ax hits chops and forearms. Gun stomps and kicks him. Ax hits forearms and kicks back. Gun crabs him then goes for the STF.

Gun knees Ax in the gut. Gun hits more chops and rips at Ax's mask. Ax dragon screws Gun over the 2nd rope. Ax top rope dropkicks Gun.  

They trade more shots. Ax hits an enzugiri. Ax cradles him for 2. Ax pumping knees him. Gun hits a flying dropkick then powerbombs him for 2. Ax step up enzugiri's him. Ax hurricanrana's Gun the hits a golden ratio kick for 2.

Ax hits chest kicks then is caught with a powerbomb. Gun hits a big lariat. Gun then powerbombs him again and pins him.

Thoughts: It went longer than it needed to. I didn't buy that Ax was winning this and he didn't. They did what they were supposed to here. They could have built this up some to maybe get people to care but they opted for the surprise instead.

Gunther sleepers Ax after and refs come to break it up.

Paul Heyman talks in the ring. Paul says he will keep it short and sweet like Seth Rollins' future prospects. He says this is Roman Reigns Day. He says it's the release of WWE 2K25. He says everyone will go home and play it.

Paul then talks about CM Punk. He says it's not CM Punk Day and will never be Seth Rollins Day. Paul says Roman will appear live on SD next week and says the fans can say anything they want to him then. He says that's not a prediction, that's a spoiler.

The Street Profits are in the back and run into Legado Del Fantasma. Santos says they don't have a problem with them. Santos says they wish them luck in their match. He says they would like nothing more than to take the titles off of them. He then laughs as he leaves. Ford then mocks him. Dawkins says it's not the night for talking and says they will walk out tag champs tonight.

Jimmy Uso and Gunther talk in the back. Gun says they have some things in common. He says they both have brothers. He says he left Axiom choked out like a wet towel. He says he will have to do the same thing to Jey Uso. He asks Jimmy to have a word with Jey. Jimmy says Gun has this whole thing backwards. Jimmy says The Ring General drops rank and his title to Jey Uso at Mania. Jimmy says they are yetting there. Gunther says he was mistaken about his maturity and says he tried.

WWE Tag Titles - DIY (Tomasso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano) vs The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins)

Ciampa side headlocks him. Dawkins shoulders him over then hits a punch flurry on him in the corner. Ford dropkicks Ciampa then is flipped onto him. DIY regroup outside and Dawkins punches JG down.

Ciampa stomps on Dawkins then hits punches. Dawkins blocks JG's slingshot ddt and overhead throws him. Ford top rope crossbodies JG. Ford lariats JG. We see pretty Deadly watching in the back. Ford kicks Ciampa from the apron then is pushed off the apron into the rails by JG.

Ciampa stomps on Ford outside. Ciampa running knees Ford off the apron. Ford's head is banged off the apron. Ford is double teamed in the corner. JG stomps on Ford in the corner. Ciampa 2nd rope air raid crashes Ford for 2. Ford back body drops Ciampa.

JG misses a corner splash. Dawkins is tagged in. He hits lariats on Ciampa then flying back elbows him. Dawkins flapjacks JG. Dawkins corkscrew splashes Ciampa, totally misses a spin kick then does a twisting suplex on Ciampa for 2. Ciampa is popped up into a german for 2.

Ford 450's off the top into Ciampa's knees. Ford takes a shatter machine for 2. Everyone starts getting a shot in. Ford jumping knees JG.

Dawkins pounces Ciampa into the rail and is toped by JG. Dawkins twisting ddt's JG. JG avoids a doomsday device blockbuster. Ford tope con hilos Ciampa. Ford then hits a doomsday device blockbuster on JG for 2.

Ciampa is sent over the top. Dawkins misses a top rope swanton on JG. Ciampa pumping knees Dawkins. Dawkins takes a superkick = angel's wings combo for 2. JG superkicks Ciampa on a failed meet in the middle. Dawkins spinebusters Ciampa. Ford hits a top rope splash on Ciampa and wins it. The Street Profits win the tag titles.

Thoughts: This got a bunch of time and was a good match as expected. It was athletic and they did their best stuff here. I was a bit surprised to see The Profits pull this one off but I wouldn't be surprised if they end up dropping it and we end up with a multi-team match at Mania. 

Overall thoughts: It was a bit of a long show as usual at 3 hours. I still don't think they are making the most of their time and the extra hour isn't quite helping out the undercard as much as I expected it to. It was a solid show but it would have been a better 2 hour show. I'd give this a 6 out of 10 as there was nothing wrong with it but it wasn't super exciting.