wrestling / TV Reports
Winfree’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.25.25
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Alright everyone, SummerSlam is coming up pretty fast so it’s time for another weekly episode of WWE Smackdown. Tonight we’re building to SummerSlam next week, we know WWE champion John Cena will defend the title against Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight after last week and the contract signing and that US champion Solo Sikoa will have to defend against former champion Jacob Fatu in a Steel Cage match. What we don’t know is anything about LA Knight, Knight was left high and dry after the injury to Seth Rollins with no direction and apparently no plans for him. But you know who does have creative direction? Jelly Roll. Jelly will be teaming with Randy Orton to take on Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre at SummerSlam. Tonight we’ve also got a tag team title match with Andrade and Rey Fenix taking on Joe Gacy and Dexter Lumis for the belts, and Alexa Bliss battles Roxanne Perez to further set up her and Charlotte Flair trying to win the women’s tag team titles from Perez and Raquel Rodriguez. Kiana James was apparently way out of focus in the background last week but was next to women’s US champion Giulia, we’ll see if anything comes of that. Damian Priest and Aleister Black are gearing up for battle as well. Still no direction for Shinsuke Nakamura, which is a shame, and I’m sure Solo with his Many Fanciful Tangents will be on hand to eat up a disproportionate amount of air time. Oh, I almost forgot but Tiffany Stratton and Jade Cargill are set for SummerSlam but that whole thing seems to have lost almost all the interest it used to have now that Naomi is no longer holding a MITB briefcase. Anyway that’s the preamble, so let’s hope for some good action.
We open with everyone on the stage in memory of Hulk Hogan who passed away yesterday. Triple H puts over Hogan’s work in the wrestling world and how the WWE wouldn’t be what it is without him. Pretty positive responses from the crowd and we get the 10 bell salute for Terry Bollea, the Immortal Hulk Hogan. I’m not going to opine on Hogan here, I’m mostly going to say that I’m grateful the crowd behaved with dignity about the ending of a human life. That does lead into a Hogan memorial video package that covers his life and career. That sends us to break.
Post break Joe Tessitore brings up that Hogan is a complicated figure but speaking purely about his promotional power and impact on wrestling he stands in a class by himself. Wade Barrett is mostly agreeing with that when Logan Paul interrupts things. Logan gets to the ring and gets a mic, he’s in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio after all. He plays with the crowd, who do not like him, and he says this city might have raised him but didn’t make him and rather he made the city relevant. A bit more cheap heat style crowd work follows then he threatens to have an edition of his podcast tonight and confront Jelly Roll. Jelly interrupts this and talks while walking to the ring, he mocks Logan’s “inspiration” and his influence. Logan brings up the tag team match and he and Jelly trade a few more barbs. Jelly finally gets to the ring as he says Logan never had to struggle, he’s been a silver spoon kid his whole life. Jelly will represent every poor kid who dealt with douchebags like Logan, he’s bringing light to the ring while Logan only brings a ring light. He’s here because he’s been a WWE fan his entire life. They trade a few more insults, then Drew McIntyre shows up behind Logan. That prompts the call for Randy Orton, and Jelly says he didn’t come here alone then sings Randy’s entrance song to bring out the Viper. Randy heads to the ring with his own mic, he doesn’t talk just punches Drew to get the brawl going. Drew winds up shoving Jelly down then letting Logan attack him. Randy yanks Drew out of the ring and stomps on him. Jelly then starts jabbing up Logan and sort of hits a back elbow. Man that was ugly. Logan kicks Jelly down then lines up a punch but Jelly ducks then hits a Black Hole Slam. That lets the good guys stand tall as Randy celebrates with Jelly while Logan and Drew look to gather themselves up the ramp.
We get a video for Andrade and Rey Fenix ahead of their title shot, they’ll be the main event tonight.
Alexa Bliss heads to the ring, she’s got Charlotte Flair with her and we head to break.
Post break here comes Roxanne Perez with Raquel Rodriguez.
Match #1: Alexa Bliss w/ Charlotte Flair vs. Roxanne Perez w/ Raquel Rodriguez
35 minutes before the first match, can’t say I approve though I understand the tribute section contributed to this. Perez with a shove but Bliss counters with a few roll ups but she can’t quite find a pin fall. Eventually Perez slams Bliss down by the hair but Bliss gets back to more roll ups so Perez slaps her. Bliss counters now with a modified STO then some strikes to send Perez out of the ring. Cannonball from Bliss to Perez on the floor while Charlotte and Raquel go face to face and we head picture in picture.
Back in the ring Bliss with a double stomp then Raquel messes up her spot to distract Bliss but Bliss behaves anyway so Perez can cut her off. Some corner work from Perez then a Russian leg sweep. The usual control stuff from Perez, Bliss tries to fight back with a jawbreaker but Perez then clubs her back down to retain control. Bliss fights back with a Dragon Screw as we come back to broadcast. Kick from Bliss then she fires up with shoulder blocks and strikes. Step over Blockbuster from Bliss, she wants Sister Abigail’s DDT but Perez rakes the eyes then Raquel gets in a cheap shot for good measure. Lionsault from Perez gets 2 as Charlotte tosses Raquel into the time keepers area. Bliss then hits a DDT and heads up top, but Raquel boots Charlotte to distract Bliss. Raquel threatens a powerbomb but Bliss then hits Raquel with Twisted Bliss to save Charlotte. When Bliss goes back into the ring though that allows Perez to grab a rope assisted O’Connor Roll and the 3 count.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Roxanne Perez won in 7:22
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: The story of Bliss being willing to help Charlotte while Charlotte is less willing to return the favor plus the results being mixed is a decent story.
In the back Cathy talks with Jade Cargill about her title shot. Jade calls herself a natural born champion then leaves. Chelsea Green then walks into frame and complains about the Queen of the Ring tournament. Jade hears her whining and comes up behind her while Green keeps digging herself into a hole, eventually she realizes it and turns into a punch. Jade then attacks Green and carries her towards the ring. Green tries to escape but she’d sent Piper Niven and Alba Fyre to get her coffee. They get to the ring, there’s a ref and a bell.
Match #2: Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green w/ Piper Niven and Alba Fyre
Jade pump kicks Green out of the ring, where Piper and Fyre finally find her and we head to break.
We come back to Jade landing in some elbows then a fall away slam. Corner splash from Jade, then another one and a chokeslam. Fyre distracts Jade so Green hits a Zig Zag for 2 then tries Unpretty Her but Jade counters in Jaded and wins.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Jade Cargill won in 5:10
Rating: Acorn. . . SQUASH but if you called it a DUD I wouldn’t disagree
Thoughts: Not really a match, it was 90% commercial break.
Post match Fyre and Piper attack Jade, but Tiffany Stratton runs down to even the odds. Tiffany unloads on Fyre then they both kick Piper out of the ring. Jade picks up the title and poses with it, but she does eventually hand it back to Tiffany.
In the back Bliss, who got a bloody nose in that match, talks with Charlotte. They talk about being tag team partners, Charlotte says if they become champions they might also become friends.
Elsewhere in the back Cody Rhodes walks, he’ll talk to us after this break.
After the break here comes Cody. As he heads to the ring we get a recap of the contract signing last week. Cody’s got a mic and brings up the contributions of Hulk Hogan and calls them staggering. So as someone who gets to be here as a superstar he calls Hogan the original and just wanted a moment to say “thank you Hogan” and then moves on to talking about Street Fights. There are Street Fights, then there’s SummerSlam. No virtue, just violence. He admits doing the right thing doesn’t always look like the right thing, and Cena got a taste of that last week. But here’s the tricky thing, Cody doesn’t want to fight this version of John Cena, a man who didn’t want this fight and is counting the days until he’s out the door. No, he wants to fight the real John Cena. If Cody is going to own the title and this spot it means he has to go through the best, this is about a once in a generation superstar like Cena and if this is Cena’s last SummerSlam he wants Cena to behave like it’s his first. He wants all the old Cena back, talking to Stu, running to the ring, all of it. Then they can beat the hustle, loyalty, and respect out of each other. The reason he wants the real Cena is because he needs to know that this story isn’t just fantasy or legacy, he needs to know it meant something and the only person with an answer to whether this is real is Cena. He’ll see Cena next week. Decent promo but nothing special, and I’m a little baffled by the choice to bring back the “real Cena” narrative from earlier in the story.
We get a recap of how Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu wound up in a Steel Cage match, all of which went down last week.
In the back Jacob Fatu talks, he used to love Solo but now Solo’s turned his back. Fatu promised himself and his family he’d never go back to the guy who got locked up. Now they’ll be in the cage together, and Fatu is fine there. He’ll dog walk Solo. Miz shows up to take issue with Fatu for taking him out a few weeks back, Miz calls himself the main character and they’ve got a match right now. Cleveland is his hometown and he’s ready. Then he slaps Fatu, which just makes the Samoan Werewolf smile at him then tell him to come on with it for their match. Miz heads out to the ring where, despite his alleged fire, he can’t deprogram himself from doing his stupid twirl. We head to break after that.
Post break we get an Aleister Black video, he says Damian Priest felt it necessary to stick his nose into the wrong business. Priest talks as well, and he says Black reminds him of predatory lenders back home and he’s used to putting them down. Black says Priest fights to prove who he is, while Black fights to reveal his opponent. He will unmake Priest and when there’s nothing left Priest will finally see himself clearly. Priest says he’s not hiding anything next week and he’s bringing his hands to punish Black.
Back to the ring and here comes Jacob Fatu.
Match #3: Miz vs. Jacob Fatu
Miz with some misdirection early but when he tries to strike Fatu just mocks him. Twisting back elbow from Fatu then some corner work. Headbutts from Fatu then he lines up a hip attack but Miz avoids it. Clothesline from Fatu then some more punches but here comes Solo Sikoa with his goons. That allows Miz to hit a chop block then post Fatu. That sends us to break.
We come back to both men down in the ring. Fatu with some rights then a clubbing clothesline and a senton. Corner avalanche from Fatu then a 10 headbutt sequence followed by a hip attack. Tonga Loa and JC Mateo pull Miz out of the ring so Fatu hits a suicide dive onto those three men. Tala Tonga eats the ring post then Fatu superkicks Solo before heading into the ring to hit Miz with a pop up Samoan Drop which is enough to get the pin.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Jacob Fatu won in 6:57
Rating: 2 stars
Thoughts: Should have been more of a squash, but the Solo stuff is just repetitive at this point.
Post match Solo and crew attack, that prompts Jimmy Uso and a steel chair to come down, he just throws it into Mateo’s face. Solo gets low bridged then chair shots for Tala but Tala just fires up then boots Jimmy down. That allows everyone else to get back into the attack, Fatu tries to make his own save with superkicks then a hip attack to Solo. Fatu gets the chair and sets it against Solo to try and set up the assisted hip attack, he yells that he’ll do it but Tala intercepts him with a clothesline to no reaction. The man is 7 feet tall with no aura. Tala helps Solo up then drops Fatu with a chokeslam. Solo then hits a Samoan Spike and yells while holding the US title. For once Solo gets a bit of a reaction and not just reflected heat, but man he needs something new to do as this is getting really tired.
The Street Profits talks with Cathy in the back, B-Fab is here as well. They say the Wyatt’s need to be handled uniquely. DIY then come over to interrupt and we get more pointless bickering. DIY says they at least have a plan and want the Profits to stay out of the way. I can’t help but feel like I saw this exact thing last week.
We get a John Cena highlight bit centered around a new episode of WWE Unreal leading into Cena’s retirement before heading to break.
In the back Zelina Vega walks and finds Giulia. Kiana James is here, she’s the official representative for Giulia. Vega has no time for her and wants a rematch. James says Vega gets her shot next week. Giulia says she likes a fiesta opponent.
Commentary runs down the SummerSlam card.
Andrade and Rey Fenix head to the ring for our main event and we head to break.
Post break here come the Wyatt Sicks.
Match #4 – WWE Tag Team Title Match: (c) Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy w/ Uncle Howdy, Nikki Cross, and Erick Rowan vs. Andrade and Rey Fenix
Fenix and Gacy start, Fenix with kicks then he tags in Andrade. Lumis tries to help but they get double teamed as Fenix and Andrade are coming out hot. Andrade with the 3 Amigos to Gacy then he tags Fenix back in, Fenix heads up top but Lumis shoves him down to the floor. Gacy hits Andrade with the handspring clothesline while Lumis drops onto Fenix on the floor and we go picture in picture.
Back in the ring Lumis tags in and stomps away at Fenix. Scoop slam from Lumis as he works to keep Fenix isolated. Fenix fights out of a powerbomb then flips out of a back suplex though he runs into a right hand. Superkick from Fenix and both men are down as we come back. Both men tag out and Andrade runs wild on Gacy and Lumis. Andrade with double knees to Gacy in the corner for a 2 count. Gacy avoids The Message and lands a headbutt then tags out. Lumis with a Manhattan Drop then Gacy follows with a clothesline and Lumis caps that off with a senton and Fenix has to break up the pin. Gacy blocks the Tiger Feint wheel kick from Fenix and kicks him out of the ring. Gacy tags in and powerbombs Lumis at Andrade but Andrade gets the knees up. Small Package to Gacy for 2 then the spinning back elbow. Fenix jumps over Andrade and Gacy onto Lumis, Andrade hits The Message but Nikki Cross yanks the ref out for the DQ.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Andrade and Ren Fenix won via disqualification in 6:19
Rating: 2.5 stars
Thoughts: This was just supposed to be a teaser for the post match stuff, but I’d be remiss not to mention that Lumis and Gacy felt a level below Fenix and Andrade. Those two are coming along as a team but it’s not surprising that both Andrade and Fenix are better at this right now than they are.
Post match Erick Rowan shows up to attack Andrade, then he disposes of Fraxiom. The Machine Guns show up but Rowan takes them both out with a double crossbody. Andrae and Fenix wake up and attack Rowan. Things break down but here come the Street Profits to deal with Rowan and stand tall. DIY run down with Nick Aldis, Fraxiom dive onto DIY while Dawkins dives onto a huge pile of bodies. Ford caps that off by diving over the corner onto another pile of bodies. A bunch of people run down as Aldis has a mic. He’s had enough of this chaos. Well if the last TLC match didn’t get this out of everyone’s system we’ll just do it again at SummerSlam. The brawl continues with officials trying to establish some kind of order as the episode ends.
