WWE Smackdown 10/17/2025

WWE Smackdown 10/17/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/10/wwe-smackdown-10102025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/10/wwe-smackdown-10242025.html 

We are in San Jose, CA.

Vic Joseph and Corey Graves are on commentary

We see clips of The Vision turning on Seth Rollins.

Nick Aldis talks in the ring. He says Fatu vs Drew will be a #1 Contender's match tonight. He says the winner faces this man then brings out Cody Rhodes.

Cody says Seth was split to the bone when he beat him. He says Seth has his issues of his own. He says he needs to handle his own business and Cody says he will handle Smackdown business. He asks who will win tonight. He says the road to SNME runs through San Jose.

Solo Sikoa interrupts Rey Fenix while he's taking pictures. He says he's done now and tells him to move. Rey asks what's his problem. Solo says he doesn't have one but Rey does. The MFT's then nail Rey and throw him into boxes. Officials then break it up.

WWE Women's Tag Titles - Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (c) vs Sol Ruca and Zaria

Blake Monroe is in the front row for this. Sol rolls out of Flair's wristlock then Flair cartwheels out of one. Sol then carthwheels out of it. Flair boots both opponents and slingshot rolls Sol. 

Flair high kicks Sol. AB flying headscissors Sol. She then gets on Zar's back with a sleeper and is thrown over. AB dropkicks her. Zar spinebusters AB.

We go to PiP break and return. Zar sleepers AB. Zar hanging sleepers her from the 2nd rope. AB kicks her off the ropes. Sol spinning drops AB on her chest. Sol misses a corkscrew splash off of Zar's shoulders. 

Flair is tagged in. She top rope crossbodies her opponents and chops them. Flair forward cartwheel lariats Zar. Flair hits kicks on Zar. Flair facekicks Zar then Sol hits back elbows on Flair. Sol germans her. Flair catches Sol's 2nd rope dropkick then crabs her. 

Zar hits a sol snatcher on Flair for 2. AB diving headscissors Zar outside. Zar catches herbut falls down some and swings her into the rails. Sol 2nd rope moonsaults outside. Sol is distracted by Blake Monroe then Flair clips Sol. Flair figure fours Sol then turns it into a figure eight. Sol taps out.

Thoughts: The break cut up a bit of this one. Zar had a bad night as she fell down when trying to catch Bliss and slipped on the ropes. Flair's team got the win as expected here. I thought it was about average. 

Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu talk in the back. Fatu welcomes him to San Jose. He says when he finished dogwalking drew, he will show Cody that he is all gas and no breaks. They then shake hands. Cody says he hopes he's right.

Aleister Black does a video with Zelina Vega. He says everything he has done has been a calculated move. He says him and Vega teaming up was always part of the plan. They have snakes on them. Black says they are a necessary evil.

The Miz and Nick Aldis talk. Sami Zayn comes in and says he wants to do a US Title open challenge but has no match tonight. Nick says Nakamura isn't here and he wants to give him a fair chance. He also says The MFT's are causing trouble. Sami says that's not how things work here. Sami says this means something to him and the fans. He says he's going out there and will defend the title. Miz then smirks and says he didn't need anything else.

WWE United States Title - Open Challenge - Sami Zayn (c) vs Ilja Dragunov

The Miz comes out. Miz says he's sick of these open challenges. Carmelo Hayes then hits him fron behind and sends him into the tron. Ilja Dragunov then returns. Drag has put on a bunch of weight and has a neck/chest tattoo. He also has a new big knee brace.

They shake hands and trade forearms. Drag back elbows him and Sami lariats him. Sami hits chops on him. Drag enzugiri's him then corner facekicks him. We go to break and return. Sami lariats him. They trade forearms. Sami tornado ddt's him. Drag jumping facekicks him for 2. Drag germans him. Sami rolls him up for 2. Sami hits germans. Drag backdrops him for 2. Sami michinoku drivers him for 2. Sami chops him. Sami suplex lifts him and drops him shoulder first on the 2nd rope.

We go to break and return. They fight on the buckles. Drag hits a top rope senton for 2. Drag top rope superplexes him. Drag goes for an H-bomb and Sami gets his boot up. Drag hits a big suplex for 2. Drag spinning chops him then tiger feint lariats him. Drag jumps at him int oa boot. Sami hits a blue thunder for 2.

Solo Sikoa comes out. Sami is distracted but exploders Drag in the corner. Drag hits a flying battering ram and an h-bomb for the win.

Thoughts: I was surprised to see Dragunov and even more surprised to see him win. It's a good way to bring him back but I would have rather them built up to his win more. It was a hard match to follow as we had two breaks during it which took me out of the match. Dragunov looked good in his return.

The MFT's come out and beat up Sami and Dragunov. Rey Fenix comes out to help the faces but he ends up taking a chokeslam from Talla. 

Solo Sikoa gets on the mic. He asks if we forgot and says the MFT's run SD. He says he will make his family tree champs again. The lights go out and The Wyatt's get on the tron. Bo says seek and ye shall find. He says the door will be opened but asks if they are prepared for what's waiting on the other side. The Wyatt's then get on the apron and stare down the heels. 

Tiffany Stratton is interviewed. She says Vaquer is a great champ but says she's been undefeated for the last year so onel oss doesn't define her. Kiana James comes in and says she still loss. KJ says that loss is why she offered her expertise to Vaquer and not her. She says she knew she didn't have what it took and says Giulia is a high value investment that pays off longterm. Tiff says those who can do and those who don't represent. KJ says she can get it done in the ring. Tiff says prove it and challenges her for next week. KJ agrees.

We see The Motor City Machine Guns talk about their first year anniversary in WWE. Los Garza come in and mock them. Berto says they look like his grandfather's lawnmower. Sabin asks if they remember who they beat in their debut and it was them. Sabin says they could do it again since it's been one year.

The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) vs Los Garza (Angel and Berto)

Alex is touched by Berto then Angel nails him. Angel stomps on him Angel takes a top rope dropkick + flatliner. Sabin topes the heels outside. Angel beats up Sabin on the ropes. Alex hits chops on Angel. Alex is popped up into a kick then superkicked in the head. The heels pose and we go to break.

We return and Alex neckbreakers Angel. Sabin is tagged in and hits a top rope double crossbody then a double lariat. Sabin germans Angel. Berto takes a double hiptoss. Berto takes kicks. Angel is superkicked. Berto sit out powerbombs Sabin for 2.

Sabin is in the gori special and Berto slingshot cutters him for 2. Alex is upside down on the apron and is superkicked. Berto corkscrew dives the faces outside. Angel takes a double kick in the corner then takes skull and bones. Angel is pinned.

Thoughts: It was okay. They tried and did some dives and such here but it was nothing too memorable. Los Garza lose yet again here. The Guns won but I don't see them getting a title shot anytime soon.

Fraxiom watch in the back. NF talks about the tag teams and say they need to do something by making an impact. Ax says they wait patiently and pick the right spot. DIY come in. Gargano laughs at them and says them winning the titles won't happen. Ciampa says they missed them. He says The Street Profits showed that they are choke artists. Ciampa says someone wants a mask for Halloween and LeRae tries to take Axiom's mask. Axiom challenges them to come and try to take it in the ring. 

Chaos erupts in the back. Something has fallen on Fatu. He's down and bleeding from the mouth. Aldis calls for medical.

We go to break and return. Fatu is still down and Aldis wants to know if he saw anything.

Drew McIntyre comes out. He says Bleeding Gums Fatu is all gas, no breaks. He asks the ref to raise the hand of the new #1 contender. Aldis comes out. He says he doesn't know what happens but it's bad. He threatens him and Drew said he had nothing to do with that. Drew says to name him the #1 contender and give him the match. 

Cody Rhodes comes out. He says we are done with this. He says the people wanted a match. He says they should give them something now. Cody says let's do it now and tells him to come and get it.

WWE Title - Cody Rhodes (c) vs Drew McIntyre

Cody hits him outside and we go to PiP break. We return and they are hitting forearms. Drew is sent into the post. The match then officially begins as the bell rings. Drew overhead belly to belly suplexes him. Drew hits mounted punches.

Cody spears him and hits mounted punches. Drew double throat thrusts him then suplex throws him. Cody bites Drew's head. Drew back elbows him for 2. Drew arm and chinlocks him. Cody hits punches then takes a double arm ddt for 2. 

Drew hits chops and pounds on him. They trade more chops and Drew headbutts him. Cody hits a drop down punch and os cutters him. Cody goes for a tope and is hit with a forearm. Cody hits Drew with the belt and is DQ'd.

Thoughts: It was all brawling here. They didn't get a ton of time and it had a dirty finish. It was a little aggressive and stiff at least.

Cody clears the commentary table. Drew eye pokes him. Cody bangs Drew's head off the buckles. Cody goes for cross rhodes on the table and security and officials break it up. Cody then jumps off the top onto guards and Drew.

Overall thoughts: We had 4 matches here. The opener was average. Sami/Dragunov got a lot of time but was cut up by breaks. The Guns and Los Garza was fine. The main was also short and didn't have a clean finish, plus Fatu wasn't even in it as advertised. I thought it was about average and would give it a 5 out of 10 overall. I wouldn't recommend this one.