Last night’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown was a busy, important and uneven stop on the road to Backlash — the kind of episode where WWE moved a lot of pieces forward, but also exposed some of the same creative habits that keep holding the product back. Cody Rhodes returned to the ring, Ricky Saints made his SmackDown debut, Gunther arrived with a statement attack, Jacob Fatu looked like the most dangerous man on the brand, and Fatal Influence continued to feel like the freshest thing in the women’s division. But underneath all of that, the show also had familiar problems: the tag divisions still feel like afterthoughts, MFT’s booking remains inconsistent, Ricky Saints’ debut did not feel as hot as it needed to, and WWE once again leaned on Bloodline-related chaos as the easiest way to make SmackDown feel bigger. The episode had strong moments, real movement and some genuinely fun chaos, but it also left WWE with a lot to follow up on if this road to Backlash is going to feel fully earned.
Here are the full results
- Jacy Jayne def. Charlotte Flair
- Damian Priest & R-Truth (c) def. Fraxiom (WWE Tag Team Championship)
- Cody Rhodes def. Ricky Saints
- Royce Keys def. Angel
- Paige & Brie Bella(c) def. The Irresistible Forces (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
- MFT def. The Usos by disqualification after Jacob Fatu interfered
Breakdowns & Reactions
Cody Rhodes opened last night’s show medically cleared and ready to get back in the ring, but the segment quickly became about Ricky Saints making his SmackDown debut. WWE went right back to the well of the real history between Cody and Ricky, dating back to before Cody returned to WWE and before AEW became the company it is now. On paper, that was the right move. It made Ricky feel connected to Cody instead of just being another call-up walking into the champion’s spotlight. Ricky came in with confidence, talked like a man who was tired of being in Cody’s shadow, and immediately put himself in the title picture conversation.
The problem is that the debut did not hit the building the way it needed to. Ricky Saints is talented, polished and more than capable of becoming a real player on SmackDown, but last night’s reaction felt flat for someone WWE clearly wanted to present as a major new arrival. That is where the Carmelo Hayes comparison matters. WWE used Cody in 2024 to help spotlight Melo as the new first-round draft pick, but then Melo spent far too long drifting before finally getting a United States Championship reign that felt built more on open challenges than real storylines. WWE cannot do the same thing with Ricky. Losing to Cody Rhodes is not a burial, but debuting with limited crowd energy, losing clean, and then being left without a strong follow-up would make this feel like another call-up WWE liked in theory more than in execution.
The Cody vs. Ricky match was good, but it needed more. Ricky looked comfortable, got offense, and showed enough to prove he belongs on the main roster. Cody winning made sense because he is the Undisputed WWE Champion and should not be losing in Ricky’s first night on SmackDown. But the match still felt like WWE was telling fans Ricky was important instead of making fans feel it. That is the difference between a strong debut and a debut that only looks strong on paper. If WWE follows this with a real program, Ricky will be fine. If he disappears into the middle of the card, this will age badly fast.
Gunther attacking Cody after the match was the cleaner and stronger piece of business. It was simple pro wrestling: Cody wins, Gunther appears, Cody gets choked out, and the title suddenly has a monster standing over it. Gunther does not need much to feel dangerous. He does not need long speeches or complicated reasoning. His presence, his violence and the image of him holding the Undisputed WWE Championship over Cody did the work. The only issue is the brand split. Gunther showing up on SmackDown raises the obvious question of whether he is officially on the blue brand now or whether WWE is once again playing loose with roster lines because the story needs it. A Cody vs. Gunther program sounds big, but it only helps Gunther if WWE actually treats him like someone who can take the title. If he is just another strong challenger fed into another long Cody reign, then the visual will end up meaning more than the follow-through.
Fatal Influence was one of the best parts of last night’s show. Jacy Jayne beating Charlotte Flair was exactly the kind of win the group needed this early into their SmackDown run. Charlotte brought the intensity, Jacy fought like she belonged, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid played their roles well, and the group left with heat instead of just being treated like another NXT act getting a temporary spotlight. Jacy winning with the help of Fatal Influence worked because that is the point of the group: they are supposed to be organized, annoying, dangerous and hard to overcome.
This is also where WWE has to be careful. Fatal Influence has the same danger attached to it that The Riott Squad had years ago: a strong debut, instant heat, attacks on established stars, and then the risk of being booked down once the bigger names start fighting back. Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss putting their differences aside to stop Fatal Influence can work if it elevates the new group. It becomes a problem if Fatal Influence gets flattened before they truly get started. Jacy should be positioned as a believable first challenger for babyface champion Rhea Ripley, while Fallon and Lainey can work the women’s tag division. That gives Lainey more reps, keeps Fallon in a useful role, and lets the faction impact multiple lanes without rushing everyone into singles programs too quickly. Charlotte also looked locked in last night, and the fact that she pulled from some of her NXT-style offense made the match feel sharper. The key now is simple: protect the heat. Do not cool them off just to remind everyone Charlotte, Rhea and Alexa are stars.
The tag title scene continued to be one of SmackDown’s weaker points. Damian Priest and R-Truth retaining against Fraxiom was not the problem. The match had energy because Fraxiom is too good not to bring energy. The problem is the reign itself. Priest and Truth still feel like champions built around open challenges instead of real stories. There is no deep tag division, no layered chase, no reason to believe the titles are being treated like one of the most important prizes on the show. WWE keeps using tag team wrestling as a holding area for acts they do not have full singles plans for, and that makes the championships feel smaller than they should. Fraxiom should not just be the exciting team of the week. They should be part of a real division with actual direction.
The women’s tag titles have the same issue. Paige and Brie Bella retaining over Nia Jax and Lash Legend was fine, but the division still needs more structure. If Fatal Influence eventually moves Fallon and Lainey toward Paige and Brie, that could give the division a real story. But WWE has to stop treating tag wrestling like filler between bigger singles angles. Across the men’s and women’s divisions, the pieces are there. The booking is not.
Jacob Fatu was the strongest character on last night’s show. Everything around him felt more dangerous because he was involved. Solo Sikoa, Talla Tonga, The Usos and MFT all had roles to play, but Jacob was the one who felt like the force the entire brand had to deal with. By the end of the night, the main event was less about MFT vs. The Usos and more about Jacob Fatu reminding everybody that he does not need permission, backup or a family structure to cause damage.
That is great for Jacob, but it is rough for MFT. Talla Tonga getting wrecked did him no favors. If Jacob destroys him once, it makes Jacob look like a monster. If it keeps happening, Talla starts to look like a prop. MFT’s booking has been too start-and-stop to begin with. They formed again to feel like a threat, got stuck in tag division traffic, ended up in a messy feud with the Wyatt Sicks, and now keep getting wiped out by Jacob Fatu. WWE needs to decide what MFT actually is. Are they Solo’s serious army? Are they a failed Bloodline spin-off? Are they just bodies for Jacob to run through? Right now, the answer changes week to week.
The Bloodline side of the show is still working because Jacob Fatu is working, but WWE is absolutely going back to that well as a hot fix. Whenever the creative needs weight, danger or easy stakes, the show leans on Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and the family drama. That universe still has juice, but it cannot be the fix for everything. The best thing about Jacob is that he does not feel like just another piece of Roman’s story. He feels like a violent storm that Roman, Solo, The Usos and MFT all have to survive.
Royce Keys was a smart smaller piece of the night. His win over Angel gave him momentum, but the more interesting part was him hyping up Jacob Fatu and getting pulled closer to that story. That gives Royce a reason to be around something bigger without forcing him into a faction too soon. A loose connection with Jacob could work because it gives Jacob someone outside the family drama and gives Royce a spotlight he would not get by just winning random matches.
The Miz and Kit Wilson continue to be one of the most entertaining pairings on SmackDown. Their Danhausen trap worked because both men are fully committed to being smug, irritating and ridiculous. Miz knows how to make even the dumbest TV segment feel like a character beat, and Kit has been a perfect fit for that energy. Danhausen is where WWE has to be careful. He works best in doses. The act can be funny, but if he becomes too overexposed without enough wrestling purpose behind it, the joke could wear thin.
The Gingerbread Man angle was absurd in the best way. Sami Zayn attacking the Gingerbread Man, Trick Williams treating it like a tragedy, and WWE following it up with a funeral announcement is the kind of ridiculous wrestling nonsense that works because everyone involved committed to it. It gave Trick and Sami’s United States Championship feud a memorable hook heading into Backlash. It is not serious, but it is memorable, and that already gives it more personality than a generic title rematch promo.
Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton’s situation still feels like WWE skipped a chapter. If they made up, when did that happen? Why did it happen? WWE cannot keep expecting fans to fill in continuity gaps because the show needs characters in a new position. Chelsea especially feels like someone who could benefit from going away for a little while and coming back with a fresh gimmick. With Alba Fyre gone and Piper Niven’s in-ring future uncertain, Chelsea needs something new instead of being stuck in leftover comedy and half-explained alliances. She is too good at character work to be floating without direction.
Last night’s SmackDown worked best when it pushed fresh pieces forward. Fatal Influence looked like a real threat. Jacob Fatu looked like the most dangerous man on the brand. Royce Keys got tied into a bigger story. Gunther gave Cody’s title reign a serious new problem. The weaker parts came when WWE leaned on old habits: loose brand split logic, tag title open-challenge booking, MFT inconsistency, and a Ricky Saints debut that needed more crowd energy and sharper follow-up. The road to Backlash is clearer now, but parts of it still feel patched together instead of fully built.
What was announced for next week’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown
- Gunther will appear to explain why he attacked Cody Rhodes
- Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James for the WWE Women’s United States Championship
- Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Fatal Influence
- The Funeral of the Gingerbread Man
Best Match And Segment Of The Night
Best Match: Jacy Jayne vs. Charlotte Flair
The best match of last night’s show was Jacy Jayne vs. Charlotte Flair, not because it was the cleanest match on the card from a pure in-ring standpoint, but because it did the most important job of the night. It made Fatal Influence feel like they belonged on SmackDown. Jacy beating Charlotte, even with Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid helping tip the match in her favor, was the right finish because this group needed more than a hot debut and a few backstage attacks. They needed a real win over a real name.
Charlotte looked more locked in here than she has in a while, and that helped the match feel bigger. She wrestled with urgency, pulled from pieces of her deeper moveset, and gave Jacy enough to make the win feel meaningful without making herself look weak. Jacy also carried herself like someone who knows this is her chance to become more than “one of the call-ups.” That matters. WWE has something with Fatal Influence, but only if they do not rush into having Rhea Ripley, Charlotte and Alexa Bliss wipe them out just to protect the bigger names.
Best Segment: Jacob Fatu Destroys MFT, The Usos And Talla Tonga
The best segment of last night’s show was Jacob Fatu wrecking the main event scene, because it was the clearest, strongest and most convincing piece of character work on the entire episode. Jacob looked like the most dangerous man on SmackDown. Not “dangerous because commentary says so,” but dangerous because everything he did felt violent, chaotic and believable. He turned the MFT vs. Usos main event into his own personal warning shot, and by the end of it, the entire Bloodline-adjacent story felt like it revolved around him.
That said, the segment helped Jacob way more than it helped MFT. Talla Tonga getting destroyed did him no favors, and WWE has to be careful because there is a difference between making Jacob look unstoppable and making everyone around him look useless. MFT already has start-and-stop booking issues, and if they keep getting wiped out every week, the faction is going to feel like a failed Bloodline spin-off instead of a real threat. Jacob was absolutely the highlight, but the booking around him needs more balance before it damages the people he is supposed to be elevating the story against.
Current and updated WWE Backlash card
- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu — WWE World Heavyweight Championship
- Trick Williams (c) vs. Sami Zayn — WWE United States Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
- IYO SKY vs. Asuka
- Danhausen & a mystery partner vs. The Miz & Kit Wilson
WWE Backlash is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, from Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Final Thoughts
Last night’s SmackDown was a good show with obvious flaws. Jacob Fatu felt like the biggest star on the brand. Fatal Influence brought badly needed life to the women’s division. Jacy Jayne beating Charlotte Flair was the right call. Gunther choking out Cody Rhodes gave the Undisputed WWE Championship picture a colder, more dangerous edge. Miz and Kit Wilson are clicking. The Gingerbread Man funeral is ridiculous in a way only wrestling can pull off.
But WWE still needs to tighten the follow-through. Ricky Saints’ debut should have felt bigger. The tag divisions need real stories, not just open challenges. MFT needs consistency before the faction becomes a punchline. Talla Tonga cannot keep getting destroyed if WWE wants him to matter. Chelsea Green needs a reset. And Fatal Influence cannot get the Riott Squad treatment, because if WWE cools them off too quickly, one of the freshest acts on SmackDown will be damaged before it ever gets a real chance.
The road to Backlash is now clearer, but SmackDown still feels like a brand split between two creative instincts: one that wants to build new stars and one that keeps reaching for familiar fixes when things get shaky. Last night worked because the fresh pieces stood out. Now WWE has to prove it can follow through.
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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?!