HIGHLIGHTS
- Lash Legend didn’t just beat Alexa Bliss—she dominated, and the rocket ship is real
- Oba Femi held his own against Cody Rhodes on the mic—here’s why Saturday just got more interesting
- The main event was a dud—and that’s bad news for two stars who desperately needed a win
The last bricks have been laid ahead of the WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. John Cena is set to have the final match of his historic career. However, before that, we were treated to an intriguing and entertaining episode of Smackdown.
Let’s get into it.
Smackdown Match Results
- Ilja Dragunov def. Tommaso Ciampa – Retains US title
- Lash Legend def. Alexa Bliss
- Je’Von Evans def. The Miz
- Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley def. Aleister Black and Zelina Vega
Cody Rhodes and Oba Femi Faceoff
Rhodes is embroiled in his feud with Drew McIntyre, but the NXT Champion Oba Femi is set to challenge him in a non-title bout on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Femi held his own on the mic and his crowd chants could be heard pretty well.
It’s a good sign when an NXT star can show up on Smackdown or Raw and have their chants follow them. It’s an even better sign when the star doesn’t shrink in the face of one of the promotion’s top performers, and the crowd doesn’t attempt to circumvent his promo.
This mic session made their match on Saturday a bit more interesting.
Ilja Dragunov Defeats Tommaso Ciampa
Dragunov was busted open in this match. It was yet another chapter in the impressive ongoing streak of strong US title defenses. The title has become the belt for the workers and WWE is attempting to establish stronger characters in some of the young stars who carry the title.
Dragunov’s promos and character are still a work in progress, but his in-ring work is undeniable. Him and Ciampa put on a show and it appears Carmelo Hayes is next, though he is the one who came to Dragunov’s aid as he was being attacked by DIY.
The Wyatt Sicks vs. The MFT
There was a huge spot here for Uncle Howdy to stand out on the mic, but it felt like he fumbled his promo a bit. It didn’t seem to hit as hard as it was supposed to. That said, there’s some layers to this faction-focused feud.
The tag-team titles are a great prize here and let’s not sleep on the fact that Solo Sikoa is still doing excellent character work.
Lash Legend is On The Move
Lash Legend is on her way up the ladder. Legend didn’t just beat Alexa Bliss on Smackdown–she dominated. The win was nearly clean. There was a brief outside interference from Nia Jax, but when Lash hit the Lash Extension, it was just her and Bliss in the ring.
The crowd seemed stunned that Legend went over clean, but it is real and so is the rocket ship attached to her back. When they give Legend the mic, you’ll see even more why she has the potential to be a major star.
Je’Von Evans is Just 21 Years Old
Evans’ athleticism is on another level. Even with an older and slower dance partner like The Miz, Evans still shined bright. Don’t be surprised if we see Evans and Leon Slater win the WWE Tag-Team titles on Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Jade Cargill Smashes Michin
While the two women were supposed to have a match, the segment turned out to be a beatdown. Cargill smashed Michin backstage and then beat her down after a short mic session.
Who will be Cargill’s real feud? It’s tough to imagine who that will be. Cargill may not get a serious push until Bianca Belair is back from injury.
Damian Priest and Aleister Black Are in Trouble
This main event was pretty worthless. It was the least important thing on the entire episode. We were literally here to see Ripley and that was it. This is terrible news for Priest and Black who have struggled mightily to get their feud over.
After this main event, that mission still isn’t accomplished.
