WWE taped this Friday’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown on Monday night from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, immediately following the special early-start edition of Monday Night RAW. The taping comes just days after WWE Night of Champions and begins SmackDown’s push toward SummerSlam, with the blue brand moving forward under a different kind of pressure after a major shift at the top of the championship picture. Spoiler credit goes to Fightful Select and John Clark’s live Twitter/X thread from the taping.
Here are the full spoilers
- Sami Zayn opened the show with his first SmackDown promo since becoming Undisputed WWE Champion. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso interrupted, leading Adam Pearce to make Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso official for later in the night in a No. 1 Contender’s Match.
- Cathy Kelley interviewed Charlotte Flair backstage as the women’s division continued to reset coming out of Night of Champions.
- Jade Cargill and B-Fab defeated Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton. The match kept Jade’s momentum moving forward while continuing the tension around Tiffany, Charlotte, and the growing presence of The Baddies on SmackDown.
- Adam Pearce was involved in a backstage segment with Sami Zayn, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.
- Rey Fenix defeated El Hijo del Vikingo to retain the AAA Cruiserweight Championship. The match continued WWE’s growing on-screen use of AAA talent and championships, with Fenix surviving a major challenge from one of the most explosive high-flyers in the world.
- Cathy Kelley interviewed Giulia backstage before Blake Monroe attacked her, continuing Monroe’s immediate impact since arriving on SmackDown. Kiana James was also attacked during the episode.
- Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu had a backstage segment as the tension involving Jacob Fatu and Royce Keys continued.
- Trick Williams had an in-ring segment, with Carmelo Hayes getting involved. The segment kept their rivalry alive and continued tying Trick’s SmackDown run to one of the most important names from his NXT past.
- Danhausen had a segment involving The Miz, Matt Cardona and Kit Wilson, continuing one of SmackDown’s more unusual ongoing stories.
- Lainey Reid defeated Brie Bella. The result was a notable one for Reid, especially with Brie still positioned as one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions alongside Paige.
- Danhausen vs. JD McDonagh was announced for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden.
- Cody Rhodes defeated Jey Uso in the main event to become the No. 1 Contender to Sami Zayn’s Undisputed WWE Championship. Bloodline and MFT involvement played into the closing stretch, keeping the main-event scene tangled between Cody, Jey, Sami and the larger family drama around The Bloodline.
This taped episode sets up Cody Rhodes as Sami Zayn’s first challenger while still keeping Jey Uso, The Bloodline connected to the title picture. SmackDown also advanced Jade Cargill’s rise, Rey Fenix’s AAA Cruiserweight Championship run, Blake Monroe’s feud with Giulia, Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes’ tension, and the Danhausen/JD McDonagh direction heading into Saturday Night’s Main Event.
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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?!