WWE Friday Night SmackDown comes into tonight’s show feeling like a brand caught between two major checkpoints. Tomorrow is WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, but Clash In Italy is also sitting right around the corner on Sunday, May 31st. That puts SmackDown in a tricky but important position. Tonight cannot just be a reminder show. It has to close the final chapter before Saturday Night’s Main Event while still making Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther, Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu and the rest of the Clash In Italy picture feel bigger.
Last week’s episode gave SmackDown plenty to build on. Gunther officially earned his Undisputed WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes, Trick Williams got his hometown moment, Carmelo Hayes stepped back into the United States Title picture, Jade Cargill’s side stood tall before Saturday Night’s Main Event, and Shinsuke Nakamura found himself pulled directly into the MFT drama with Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga.
The biggest concern with tonight’s show is simple: WWE has only advertised one match. That does not automatically mean the episode will be weak, but it does mean the storytelling has to be sharp. A go-home SmackDown before Saturday Night’s Main Event should not feel like a placeholder. Tonight needs movement, urgency and actual consequences.
Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Talla Tonga
Last week’s SmackDown opened several doors that tonight has to walk through. Trick Williams defeating The Miz in Columbia, South Carolina gave the United States Champion a strong hometown win, especially with Lil Yachty helping even the odds against Kit Wilson. That was the right call because Trick should not be losing in front of his home crowd while holding gold. The issue now is follow-up. Trick’s reign needs more than cool entrances, crowd reactions and celebration moments. Carmelo Hayes returning and defeating Ricky Saints gave WWE the obvious next direction. Trick vs. Melo has history, personality, ego and a title that can benefit from both men treating it like the most important thing on SmackDown.
Paige and Brie Bella also picked up momentum last week by defeating Giulia and Kiana James before their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship defense at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The win helped the champions, but the division still needs stronger weekly storytelling. Paige and Brie have name value, but the titles cannot just feel like props attached to familiar faces. Their match with Lash Legend and Nia Jax has a clean story: experience and chemistry against power and size. Tonight needs to make that title defense feel like something more than just another match on tomorrow’s card.
The Jade Cargill story also needs one more strong push tonight. Last week, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss defeated Michin and B-Fab by disqualification after Jade got involved, and Jade’s side left Charlotte and Alexa laid out. That gave Jade, Michin and B-Fab momentum before tomorrow’s six-woman tag against Rhea Ripley, Charlotte and Alexa. The problem is that Jade’s motivation still needs more focus. Her return should feel personal, especially with Rhea involved. WWE cannot just book Jade as someone who shows up, attacks people and leaves. There has to be a reason beyond dominance.
Gunther becoming the No. 1 contender to Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship was the biggest development from last week. Royce Keys got to show size, strength and presence, Solo Sikoa’s involvement added chaos, and Gunther still survived long enough to win. Cody dropping Gunther with Cross Rhodes after the match was the right image because it reminded everyone that Cody is not walking into Clash In Italy as a passive champion. Still, tonight has to add more heat. Cody vs. Gunther looks great on paper, but the story needs more bite. Gunther should treat Cody’s emotion, pageantry and connection with the fans like weaknesses. Cody needs to make it clear that he knows Gunther is not just another challenger. He is one of the most dangerous title defenses of Cody’s reign.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Talla Tonga is the one match WWE has officially put on the table for tonight, and it has more story behind it than it may look like at first. Nakamura has been trying to reach Tama Tonga and pull him away from Solo Sikoa’s control. Talla Tonga attacking Nakamura last week made him the wall standing between Nakamura and Tama. That gives tonight’s match a clear purpose. Nakamura is not just fighting a monster. He is fighting Solo’s grip over the group.
That is why the finish matters. Talla should not be beaten clean this early if WWE wants him to feel like a serious force. Nakamura should not be treated like a disposable veteran either. The best version of this match is messy in the right way: Solo gets involved, Tama hesitates, Nakamura nearly breaks through, and Talla either steals the win or leaves Nakamura destroyed after the bell. That keeps the MFT story moving without cutting anyone’s legs out from under them.
The Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu side of Clash In Italy also needs attention if Roman appears tonight. Tribal Combat is the kind of stipulation that should feel dangerous, personal and ugly. WWE cannot let it sit in the background while everything else gets the spotlight. Roman vs. Jacob is not just another world title match. It is family violence, power, pride and control all wrapped into one. If SmackDown touches it tonight, it needs to feel heavy.
The honest truth is tonight’s SmackDown has the material to work, but the thin advertised lineup puts pressure on WWE to overdeliver. The road to Saturday Night’s Main Event needs one final hard sell. The road to Clash In Italy needs more heat. Trick and Melo need to keep moving toward each other. Jade’s side needs more purpose. Cody and Gunther need more edge. Nakamura and Talla need to make the MFT story feel like more than another Bloodline-adjacent brawl.
If WWE hits those points, tonight can be a strong bridge episode. If not, it risks becoming one of those shows where a lot gets replayed, a lot gets teased, but not enough actually moves forward.
Current WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event match card
- Penta (c) vs. Ethan Page (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
- Logan Paul & Austin Theory (c) vs. The Street Profits (WWE World Tag Team Championship)
- Paige & Brie Bella (c) vs. The Irresistible Forces (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
- WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill, Michin & B-Fab
Current WWE Clash In Italy match card
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther (Undisputed WWE Championship)
- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu (WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Tribal Combat)
- Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
Final thoughts
Tonight’s SmackDown has to be tighter than the lineup looks. One advertised match is not enough on paper for the final stop before Saturday Night’s Main Event, but the stories are strong enough if WWE actually pushes them forward. Nakamura vs. Talla Tonga needs to give the MFT story another meaningful chapter. Cody Rhodes and Gunther need to make Clash In Italy feel dangerous. The women’s division needs one last strong push before tomorrow. Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes need to keep building toward what feels like the obvious United States Championship direction.
The pieces are there. The names are there. The problem is whether WWE treats tonight like an important episode or just a bridge to tomorrow. SmackDown does not need to be overloaded, but it does need to matter. Tonight should feel like the final stop before a major weekend, not a two-hour waiting room for the real action.
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I’m the quiet one until the bell rings then I’ve got takes. I live for WWE NXT and TNA, I want every promotion to succeed, and I will absolutely roast the bad decisions on sight (because someone has to). Anime taught me to respect long-term storytelling; wrestling taught me that sometimes the plan is “we panicked” and called it “unpredictable.” The Miz got me into all of this, so yeah I appreciate confidence, commitment, and the art of talking like you’re already the main event. Now I bring that same energy to the page as the main writer for Late Night Crew Wrestling because if you’re not here to be must-see and tell the truth, why are you here?!