Friday Night SmackDown aired this week from inside the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, five weeks away from WrestleMania 42.
Cathy Kelley interviewed The Bella Twins, asking the two if they’ll see enough Twin Magic to defeat The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend), and Brie thinks so. Anyone who’s underestimating them is making a big mistake, which will make it that much more sweeter when Nikki and her beat Nia and Lash for the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Nikki adds that they paved the way for the titles to exist, and they have made history throughout their own careers.
The two are then interrupted by Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, both eating ice cream, with The Queen saying that of course they skipped the line to get a title opportunity after interrupting their title match, calling them “selfish”. Bliss tries to interject, but Flair tells the twins that they won’t interrupt their match, because they don’t want to be center of attention – whoever wins or loses, they want next. Nikki, however, urges them both to watch, to see how real legends get it done. Brie ends the segment by stealing the spoon of Bliss, shocking her.
Candice LeRae was shown afterwards elsewhere in the back, with Johnny Gargano still lying on top of a box, talking to herself that she has literally tried everything and doesn’t know what else to do, when she gets spooked by the presence of Danhausen. Wondering if maybe a curse of his can fix Gargano’s depression, she gives him a single 20 dollar bill before he walks off.
Candice then made her presence during the tag team match between Fraxiom and the Motor City Machine Guns, simply standing and watching at the ramp, before quickly scratching Nathan Frazer in the face, resulting in Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin winning the match. LeRae interestingly smiled from the ramp.
Nia Jax and Lash Legend were featured in a vignette promoting their match later on. Jax does not understand why The Bella Twins think they have a snowball’s chance in hell of beating them tonight. Legend reminds the audience that her and Jax are the center of attention and reads the fellow tag teams to filth. The Bellas? Trying to relive their glory days. Charlotte and Alexa? Trying so hard desperately to stay on their heels. Over on Raw, the Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) and the team of Lyra Valkyria and Bayley say they’re coming for their titles. Legend says it’s time to put all of them in check. Jax says the Bellas will be lucky to survive tonight. Lash and her will demolish them, and there’s only two things they can do about it: nothing, and like it. Legend finishes the segment off by saying that it is not a threat, but pressure.
The WWE Women’s Champion, Jade Cargill, made her way out to the ring afterwards. Cargill said she knows Rhea Ripley is in the building and to bring her ass out here, which Ripley does. Ripley admits that she has no interest in talking to her anymore, feeling that they have said everything they’ve needed to say. Cargill says it’s not about her, it’s about what Ripley needs, and what Mami needs is this title. Cargill goes on say that she doesn’t need the title, the ring, or the fans. Telling Ripley she’s been grinding so hard to be somebody, and her, with or without wrestling, she’s been that bitch and is still that bitch, and like she said from day one, she’s not here to make friends, she’s here to make more money.
Ripley then retorts and takes the mic to say that if Cargill’s goal was not to make friends, then she’s been very successful at that, but she was right about one thing. Ripley does need the championship; she lives for this, and has been busting her ass since she was 16 years old, so she’s not going to let just anyone come up in here and walk all over her to get what they want.
Cargill calls this a “sob story” and tells Ripley she doesn’t care about what she’s sacrificed or what she’s put in, and she damn sure doesn’t care about the women in the locker room. Wrestling didn’t make her, she made it matter, and without it, Ripley disappears. About to call her secondary to IYO SKY, Ripley says she won’t let her disrespect her, this business, or anyone else in it. Ripley says it’s obvious that Cargill knows nothing about this business if she thinks she needs that title. Since it’s been around Cargill’s waist, the belt needs her, and to put it in a way The Storm will understand: now, she wants that title, so she’s going to take that title, which is why she’s given her a big WrestleMania match, so welcome to the big leagues, bitch.
Challenging Cargill to hit her, the champ decides not to and leaves the ring. B-Fab and Michin walk out, seemingly cornering her, but Cargill quickly turns around and B-Fab and Michin enter the ring, instead choosing to help Cargill, with the two beating down on Ripley as Cargill watched on and laughed before kicking and hitting Ripley with Jaded. From friends, to enemies, to friends again seemingly, the segment ended with the trio standing tall.
The Women’s United States Champion, Giulia, and Kiana James were talking backstage, with The Beautiful Madness telling James that she didn’t get the job done against Tiffany Stratton last week, and now, Tiffany thinks she can disrespect her, so next week, Giulia will put her in her place. James says she doesn’t know how many times she has to tell Giulia that she’s sorry.
Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre arrive, with Green saying that as the old saying goes… the enemy of my enemy is my friend, suggesting they work together against Stratton, but Giulia says she doesn’t need any help from her before her and James walk away. Green and Fyre feel this is disrespectful, but Nia and Lash push Green, still in a wheelchair, and Fyre, off into the distance.
The final match of the night featured Nia Jax and Lash Legend defending their Women’s Tag Team Championships against The Bella Twins. The match began with Nia and Nikki, with the Bellas showing signs of teamwork as they targeted Jax’s body and knocking Legend off the ring apron.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss came out at this point to watch the match, allowing Lash Legend to hit Nikki with a big boot and dominate throughout the commercial break portion of the match, throwing Nikki into ringside as Nia slammed her head-first into the commentary desk and threw her into Charlotte and Alexa, who in a reverse of last week, sat next to Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore.
Once they got back into the ring, the focus became on separating Nikki from Brie, who was eventually tagged in and unleashed Brie Mode with a missile dropkick to Jax, who missed a leg drop and fell on her bum followed by being the recipient of a few Yes! Kicks. Jax would headbutt Brie, who then tagged in Nikki, who hit a flying crossbody from the top turnbuckle onto Nia and Lash outside the ring.
The match was quickly called off when Nia, planning on hitting Charlotte in the face with one of the Women’s Tag Team Championship belts, was kicked by Charlotte, causing a disqualification. The Fearless One then got in The Queen’s face, prompting Brie to fight Flair off, only for Flair and Alexa to attack the Bellas, but Nia and Lash re-entered the ring and rammed themselves into their opposing teams, with Legend hitting Nikki and Charlotte while Jax hit Brie and Alexa. Flair would get up, only for Jax to hit a leg drop on her with the assistance of Legend, just like the two had done to Nikki last week.
Friday Night SmackDown airs next week from inside the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, although no matches or segments have been confirmed to take place as of this writing.
As always, make sure to share your thoughts on this week’s episode of SmackDown in the comments below.