wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 3.21.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hey there people, WWE Smackdown was in Bologna, Italy earlier today for this episode. If you want spoilers they can be found HERE. Tonight we’re getting another instance of Jacob Fatu vs. Braun Strowman and I’m not quite sick of those two big men brutalizing each other so I’m down for that one. Liv Morgan will also battle Jade Cargill, there’s 0 chance that is a clean match or finish, Zelina Vega will try and get a shot at the women’s US title when she battles Piper Niven. Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest are heating up their feud, and last week Shinsuke Nakamura got briefly involved so we’ll see what plays out there. The Street Profits won the tag team titles last week but the tag team scene on Smackdown is still wonderfully chaotic, Pretty Deadly are the nominal number one contenders but DIY, Los Garza, and the Motor City Machine Guns are still circling those belts as well. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens are still building to their Mania match, but no WWE champion Cody Rhodes this week as he was on RAW to confront John Cena, because God forbid the title program for Smackdown actually develop in a meaningful way on Smackdown. Roman Reigns will be here this week to talk, so expect the three way of him, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins to likely have a pull apart brawl of some variety tonight. Anyway that’s the preamble so let’s get to the action.
Commentary welcomes us to the show, and expect a hot crowd as most of these European cards tend to be. We see several wrestlers arriving at the venue. CM Punk is here, as will be Seth Rollins so yeah, big fracas for those guys.
Randy Orton heads to the ring to a massive pop. The crowd sort of sings along with his music, they’ve got the chorus down but the verses need a little work. Randy takes his time enjoying the moment and eventually gets a mic but before he can speak the music for Kevin Owens hits and Kevin starts walking and talking to the ring. He knows what Randy wants to do but wants Randy to hear him out first. Kevin is here to tell Randy that he was wrong, he was wrong to attack him and Randy didn’t deserve what he did to him. Cody and Sami deserved everything he did to them, but Randy didn’t. He was angry that Randy chose Cody over him and got angry but he regrets letting the anger get the better of him, and if anyone understands that it has to be Randy. So Kevin can forgive Randy for picking Cody’s side if Randy can forgive him, then they can put this in the past. He brings up pulling Carmelo Hayes away from a Punt last week because he was trying to save Randy from himself. Randy isn’t the same guy who used to do those things and Randy is better for it, leave that guy in the past. Let’s look to the future, to WrestleMania where the two of them can become tag team champions. They came close months ago, but putting that behind them will let them get the titles. Randy considers then says he should run down the aisle and beat Kevin’s ass all over this arena. But he is moderately intrigued, he’s never heard Kevin admit he was wrong but Randy then tells him to shove that half hearted apology up his ass. The only thing deserved here is Randy kicking Kevin in the head. It used to be Fight, Owens, Fight now it’s bitch Owens bitch. Ever since taking the piledriver Randy’s been hearing the voices and in Vegas at WrestleMania he’s going to kick Kevin’s head clean off of his shoulders. Decent promo from both men, nothing special but it got the point across.
We get a recap of stuff between Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest last week. Priest then heads to the ring, he’ll tag with Jimmy Uso against Drew and Shinsuke Nakamura after this break.
Post break Shinsuke Nakamura is heading to the ring, the crowd is trying to sing along but they’re not hip to the new theme. Also it’s a shame Nakamura seems like the fall guy here. Oh, Jimmy Uso got the jobbers entrance. Drew McIntyre then heads to the ring, he got a good ovation. Priest heads up the ramp to attack Drew and they start brawling towards the ring. Nakamura shoes up to help Drew then Jimmy goes with a dive onto them.
Match #1 – Tag Team Match: Damian Priest and Jimmy Uso vs. Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura
The bell rings and Drew starts with Jimmy, Jimmy with rights, Drew still has his kilt on as he takes kicks then some chops. Drew fights back with a belly to bell out of the corner but that almost went badly as Jimmy’s feet got caught up in the ropes briefly. Catapult into the ropes from Drew. Jimmy with a jawbreaker then Nakamura tags in and trips up Jimmy then rams him into the announce desk then kicks him almost over it and we go picture in picture.
Another knee strike from Nakamura then they head into the ring. Nakamura drapes Jimmy across the corner then lands a running knee to the body. Drew tags back in and unloads on Jimmy with corner chops then grabs a bit of a rest hold. Jimmy tries for a tag but Drew keeps him down then cheap shots Priest and drops Jimmy with a suplex. Now Jimmy tries to fire up but runs into a back elbow. Drew blows another tag attempt then we head back to broadcast as Jimmy lands a Samoan Drop to put both men down. Nakamura tags back in and stomps away at Jimmy until Jimmy lands an enziguri. That allows Jimmy to tag out and Priest gets to run wild for a bit. Priest heads up for the Old School crossbody then he tries a clothesline but Nakamura kicks his arm then lands a spinning kick but when he tries a Kinshasa Drew lands a clothesline. Drew breaks up a pin then Jimmy disposes of Drew, Nakamura knocks down Jimmy but that lets Priest hit Nakamura with South of Heaven to win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Damian Priest and Jimmy Uso won in 7:45
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Fine enough house show style match, and thank heavens for picture in picture because otherwise this would have been kind of a mess.
Post match Drew attacks Priest and drills him with mounted punches then stomps the back of his head. Priest pulls himself up but takes a Claymore from Drew. Drew trash talks him, the crowd want another one but Drew denies them.
In the back LA Knight talks with Braun Strowman and says he’ll be keeping an eye on their match. Braun says the winner of his Fatu match will get a shot at the US title, which complicates things just a bit.
Next a recap of the brawl between Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair from last week. After this week Tiffany and Poochie will do a split screen interview.
OK, interview time. Tiffany up first but Charlotte interrupts to say Tiffany finally looked like a star because Charlotte always brings out the best in her opponents. She chose Tiffany because she feels sorry for Tiffany. They bicker for a bit then Charlotte says Mania will be the pinnacle for Tiffany but is just another Mania for Charlotte. Tiffany reminds us that Charlotte used to be a supporter of her, but now Tiffany has seen the real Charlotte. Tiffany brings up Charlotte’s history of throwing water on anyone who gets hot, and Charlotte asks for examples but everyone knows you can’t mention former wrestlers. More bickering and Tiffany says the fans run on Tiffy Time and have moved beyond Charlotte. Not great stuff from either woman, but Charlotte has never been good at building an opponent on the mic so that’s par for the course.
Jacob Fatu heads to the ring for our next match, which will be up after this break.
Post break here comes Braun Strowman.
Match #2: Jacob Fatu vs. Braun Strowman
They circle each other then Braun corners Fatu and fires strikes then lands a headbutt but misses a corner splash and Fatu now unloads with corner work including a headbutt. Braun with a back elbow but then runs into a boot but he catches Fatu with a back body drop. Fatu gets clotheslined out of the ring. Back in the ring now the crowd sings in Italian as Braun whips Fatu hard into a corner. Corner avalanche from Braun and Fatu rolls out of the ring so Braun sets for the express but Fatu avoids him and sends Braun over the announce table. Fatu heads to the apron then dives from it onto Braun and we go picture in picture again.
Fatu with some ringside brawling, he bounces Braun off the barricade and ring steps but Braun fights back and launches Fatu into the steps. Braun sends Fatu back into the ring then Fatu lands a kick then dropkicks the knee of Braun and follows with a running clothesline to drop Braun. Headbutt from Fatu then he tries a neck crank to slow things down. Braun is able to fight that off as we come back but Fatu lands headbutts to keep control. Superkick from Fatu then a Samoan Drop to the big man and a senton to follow up all of which gets a 2 count. Fatu with a hip attack, but Braun pulls himself up after it and Fatu then attacks him in the corner only to be caught with a jumping clothesline. Braun fires up with strikes then clubs Fatu down before tearing off his shirt. Fatu rolls out of the ring again and Braun now connects with the Express spot to send Fatu over the announce table. They head back into the ring where Braun hits a spinebuster but here are Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa to get involved and cause the DQ.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Braun Strowman won via DQ in 9:15
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: The ending drops this a bit, but these two have pretty decent physical chemistry. Fatu needs to get free of the Bloodline vortex fairly quickly because the man is a star and this whole thing is starting to be more of an anchor.
Post match Fatu is pissed at losing but does join in the beat down on Braun briefly. Braun tries to make his own save but Fatu levels him. LA Knight is here to make the fight a little more fair and he jabs up both Solo and Fatu but Tama breaks that up. Fatu winds up posting himself and then Tama can’t get over the top rope in honor of Tonga Loa. Ultimately Braun and Knight clean the ring and Braun is confirmed to be the winner and gets a shot at Knight.
In the back Cathy talks with Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, Liv still doesn’t know why Jade let everyone think they hurt her and still feels this is personal.
Piper Niven heads to the ring with Alba Fyre and Chelsea Green, her match with Zelina Vega will be up after this break.
Post break Fatu is pissed and storming around in the back. Solo tries to calm him down but Fatu is still pissed and says he doesn’t need their help and they cost him big time tonight.
Back to the ring here comes Zelina Vega. New music for Vega, not sure I like it and the crowd doesn’t recognize it at all.
Match #3: Piper Niven w/ Alba Fyre and Chelsea Green vs. Zelina Vega
Vega has heart but Piper shoves her as the larger woman then tosses her into the corner but Vega avoids her then hits the ropes. Piper blocks an O’Connor Roll then misses an elbow drop. Vega kicks Piper then tries a Code Red but Piper blocks that then shoulders Vega down. More shoulder blocks from Piper but then Vega kicks her a couple of times and then jumps up for a sleeper hold but Piper slings her over the top. Some stomps from Piper then she climbs to the second rope but Vega yanks her down then fires some strikes before trying a 10 punch but only gets to 8. Piper catches Vega with a lifting STO to drop her and we head to break.
We come back to Vega trying a roll up for 2. Piper shoves Vega down to retain control. Vega fights off a Cobra Clutch but Piper lands a headbutt. This match is losing steam as Piper plays with the crowd a bit. Vega fights out of a corner but climbs up and gets clobbered by Piper who then tries a Gorilla Press only for Vega to slip down and try another sleeper hold. Piper rams Vega into a corner to break the choke but Vega then tries an Octopus Hold then transitions to a Sunset Flip for a 2 count. Buzzsaw kick from Vega gets another 2 count. Spinning back elbow from Vega then she hits double knees to the back of Piper, she then climbs up top and hits a Meteora for a 2 count. Vega tries another Code Red but again Piper avoids it, Vega then tries a 619 but has to settle for a satellite DDT and another near fall. Green yells from the apron and Vega clobbers her then hits a 619 only for Fyre to distract her allowing Piper to hit a running cross body for a 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Piper Niven won in 12:53
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: This felt like a 7 minute match given time just to stretch things out. When they got to the good stuff Piper and Vega worked a decent David and Goliath match but this didn’t need as much time as it got and would have been better as a sprint.
The Green Regime celebrates as we head to break.
Post break we get a recap of the Cody Rhodes and John Cena stuff from RAW. Heel Cena is definitely great.
In the back Cathy talks with Jade Cargill, Jade says she’s going to show Liv what she’s about and promises what she does to Liv is just a little preview of what she’ll do to Naomi.
That match will be up after this break.
Another mysterious hype video, I’m still leaning Aleister Black or whatever name he’ll be using.
Liv Morgan makes her way to the ring for our next match. The crowd is very pro Liv, because she’s of Italian descent. Jade Cargill follows.
Match #4: Liv Morgan w/ Raquel Rodriguez vs. Jade Cargill
Jade boots down Liv right away then Raquel pulls Liv over to powder. Jade heads out of the ring and menaces Raquel then punches Liv and rams her into the barricade. They head back into the ring, Liv with a kick then tries ObLIVion but Jade easily powers away from it and they both miss kicks then Jade blocks a Codebreaker and drops Liv with a fall away slam. Liv powders again and looks to take the count out loss as she and Raquel head up the ramp. Jade gives chase and hauls Liv back to the ring then misses a corner attack. Liv with some corner offense but Jade then spikes her with a powerbomb for a 2 count. Raquel gets on the apron to distract Jade and that allows Liv to hit a Backstabber then posts Jade to send us to break.
Liv is working a headlock as we come back. Jade fights upright but Liv hits a suplex and tries the 3 Amigos and hits all 3. Enziguri from Liv but Jade counters ObLIVion with a German suplex. Both women are down then Jade kips up and fires up, running over Liv a few times then drilling her with a superkick. Corner splashes from Jade then a spinebuster to follow. Jade hits a version of the F5 then kips up again but her cover still only gets 2. Naomi runs down to the apron to distract things, but Jade counters another ObLIVion with a backbreaker but Naomi blasts Jade with a title belt while the ref is busy with Raquel. Liv finally hits ObLIVion and wins.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Liv Morgan won in 10:55
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Alright match but nothing special, the positive reaction for Liv almost inverted the dynamic. Jade has presence for days but is still working on making the connective tissue in her matches a consistent thing.
Post match Naomi attacks Jade and drills her with a Heatseeker then knocks her from the apron into the announce table.
We get a recap of Drew and Priest’s stuff from earlier in the episode. In the back Drew is leaving but Cathy finds him and asks where this ends, Drew says he will end things with the emo vulture who picked the bones of Drew’s misery all year. Drew is still waiting for someone to prove him wrong in his position, but Priest is tough and they’ll see each other in London next week. Seth Rollins wanders by and stares down Drew but no words are exchanged as Seth heads into the venue.
We get a mild package for the Street Profits after their tag team title win last week then we head to break.
Post break we get a recap of the Street Profits winning the tag team titles last week.
The Street Profits head to the ring, new music for them as it’s their slower slightly more heelish theme. The crowd give them a “you deserve it” chant then Montez Ford hypes the team up as the new champions. Angelo Dawkins chimes in to say it’s about time. They’ve had doubts show up over the last 4 years since they’ve not been champions but getting to hold these again makes it all worth it. Ford is grateful that he could always count on Dawkins and the two men hug it out. Legado del Fantasma show up next, Angel and Berto are dressed to work while Santos Escobar is sporting a suit. Escobar speaks a little Italian for the crowd then switches to English to congratulate the Profits with moderate sincerity. But it’s too bad it’ll end so abruptly since Los Garza are pissed and are ready to take the titles from the Profits. Pretty Deadly now show up for more revolving door shenanigans. Wilson says Escobar can talk but can’t get around Pretty Deadly being the rightful next challengers. Prince tells them to step aside, but Escobar will not. The Profits believed the pathetic gossip from Pretty Deadly and here we are. Ford slows things down and says if Los Garza really want a fight tonight they can oblige, since they still want the smoke. That match will be up after this break.
Rey Fenix hype video as we come back.
Match #5 – Tag Team Match: Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) vs. Los Garza (Angel and Berto) w/ Santos Escobar
Joined in progress. The Profits are in control and Ford lands a splash. Berto fights back and kicks down Ford before tagging in Angel and they hit some double team moves before Angel removes his pants. Ford gets set up on the top rope in the heel corner and Angel pulls him into a tree of woe then tags in Berto and they both stomp away at Ford. Angel tags back in and they keep stomping at Ford, but now Ford avoids a corner rush and Berto tags in but Ford avoids him and tags in Dawkins. Dawkins gets to run wild for a bit but Escobar low bridges him behind the refs back and Berto follows him with a suicide dive and we head to break.
Angel is working a double underhook rest hold as we come back. Ford starts fighting free but runs into a dropkick. Berto tags in and they double team Dawkins for a second but Berto can only find 2 counts. Dawkins tries to fight back with punches but Berto hits a scoop slam then a standing moonsault. Angel tags back in and cheap shots Ford but all the stalling means Dawkins can try and fight back but Angel and Berto hit a Garza Special and Ford has to break up the pin. Now Dawkins fights back and drops Berto with a Flapjack and both men are down. Ford rallies the crowd and gets a tag then unloads on both Angel and Berto. Right hand from Ford then he’s up top but misses a flying nothing then hits a spinebuster on Berto for a 2 count. Ford back up top but Angel slows him and Berto lands a kick then they both head up for an avalanche FTY but Ford lands on his feet then knocks down Berto and Dawkins disposes of Angel. Ford heads up with Berto for a superplex and a 2 count. Dawkins tags in as does Angel, Angel with a dropkick but Dawkins counters with a spinebuster then sends Berto out of the ring. Escobar gets up on the apron and is punched down then Dawkins hits the ropes for a dive onto the pile of bodies, Ford tagged as he went by and Dawkins sends Angel back in to eat From the Heavens and the Profits win.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Street Profits won in 13:09 shown
Rating: 3 stars
Thoughts: Well that was fun, Angel and Berto are a good team and it’s nice that they’re getting more chances to showcase what they can do in the ring. The outcome wasn’t really in doubt here but it was a pretty fun journey.
We see Paul Heyman arrive at the venue and then head to break.
Post break head to the back where DIY find Pretty Deadly and Pretty Deadly will get their title shot next week in London. DIY offer to help them win the belts next week in exchange for a title shot. Pretty Deadly decline then the Machine Guns startle DIY and welcome them to the back of the line where the Guns are waiting for them.
To the ring and here comes Roman Reigns with Paul Heyman by his side, there will be promo time after this break.
Post break Roman is in the ring with Heyman. The crowd are standing and give him a long “OTC” chant before Heyman passes the mic to Roman. Roman lets the crowd sing for a bit then tells Bologna to acknowledge him, which they’re happy to do. He wants to unburden his mind, last month at the Rumble CM Punk screwed him so last week he screwed him over. But that’s not all, at the Rumble Seth Rollins tried to kill him, it’s OK though since Roman returned the favor last week and tried to kill Seth. So here’s the deal, he’s come a long way so he’ll take his time and will have 15-20 minutes so if anyone wants to confront him come out. There’s only 8 minutes left so we’re definitely getting people. Out comes Seth Rollins in a blue bath robe looking thing, no wonder that guy got double legged by a fat fan out of the audience. Rollins gets to the ring and then gets a mic, and says Roman messed up because Roman doesn’t know how dangerous Punk is to this industry and company and he should have let Rollins finish Punk off when he had the chance. But he gets it, it’s not about Punk, it’s about Roman and Rollins and it’s always been about the two of them and they cannot co-exist in the same space and time. This story between them, it’s a long one but it’s about time they added another chapter. Roman seems amenable but here’s CM Punk to complicate things. The crowd sings Punk down to the ring and further angers Rollins because that’s supposed to be his thing. Rollins tosses down his mic as Punk climbs the steps and walks along the apron then gets a mic. Punk climbs the ropes to talk from the corner, he says his hands are taped up to fight not talk, but says neither Roman nor Rollins has beaten Punk without the help of the other. He didn’t screw Roman, it was the Rumble and every man for himself and Roman wouldn’t have even been there if Punk hadn’t helped in War Games. Oh, he’s still owed a favor from that by the way. He does appreciate Heyman bringing Roman here tonight though then he attacks Roman with the mic. This leads to everyone brawling until a bunch of refs and officials wind up pulling them apart and each man takes a turn getting to stand tall and point at the Mania sign to close out the episode, Roman was the last one to do so after braining both Punk and Rollins with ring steps.
