The SmackDown After Mania should have felt like a reset. Instead, it felt like a company trying to convince itself it had momentum while terrible WWE release news hung over the entire night. As mentioned in my LNC Wrestling article on the WWE releases, that news broke right before SmackDown went on the air last night, and it made the show feel colder than it should have.
This was a promo-heavy, women-heavy episode with only one real men’s match last night, and the truth is simple: Fatal Influence was the only real bright spot. Their debut gave the show energy, attitude and actual heel heat. Everything else ranged from predictable to flat to questionable.
Here are the full results
- Tiffany Stratton def. Giulia (c) (Women’s United States Championship)
- Paige & Brie Bella vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss ended in a No Contest
- Damian Priest & R-Truth (c) def. Tama Tonga & JC Mateo (WWE Tag Team Championship)
- Danhausen def. The Miz
- Jacy Jayne vs. Rhea Ripley ended in a No Contest
- Jacob Fatu def. Solo Sikoa
Breakdown & Reactions
Jacob Fatu opened the show last night after confronting Roman Reigns and The Usos on Raw, and WWE immediately went back to The Bloodline well. That is the problem. Fatu is hot, dangerous and believable on his own, but WWE keeps circling back to the same family drama like it is the only thing that can save the product from feeling stale. The segment worked because Fatu works. The larger creative direction still feels like WWE is trying to squeeze one more major run out of Bloodline leftovers instead of letting Fatu fully stand alone.
Tiffany Stratton defeating Giulia for the Women’s United States Championship last night was the most predictable title change WWE could have booked. The match itself was solid, and Tiffany winning gives her something after being left off WrestleMania, but Giulia still feels undefined. I still don’t get who Giulia is supposed to be as a character on the main roster. The bigger missed opportunity was Kiana James. WWE should have pulled the trigger on the Giulia/Kiana breakup here instead of teasing it and backing away. That would have given the title change more bite.
Fatal Influence debuting during the Women’s Tag Team Title scene last night was the best thing on the show. Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid came across like true heels, not cool heels, not forced heels, but actual heat magnets. They attacked Paige, Brie Bella, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, then later got involved with Rhea Ripley. That is how you introduce a group. Still, the concern is real: this already feels like a faction WWE may cap at the midcard. They have the heat, the chemistry and the edge, but whether WWE sees them as more than a TV obstacle is the real question.
Cody Rhodes cut a strong champion’s promo last night, but it also felt disconnected from the rest of the show. He sounded confident and focused after WrestleMania, but SmackDown did not build around him like the top champion should be built around. Trick Williams celebrating with Lil Yachty had star presentation, but ending the U.S. Open Challenge immediately takes away one of SmackDown’s most reliable weekly devices.
The random WWE Tag Team Championship match between Damian Priest and R-Truth against MFT last night made no real sense. Priest and Truth are entertaining, but how did we get there? Why were Tama Tonga and JC Mateo suddenly in a title match? That was the kind of booking that makes the titles feel like props instead of prizes.
The ending was even more questionable last night. Jacob Fatu beating Solo Sikoa is fine. Jacob Fatu standing tall is fine. But having him single-handedly destroy MFT after the match undercut the group badly. If WWE wants MFT to matter, they cannot keep using them as bodies for Fatu to throw around. It made Fatu look like a monster, but it made everyone around him look weaker.
NXT Debuts & Future Arrivals Rundown
- Fatal Influence debuted on SmackDown last night: Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid.
- Blake Monroe was announced as coming to SmackDown.
- Ricky Saints was announced for next week’s SmackDown debut.
Announced For Next Week
- Ricky Saints makes his SmackDown debut.
- Charlotte Flair vs. Jacy Jayne was set up after Fatal Influence’s attacks.
Final Thoughts
This was not a strong SmackDown After Mania. Fatal Influence gave the show the spark it badly needed, Tiffany Stratton winning the Women’s United States Title made sense even if it was obvious, and Jacob Fatu still feels like a star. But the show leaned too hard on promos, too hard on familiar Bloodline material and too hard on booking shortcuts.
Fatal Influence was the headline. Everything else felt like WWE trying to move pieces around without fully committing to anything. A SmackDown After Mania should feel alive. Last night had moments, but it did not feel like a true new beginning.
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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?!