WWE Smackdown 3/7/2025

WWE Smackdown 3/7/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/02/wwe-smackdown-2282025.html

We are in Philadelphia, PA.

Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive. Drew McIntyre hits Damian Priest from behind as he enters. He bangs him into a box and says, "what did you think was going to happen?"

We then see clips from Elimination Chamber.

Randy Orton comes out to talk. He says a lot of crazy stuff has happened since he was gone. He says Cena has been on the top of this profession and now he's a bottom for Rock. He says it brings a new meaning to rock bottom.  He says he respects Kevin Owens as a wrestler and says he busted his butt to get here. He says he has a problem with Kevin Owens, the man.

He says to never underestimate a jealous man's ability to destroy another man. He talks about KO going after Cody and Sami. Orton says KO tried to end Sami's career because Sami became a bigger star than him. He brings up KO fighting Austin at Mania and asks what KO has to be jealous of? He says KO is never satisfied.

He says KO p!ssed him off. He says he liked dropping KO and says his voices to him to kick KO in the head. He says he will prove in short order that Pat McAfee is only the 2nd greatest punter in WWE.

Tiffany Stratton, Aldis, Chelsea Green and Piper talk. Green complains about having to defend her title in a street fight. She says it's discrimination. Tiff says she should exercise her right to stay silent and tells both Green and Piper to shut up. She says she will make them shut up in a match tonight. Aldis says it's a great idea.

Tiffany Stratton vs Piper Niven

They lock up and shove each other. Piper throws her down backwards. Green goes up and over then side headlocks her. Piper shoulders her over then misses a senton. Tiff basement dropkicks her. Tiff kneeling springboard swantons her for 2. Tiff's caught on a handspring backflip elbow and is thrown in an ugly way over the top. Piper then cannonballs her off the apron.

We go to break and return. Tiff armdrags her then lariats her. Tiff shoulders her over then basement dropkicks her. Piper hits corner spears. Piper misses a charge and is pulled down backwards. Tiff hits a top rope swanton for 2.

Piper blackhole slams her. Piper misses a vader bomb and Tiff hits a prettiest moonsault ever for the win.

Thoughts: It was an okay match here with Tiff doing her flying and Piper throwing her around. I do think Tiff took some risky bumps here that she shouldn't be taking with Mania coming up.

Charlotte Flair comes out and flips Tiff after. She then figure eight's her. Refs then come down to break it up.

Nick Aldis talks. He says it's March and he says he will illustrate the madness of the tag division. He has a board up and draws connections between teams with The Machine Guns, Pretty Deadly, DIY, The Street Profits and Los Garza. He runs down the history of these teams over the last few months. Aldis says The Street Profits will get a tag title shot against DIY next week. He says Pretty Deadly face Los Garza and The Guns in a #1 contender's match.

#1 Contender's Match - Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) vs The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) vs Los Garza (Angel and Berto)

Kit dropkicks Angel out. Angel then dropkicks Kit in the air. The 6 wrestlers fight. PD hit stereo facekicks on The Gun's then get sent out. Angel is popped up into a double dropkick on The Guns. Angel and Berto then do stereo moonsaults to the outside off the same turnbuckles.

We go to PiP break and return. Alex hits a ddt + flatliner combo on PD. Sabin top rope dropkicks Elton. Sabin boots Berto out of the corner and 2nd rope diving headscissors him. Sabin rolls Berto then 2nd rope tornado ddt's him for 2.

Elton nails Sabin from behind then takes a pop-up kick. Kit neckbreakers an opponent then Sabin flying headscissors Berto. Sabin topes 3 opponents outside. Alex is pushed off the top then Elton backslides Sabin to win.

Thoughts: It was short but had a fast pace and a lot of action. I was surprised to see this didn't go longer after they ran down the big history of all these teams. I was also surprised to see Pretty Deadly win this one. What we got was okay but this could have been more.

Bianca Belair comes out to talk. She said she should feel like she's on top of the world but says it's hard to when her friends Jade and Naomi are fighting. BB says Naomi was her best friend. She says she doesn't believe Naomi would do something like that. She says she's getting accused and says neither Naomi or Jade will talk to her. She tells Naomi to come out and give her answers.

Naomi comes out with a neckbrace. She asked who stepped up for Jade when she couldn't compete and made sure she didn't have to drop the tag titles. BB asks her if she attacked Jade. Naomi says they need to focus on getting the tag titles back.

BB says to stop talking about other things and says they are here to talk about Jade. Naomi says Jade has been piggybacking off of BB and said she had to step aside for Jade.. Naomi says she was proud of them winning the tag titles. She says she didn't care about Jade as Jade didn't care about BB. They argue and BB says Naomi either needs to say yes or no as to whether she attacked Jade or not. Naomi says she did it..for BB and for their team.

BB says it hurts because she loves her. BB says they are done. BB leaves and Naomi says she did this for her. Naomi says she should have pushed Jade harder and sooner. She calls BB an ungrateful b!tch.

We then see Jade Cargill arrive in a car. She heads to the ring. Jade goes after Naomi and catches her before she can leave. Jade bangs Naomi off the commentary table and pounds on her. Jade then sends her into the post. Jade then hits a jade end and stands over her.

Thoughts: I wasn't a big fan of this. Naomi didn't explain the turn that well and there were no hints to suggest that Naomi was the attacker. Jade also basically just got revenge on Naomi here, so there's not even a big need to see the match now.

Drew McIntyre is interviewed in the back. Byron says Drew's attack on Priest was unprovoked. Drew says he told everyone what Cena was like but no one listened. Drew says DP took away his shot at the title at The Chamber. He says what DP got was well deserved. He says he has nothing to give but violence and it starts tonight.

We see DDP working out Lex Luger. Cody Rhodes comes in and tells Lex he's part of the 2025 Hall of Fame. Lex then hugs them.

Byron interviews Charlotte Flair in the back. She says she warned Tiffany she would be everywhere she was. She says the division has gone soft too. She says she has to remind people there's levels to what she does. B-Fab comes in and complains about her saying the women's division is soft. Flair says no one compares to her. Fab says they want their own legacies and don't want to bow down to her.

Flair says everyone bows down to her eventually. Flair then challenges her for next week.

Solo Sikoa vs Braun Strowman

They shoulder battle and BS knocks him over. BS knocks him over the top rope. BS charges at him outside and goes into the steps when Solo side steps him. Solo hip attacks him against the rails.

We go to break and return. Solo headbutts BS then samoan drops him. Solo hits a corner hip attack. BS crossbodies him. BS then runs around outside and shoulders him over. BS hits a corner splash. BS is sent shoulder first into the buckles. Solo superkicks him in the face. BS powerslams him for 2. Tama Tonga then beats up Braun for the DQ.

Thoughts: What we got of this was fine but it's a shame it had a dirty finish as I want to see how it progressed.

Tama hits shots on Braun but Braun gets the edge on him. Jacob Fatu comes out and stares down Braun. The two then fight. Fatu hits superkicks. Fatu tries to tope him but gets stuck on the ropes and misses. Braun chokeslams Fatu onto the commentary table. Fatu then jumps off of it with a back elbow on Braun.

Braun is thrown over the rail and Fatu elbows him off the rail. They fight in the production area. Braun is put on boxes. Braun chokeslams Fatu off the boxes through tables. Fatu then gets up before the segment ends.

Byron interviews LA Knight. He says the man who cost him the US Title last time is out of the picture. He says it's him and Nakamura tonight for the US Title. He says it's one moment and one time. He says that's all he needs to smack him into place. LA says he hopes the shadows are good to Nakamura because he won't be.

Chelsea Green talks to Piper Niven in the back. Piper is hurt and Green tells her to shake it off. Zelina Vega comes in and says she's coming after whoever has the Women's US Title.

Women's United States Title - Street Fight - Chelsea Green (c) vs Michin

They fight on the floor as Michin enters. Green has Cactus Jack gear on. Green is thrown into the rails. Green boots her off the apron and Mich hits her with a cookie tray. Mich brings in some weapons.

Green hits her in the gut with a chair. Green is tripped into an unfolded chair. Green hits her with a trash can then Mich back body drops her. Mich bites Green's fingers outside. Mich pulls a table out then Green zig zags her on the floor. 

We go to PiP break and return. Mich's hands are tied up with rope. She is sent into the side of the ring then hanged. Mich sprays her with a fire extinguisher. Mich goes for the table again and Piper Niven hits Mich. Mich's head is banged off the commentary table.

Green does a coast to coast dropkick into a trash can into Mich's head with help from Piper. B-Fab comes out and hits Piper with a kendo stick. They end up leaving ringside. Mich hits Green with a kendo stick then dropkicks her into the corner.

Mich throws a trash can at Green's head. Mich cannonballs the trash can into Green for 2. Mich brings the table in and Greens his her from behind. Mich hits soul foot on GReen and sends her on the table. The table leg half gives out with Green on it and Mich top rope sentons her through it. Someone in a hood pulls Green out and it's Alba Fyre.

Alba kicks Mich then hits a canadian destroyer on her on a chair. Green then pins Mich. Alba salutes her.

Thoughts: Mich has lost too many times against Green. I hope this is the end of it as this match has been done to death. Alba helping out Green was totally out of nowhere and a surprise. The match was mostly all weapons shots and weapons spots as expected and it was fine.

Legado del Fantasma talk in the back. Santos says Los Garza failed when they had the opportunity in their hands. Santos says things need to change soon and he doesn't expect it, he demands it. Andrade comes up to Berto and asks why he takes that from Santos.

Cody Rhodes comes out. The area around his left eye is all swollen and red. He talks about getting turned on. He says he was tasting his own blood and on the bottom in the biggest moment in WWE history. He says he told his daughter that he ran into a wall.

He said he drove Cena around for 2 years and sponged all the info he could off of him. He says Cena was a hero. He says he will tell his daughter what actually happened some day. He says he will say that the man who said never give up, gave up. Cody says we'd all like to know why Cena did what he did.

Cody says there is no justification for Cena. He says Philadelphia was the one place his dad was afraid to compete in. He says the crowd cheered for him in an MITB match and he said he never forgot it. He said the crowd choose him again last year at Wrestlemania in Philly.

Cody holds up his title. He says Cena wants some so come get some.

The Miz and Carmelo Hayes talk to Nick Aldis in the back. Miz says everyone saw the Cena he warned people about. Miz wants to do "Melo Don't Miz TV". Randy Orton ends up coming in. Aldis says Owens isn't here. He says next week Orton should face Carmelo Hayes. Orton says he loves it. He says Melo is on the 1 yard line and tells him not to fumble the bag.

Jimmy Uso vs Drew McIntyre

Uso heads in and hits shots on Drew. Uso chops him up then Drew is thrown over the top. Uso goes for a tope and is forearmed. Uso tries an up and over but is kicked. Drew's head is banged off the commentary table and Uso superkicks him. Uso then crossbodies him over the commentary desk.

We go to break and return. Uso hits superkicks on Drew then spinning enzugiri's him. Uso samoan drops him for 2. Uso corner hip attacks Drew. Uso superkicks him for 2. Uso misses a move off the top and takes a claymore kick. Drew then wins.

Thoughts: This was disappointing. This didn't get much time at all and this made Uso look weak to go down so easy. I'm not sure why they did this one like this.

Drew goes to attack Uso after then is hit by Damian Priest. Officials come out to stop DP. DP superkicks him and pounds on him.

Shinsuke Nakamura does a video. He says LA Knight will have to see that reality has passed him by and says the title is in his possession. He says there's no better location for the death of LA's dreams then in Philly. He says he will continue to be the champ LA can't be. He says LA will beg for mercy and find none.

The Street Profits say DIY's days are numbered as champs. They say if you get in  their way, they will put you in the dark. They say they are always together and will stay together. Ford says they want the smoke.

Byron interviews DIY. Johnny says there's a lot of good teams but there's only great team and it's them. Ciampa says the teams want they have but says there's only one #1 and it's them. DIY says The Street Proftis' dream of becoming champs is already dead and ask for a moment of silence.

WWE United States Title - Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs LA Knight

LA hits punches and SN knees him in the gut. LA hits more punches. SN slides out. SN knees him in the head as he hangs off the apron. SN cartwheel knee drops him. SN then sliding germans LA.

LA 2nd rope diving bulldogs him then lariats him over the top. LA dropkicks him through the ropes. We go to PiP break and return. They trade shots. LA rebound neckbreakers him then powerslams him. LA elbow drops him for 2.

SN rakes LA's eyes on the buckles then makes him take a bad looking backdrop off the buckles for 2. I think LA was supposed to take a reverse slam but didn't make it. LA lariats SN. SN is up top, LA jumps up top and superplexes him. LA hits a double jump springboard elbow drop. SN slides out to avoid a BFT.

SN grabs a chair outside and LA blocks a shot with it. SN spinning back elbows LA. SN tries to chair LA but the ref grabs the chair. LA almost nails the ref. SN mists the ref on accident and the ref goes out. SN spinning heel kicks him then does a shining axe kick (they mention this is Meiko's move and this the 2nd move of Meiko's he did in this match).

LA boots a chair away from SN. LA hits a BFT on a chair and a 2nd ref comes down. LA pins SN and wins.

LA then gets fireworks for the win.

Thoughts: They botched here and LA took a bad looking bump off the 2nd rope on his shoulder. SN did 2 of Meiko Satomura's moves here. The match wasn't great or anything but it was okay enough. I assume we are getting a rematch out of this. 

Overall thoughts: It was one of the quicker moving 3 hour SD's. It was an okay show overall but not great. I didn't think some of the matches like Braun/Solo and Uso/Drew got enough time in this one. I didn't like the Naomi turning segment much as she just didn't explain the turn well enough and the material wasn't that great. We didn't hear from Cena or Rock after the big Cena heel turn which I thought was a mistake. The main was probably the best thing on here but there were 5 okay matches tonight so in ring wise, we had a good show. I'd give the show a 7 out of 10 overall but I don't think it was must see.