Friday Night SmackDown aired this week from inside the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
The Women’s United States Champion Giulia was finishing up a call over the phone, when Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre came up to her. Green asked where her “little secretary” Kiana James was, quick to point out that James wasn’t doing her job. Green had something to talk to her about, thinking of a merging of the Secret Hervice with The Beautiful Madness and James, mentioning that she knew a thing or two about being the first-ever, longest reigning, and best Women’s United States Champion. (the longest-reigning stat in particular, is one Green would like to keep for herself)
Fyre says that Green’s stats are trailblazing facts, and Green asks Giulia about running a campaign trail for herself as the WWE Women’s Champion with “G” as Vice President, which baffles Giulia. Kiana James walks in and insults Green, saying she doesn’t see “discount Diva” on Giulia’s schedule, which leads Green to gasp before she happily realizes James just called her a Diva.
James continues to bite and says that the future longest-reigning Women’s United States Champion is booked and busy for the foreseeable future, which Green didn’t seem fond of hearing. James reminded her that she actually had a match against the WWE Women’s Champion, Tiffany Stratton, and walked off. Fyre and Green then tried to give Giulia a paper with their job listing, which she declined, telling them “Arrivederci” and walking away to accompany James. Green believes she said “yes” in Italian, not realizing it actually means “goodbye” in Italian, while Fyre was upset.
Note: Nikki Cross appeared in the distant background again.
Note: Same video, but starting at 1:15 for the entrances and Tiffany/Kiana match.
The non-title match between James and Stratton was up after the segment, which came after Stratton and James had a confrontation during the champ’s interview last week. The early goings showed the athleticism of James, being able to either counter or bounce back quickly from the Buff Barbie’s offense. Stratton then got James in position as she performed a hip toss that helped her lock James into an arm drag. The action remained back-and-forth as both women took it to the outside. Giulia got in Stratton’s face, but only to serve as a distraction for James to throw Stratton into the barricade before a commercial break.
After the break, the show returned with James continuing to dominate as she repeatedly kicked and drove her head into Stratton’s midsection at the turnbuckle. James tried to pin Stratton, but the champion kicked out at 2. Giulia, at ringside, continued to cheer for her legal representative as both women fell to the mat before getting up to hit a series of punches on each other. Stratton ultimately took control and hit a handspring elbow followed by an Alabama Slam on James. Going for a rolling senton, Stratton geared for her finisher, but James got out of the way. Stratton rapidly got up to her feet, but James gave her a kick and executed a driver, which only yielded a 2 count as well.
Now putting Stratton on the top turnbuckle, James was about to inflict more damage when she was pushed off and fell face-first into the mat, allowing Stratton to perform a Swanton bomb and the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to win. Stratton could barely celebrate as Giulia entered the ring and jumped her in response to James losing the match.
Jade Cargill’s music then played as she ran out to save the day, hitting two kicks on Giulia and serving up a knuckle sandwich to James to force them into retreating. Offering her hand to Stratton, the Storm raised her hand up and picked up the Women’s Championship belt, which had been left on the mat, to give to her.
Cargill then looked like she was going to leave the ring, but instead clotheslined Stratton. Showing off her scar from her triple threat match and with an evil smile on her face, Cargill launched an assault, throwing Stratton out of the ring and into the ring post almost as if she were a rag doll. Referees and officials came to separate Cargill, but she refused to finish, continuing to kick her as Stratton was laid out on the floor of the commentary desk.
As it seemed Stratton had some distance, crawling on the floor, Cargill kept the attack going by kicking her leg, provoking sounds of painful screaming from Stratton. The fans began to voice their displeasure and started to boo, while Cargill stared at the Women’s Championship belt and left the ring.
Following a replay of the attack kicking off the show’s second hour, Cargill was walking backstage when Cathy Kelley noticed and quickly ran up to her for a comment. Frantically asking her what made her attack Stratton and if she wasn’t worried about potential consequences, The Storm said that you only face consequences when you make a mistake. The only mistake she made was thinking that this world rewards patience; it rewards power, and she’s not going to ask for an opportunity, she’s taking it, starting with the WWE Women’s Championship and firmly putting Stratton on notice.
Zelina Vega accompanied Aleister Black, who challenged the newly crowned United States Champion Ilja Dragunov in what was the new champion’s first open challenge. Consumed in smoke and making her presence felt with a seductive crawl during Black’s entrance, Vega got involved several times in the resulting match, hitting a hurricanrana on Dragunov while referee Jason Ayers had his back turned speaking to Black. She additionally tried to distract him while he stood on the top turnbuckle, which got her into an argument with the ref. While these two instances helped Black take advantage, it was the third time that wasn’t a charm.
Keeping a very intense and watchful eye throughout the match, Vega ultimately began to grow frustrated at Dragunov’s unwillingness to give up. In a last-ditch effort, Vega pulled Dragunov’s leg, causing him to trip, but she quickly became fearful as the referee saw what she had done. Telling Black to back up, Ayers sent Vega to the back in order to prevent further interference.
Before she could actually leave, Damian Priest walked out, unseen since Vega helped Black throw a fireball in his face two weeks ago. The Archer of Infamy took off his glasses to reveal that the attack left a burn mark in one of his eyes, distracting Black and causing him to lose the match. Afterwards, Priest attacked Black inside and outside the ring, but Vega jumped on top of him, scratching him in his bad eye as she then took Black with her to escape into the crowd.
Candice LeRae once again appeared with #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa), and again the three took aim at Axiom’s “stupid mask”, with The Poison Pixie telling him to get rid of it. When Axiom and Nathan Frazer tried to confront them, LeRae told them that they were wasting their time, with her and #DIY leaving.
Cathy Kelley was back and in a much better mood, now in the locker room with the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. The roving reporter informed them of Bayley’s challenge to the champions via social media earlier today, with The Role Model saying that if the two of them were really the champions that they say they are, they would show up to Monday Night Raw and prove it. Asking them for a response, The Queen replied by saying they saw the challenge, and Bliss accepts on behalf of the team, feeling that Bayley and Lyra Valkyria need to see what a real tag team looks like because they’re never on the same page.
Nia Jax entered the shot and thinks it’s cute that Bliss and Flair are, in her mind, pretending to be besties and is just waiting for one of them to stab the other in the back. Flair tells The Irresistible Force that she is projecting; because she’s been hurt so many times, she assumes everyone will do the same. Flair used to be like that, and then she developed healthy relationships rooted in trust, like her friendship with Bliss.
Jax then mentions she was friends with Bliss, and if she wants to call her a bully and manipulative, Jax states she learned it from “the best”, warning Flair to watch out because Bliss might hug her from one arm and stab her in the back with the other. Bliss takes exception to these comments, mentioning that people do change (with Jax nodding and making a face in disagreement), but if she is looking for the old version of her, she’s not hard to find. Jax insults her in response, stating that those are some big words from such a little girl, mockingly asking her if she wants to back it up in the ring. Bliss says “you’re on” and Jax says she’ll see her next week.
Friday Night SmackDown airs next week (and exactly on Halloween!) from inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the following set to take place:
- Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
Saturday Night’s Main Event also airs the night after Halloween on Saturday, November 1st, on Peacock in the United States and Netflix in other countries, from the same venue featuring a title match:
- Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill
As always, make sure to share your thoughts on this week’s episode of SmackDown in the comments below.