Emanating this week from inside the T-Mobile Arena, the female superstars of Friday Night SmackDown (and even a few from Monday Night Raw) made their final stop before WrestleMania 41 this weekend in the big show’s host city of Las Vegas. Everyone knows the classic saying – what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
In a segment recorded earlier in the week, commentator Wade Barrett sat down with Charlotte Flair to discuss her rivalry with Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, which will come to a head when they face off for the title tomorrow during Night One. Asking Flair why things have gotten so ugly between the two of them following their verbal and physical attacks on one another, she says she doesn’t love it and the two have moved past it. She has a chip on her shoulder, and she feels that deep down, Tiffany might have a chip on her shoulder also. She reiterates that she doesn’t love it, but now fans are invested in their match, and if there’s anything that matters most to her, it’s that people tune in to see Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton at WrestleMania. At the end of the day, that’s what the business is about, and while things can be insensitive at times, that is how one gains tough skin and makes it.
Rhea Ripley made her way out to the ring to address her upcoming triple threat match with IYO SKY and Bianca Belair for the Women’s World Championship on Night Two. Ripley says that Sunday marks her sixth WrestleMania, and each time she’s walked into some sort of championship match, but this year’s match is the most important to her. She let herself get distracted by Bianca and she ended up losing the title to IYO right before WrestleMania. She could be coming out here complaining, moaning, and making excuses about the last few weeks without holding the title, but she’s not going to do so because there’s no point in talking about the past anymore. On Sunday, she gets back what she wants and she’ll do what she has to do to walk out of WrestleMania a 3-time Women’s World Champion.
After a standing ovation to Rhea’s promo, IYO SKY’s music plays and the Women’s World Champion also makes her way out. SKY enters the ring and grabs the microphone, but Bianca Belair’s music interrupts before she can even get one word in. Noticing that the crowd was booing her, Belair said that she was showing up tonight as it may be her last night on SmackDown for a while, because after WrestleMania, she’s walking out the champion. And after what Rhea and IYO have put her through in the past month and a half, she doesn’t plan on letting go anytime soon.
Despite having her own issues to deal with at WrestleMania, Naomi then makes her presence felt, calling out Belair for finally deciding to show up to SmackDown without trying to talk to her. Naomi has filled up Belair’s voicemail box, called her like crazy, texted her, and she knows the EST has received the messages because it says they’ve been delivered. Naomi feels that their friendship means so little to Belair; she wanted to handle their business in private without needing to involve the crowd.
Belair offers Naomi a rebuttal, saying that Naomi knows why she’s not responding: because Naomi knows what she did by attacking Jade Cargill. Belair said what she said when she found out the truth, and she meant it. Naomi takes this as a sign that her ex-tag team partner cares a lot about Jade, with Belair mentioning that it’s not even just about Jade. Naomi continues to argue, saying that Jade wasn’t there for Bianca like she was. Tomorrow, she’s going to finish what she started with her, leading Jade Cargill to join the fray.
Naomi leaves the ring as Belair tries to get in between them. Cargill appears to confront Belair, although the words exchanged by the two weren’t easy to hear. Rhea butts in to tell Jade that this is not about her and Naomi’s problems, but Naomi pushes Jade into Rhea and Bianca, leading to the four of them brawling it out.
IYO SKY remains in the ring, unsure of what to do and clearly being the fifth wheel. With officials coming to separate the brawls between Jade/Naomi and Bianca/Rhea, SKY decided to take flight and hit a moonsault from the top turnbuckle onto her WrestleMania opponents, laying them out on the floor. Meanwhile, Naomi runs away once officials have separated Jade from her. Thankfully, it won’t be long before all five women get to finally throw hands with one another in their respective matches at the Grandaddy of Them All.
SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis was on the phone when one of his least favorite employees, the Women’s United States Champion, Chelsea Green, entered his office with her Secret Hervice. Green assumes that Aldis had seen the “travesty” that was last week’s shockingly quick count-out loss to Zelina Vega. Unfortunately for Aldis, Green has a formal complaint, with Piper Niven serving him a folder of paperwork for him to read. Green also assumes that with this paperwork, “Nicholas” will rectify what she considers to be an “injustice” that was the referee in that match. Aldis seemingly agrees that there was an injustice, and it’s time to take action. Even though Green and the Secret Hervice were originally scheduled to take on Zelina Vega and the duo of Katana Chance and Kayden Carter in a six-woman tag team match, Aldis decides to book Green in a non-title match against Vega for later in the show, barring Niven and Alba Fyre from ringside to Green’s displeasure.
Rapper Cardi B appeared in an ad to promote this year’s edition of SummerSlam, which will be taking place as a two-night event at MetLife Stadium with her as the host. A fan of WWE in the 2000s and having mentioned Lita and Melina as her favorite female Superstars in the past, who knows what the “WAP” rapper will have in store on August 2nd and 3rd from New Jersey.
Zelina Vega’s match with Chelsea Green would eventually get underway. Like last week, Green tried to throw her tutu at Vega at the match’s outset. Trying to make quick work of her rival, Green’s offense was temporarily stopped by Vega kicking her, but Green only became more aggressive, throwing Vega into the barricade. Hearing referee Charles Robinson’s count, Green got back into the ring and argued with him, with the Women’s United States Champion choosing to exit the ring and inflict more damage on Vega, only to be thrown into the timekeeper’s area. Robinson started to count again, and both women simultaneously returned to the ring. This was followed by the two throwing a series of punches that helped Vega regain some energy, hitting two clotheslines and setting Green up for the 619, but Green would throw a wrench in those plans by kicking her and sending her down to the mat for a near-fall, frustrating the champion. The two then got on the top turnbuckle, where Vega would execute a Code Red on Green for the victory. Having beaten her twice now, it seems like Vega might just get another shot at the Women’s United States Championship in the near future.
Lastly, Wade Barrett had another pre-recorded interview, this time with Tiffany Stratton. Barrett mentioned that the Women’s Champion has risen to stardom in record time, mentioning her and Charlotte Flair’s infamous verbal jabs 2 weeks ago in Chicago. Asking her what happened in that moment, Stratton said that over the last couple of weeks, she felt bullied and taken advantage of. During her and Charlotte’s split-screen interview, she had a moment of insane discouragement, feeling like she wasn’t cut out or made for the business. It was a moment of panic for her, but she used that feeling and she turned it into motivation, going back to the drawing board and doing her research, making sure that if her and Charlotte were to go face-to-face again, she was going to come prepared. She felt her moment and came at her with a killshot by mentioning Charlotte’s failed marriages, playing her at her own game and giving her a taste of her own medicine. Charlotte doesn’t have to like or love Tiffany, but she damn sure has to respect her now. Barrett then says that given the level of animosity and the prize that is on the line being the WWE Women’s Championship, this is a must-win match for both women, asking her what happens if Tiffy Time ends at WrestleMania 41. Stratton says that is not going to happen; when the bell rings, she is aware that there is going to be a fight, and it’s probably one of the hardest matches she’ll ever have to go through. She’s going to channel the discouragement she felt, and she’s going to turn it into motivation and stand up to her, stating that she is standing up to a bully. At WrestleMania, not only is she walking in as champion but she’s going to be walking out as champion. Barrett thanks Stratton for her time and says that her vs. Charlotte is one of the most hotly anticipated matches of the entire weekend, wishing her the best of luck in defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair.
WrestleMania 41 takes place this weekend, airing live on Peacock in the United States at 7 p.m. Eastern Time / 4 p.m. Pacific Time. It will also be airing live on Netflix in other countries. Here is what’s set to take place at this year’s edition of the Show of Shows:
Night One (Saturday, April 19th)
- Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
- WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
Night Two (Sunday, April 20th)
- WWE Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY (c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
Also, be on the lookout for an article on Michelle McCool‘s Hall of Fame induction, which will be available sometime tomorrow morning or afternoon.
As always, make sure to share your thoughts on this week’s edition of SmackDown in the comments below, and feel free to drop your predictions on this year’s Mania matches.
