WWE SmackDown live results: Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton contract signing
Tonight on SmackDown, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton put pen to paper and make their title bout at WrestleMania 42 official.
Rhodes regained the Undisputed WWE Title last week after defeating Drew McIntyre in a high-stakes last chance match made following SmackDown GM Nick Aldis getting fed up with the former champ’s antics.
McIntyre will be certainly on the hunt for Jacob Fatu, who prevented him from using a chair during the title match last week as their beef is sure to intensify now that McIntyre is no longer a champion.
Grammy Award-winning musician Jelly Roll will make an appearance on tonight’s SmackDown after teasing it last week.
The show will air from the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. As of press time for today’s edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, 9,180 tickets had been distributed for the show.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
***************
– Over flyover shots of Phoenix, the voice of Joe Tessitore welcomed us to tonight’s show before he tossed it over to a recap of last week’s Undisputed WWE Championship match that saw Cody Rhodes regain the title over Drew McIntyre. After that recap we got a shot of Rhodes chatting with Jelly Roll, as well as Randy Orton walking backstage.
Drew McIntyre calls out Nick Aldis
Meanwhile, as Nick Aldis was looking over the Rhodes/Orton contract, Drew McIntyre angrily interrupted and paced his way into the ringside area. An incensed McIntyre demanded that Aldis get out to the ring now to make it right. On cue, Aldis walked down to the ramp and said that there was nothing to “make right”. Part of being the Champion included defending the title, and Aldis stated that McIntyre should be looking at the consequences of his own actions.
McIntyre took exception and accused Aldis of being a “corporate stooge”, so Aldis went for the jugular and said maybe the reason why McIntyre kept screwing Rhodes over was because the moment Cody got a fair shot, McIntyre lost. The surly Scotsman stormed into the ring and threatened Aldis to once again make things right, as this was “bullshit” in his eyes. Just then, Jacob Fatu walked down to the ring to confront his archnemesis.
“Yaddamean?” started Fatu, who said that there was nothing to fix, because McIntyre wouldn’t even be champion if it wasn’t for him. In his eyes, Fatu stated that he fixed the situation because McIntyre was no longer champion. This wasn’t about Aldis or Cody, so McIntyre kept blaming everyone else. Fatu said to keep it one-hundred, he declared that he was the one who screwed McIntyre’s ass. “So, what are you going to to about it?”
Apparently fed up with it all, McIntyre said that he quit WWE, as he walked off.
This seems like it will lead to a McIntyre/Fatu match at WrestleMania, so it’ll be interesting to see how we get to that off of this angle of McIntyre “quitting”.
***************
– Solo Sikoa and the M.F.T.s discussed strategy as the former was set to team up with Talla Tonga against Uncle Howdy & Erick Rowan. Sikoa once again asked Tama Tonga to keep watch of the Wyatt Sicks’ lantern. As everyone but Tama left, Shinsuke Nakamura once again talked to him about being his own man before Sikoa returned and warned Nakamura to stay away before he got hurt.
– Jacob Fatu was angry at Nick Aldis for Drew McIntyre quitting until Trick Williams interrupted things, and from there we got Jacob Fatu vs. Trick Williams made for tonight.
Uncle Howdy & Erick Rowan (w/ The Wyatt Sicks) vs. Solo Sikoa & Talla Tonga (w/ M.F.T.s)
Talla and Rowan got things going with a big man battle as they traded shoulder blocks. Talla struck Rowan in the face, as he hit him with a headbutt and forced him into his team’s corner. Sikoa tagged in and taunted Rowan, who responded with a shoulder block to knock the M.F.T. patriarch down. Howdy tagged in but quickly found himself trapped in the enemy corner. Howdy tried to fight back, but Talla pulled him out of the ring and threw him all about at ringside as we took a break.
This match continued from the break as Talla was the legal man and maintaining control over Howdy with a running splash to the corner, followed by a Samoan Drop. Howdy, however, kicked out at two following that. Sikoa tagged in and tried to hit Sister Abigail on Howdy, but that got reversed into a back suplex. With both men, the two men tried to reach their respective big men as they got the tags in.
Rowan went on the attack against Talla with a running elbow that knocked him down. Rowan then headed from the middle turnbuckle for a diving attack for a near-fall. With Talla down and out, Rowan lifted him on his shoulders, but Sikoa blind tagged, which allowed Talla to escape and hit Rowan with a clothesline. On the top rope, Sikoa went for a splash, but Rowan got his knees up. Howdy tagged in and attempted a Sister Abigail of his own, but got countered into the Samoan Spike. Rowan broke up the count as he and Talla took each other out at ringside. Things erupted at ringside as the Wyatt Sicks and the M.F.T.s brawled all around the ring. Sikoa exited the ring and took out Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy with Samoan Spikes.
As Sikoa entered the ring, he had Howdy at his mercy for the Spike, but Nikki Cross grabbed the Wyatt Lantern, which got Sikoa’s attention. This opened him up to a Sister Abigail from Howdy and the three.
After the match, however, as Howdy held the Wyatt Lantern in his hands, he was hit from behind by a the not-so-hidden blade of the Cutthroat by Tama Tonga. This allowed the M.F.T.s to retreat with the Lantern in toe.
Uncle Howdy & Erick Rowan def. Solo Sikoa & Talla Tonga via pinfall
This feud is still limping onwards even after what feels like an eternity of the Wyatts and M.F.T.s fighting over a lantern. Yes, a lantern is somehow being treated as important as, say, the literal title belts being held by the M.F.T.s at the moment as tag champs. Look, guys, I don’t have to tell you how much this feud stinks and how it’s affecting my enjoyment of anything involving these two factions, and probably the most generous thing I can say about tonight was that the actual match was not terrible. Then again, that’s essentially putting lipstick on a pig.
***************
– Kiana James & Giulia had some harsh words for Tiffany Stratton ahead of James’ battle against her later tonight.
Jade Cargill vs. Michin
Michin attacked Cargill from behind in the ring, as she struck with kicks and strikes before the match began proper. When the bell rang, Michin continued her assault on Cargill with a diving hurricanrana that sent the WWE Women’s Champion out to the ring. Michin kept the offensive going with a suicide dive to the outside. However, things changed as the two got back into to the ring as Cargill hit Michin with a pump kick. In ther corner, Cargill choked Michin by planting a boot, as she then struck her in the back with clubbing blows. Michin tried to fight from underneath, as she used a feint to send her out of the ring. Michin kicked Cargill from the apron and tried for a dive, but she was caught for the fallaway slam and we took a commercial break here.
We returned as Cargill hit Michin with a spinebuster for a near-fall. Cargill tried for a chokeslam, but Michin tried an escape. Cargill had her in position for Jaded, but again couldn’t pull the trigger after Michin countered it. A tornado DDT from Michin almost got the victory. Michin maintained her edge with a modified Sliced Bread, followed by Eat Defeat. However, Cargill rolled out of the ring to avoid eating a pin. As Michin attempted a rolling senton, Cargill dodged it and hit a powerbomb onto the timekeeper’s barricade.
In the ring, Cargill grabbed Michin and licked her face before a chokeslam and Jaded for the pin and win.
Jade Cargill def. Michin via pinfall
While I haven’t been too hot on this “feud” with Michin and Cargill, this match was actually rather decent. And while Cargill didn’t set the world on fire with her performance tonight, she did well enough here.
***************
After the match Cargill was interviewed, but the champ took the mic from Cathy Kelley to speak for herself. Cargill said that the whole world thinks she should be scared of one woman: Rhea Ripley. Cargill said that she didn’t see a challenger or a threat in Ripley, and that she wasn’t afraid of anything her whole life. Cargill promised to beat Ripley at WrestleMania and that she’d be always on top.
This brought out the aforementioned Ripley to confront Cargill. However, the WWE Women’s Champion thought better and backed off from Ripley, who took a mic of her own. Ripley said that Cargill wasn’t an icon of female empowerement, and that come WrestleMania, Cargill would be “her bitch”.
– Cody Rhodes chatted with Nick Aldis about his contract with Randy Orton and that everything was in order. After Aldis left, Sami Zayn and said that he didn’t want to make this a thing, but he just wanted to congratulate Rhodes for his win. The WWE Champion was short with Zayn asked what it is he wanted and if that thing he wanted was a shot at WWE Championship. Zayn said that he only talked with Randy Orton that way because he looked up to him, but he didn’t look up to Rhodes as he saw him as a “friend”.
Rhodes took exception and said that he spent the week tellling everyone how magical Zayn was as he again was wondering what this was all about. Rhodes said that maybe Zayn didn’t need to look up to him, when he could just look towards “this”, as he motioned at his Undisputed WWE Title.
As Rhodes left, Zayn again threw a fit as Aleister Black and Zelina laughed at his plight, perhaps carrying the cross of a familiar role left behind by others. Zayn threatened Black to stay away from him.
– Backstage, Michin was nursing her wounds with B-Fab, as Rhea Ripley tried to have a chat with her. While Michin seemed to want to talk, B-Fab apparently didn’t share that sentiment as she got Michin to leave with her.
– The Bella Twins made their way down to the ring and addressed the crowd. Nikki and Brie said that it felt good to be back on SmackDown, and that the reason they showed up here was that they were set to be next in line for the Women’s Tag Team Championships. As such, they’ll be at ringside to scout the competition for this match coming up next.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Irresistable Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
Jax and Legend went after the challengers right away as the bell rang. Bliss and Flair regrouped and managed to send Jax and Legend out of the ring. Bliss tried to go for a diving cannonball on the apron, but Jax caught her and slammed her on the apron. Flair dropped Jax with a dive from the ring as Legend then took her out with a big boot. The Irresistable Forces stared down the Bella Twins at ringside as we took another commercial break, just a few minutes after we had one.
We returned from break as Bliss nearly got the tag to Flair, but Legend intercepted her successfully. As Bliss headed to the top rope, she was caught by Legend, but she rolled out of harm’s way to finally get Flair into the match. Flair unleashed a flurry of chops on Legend, followed by her cartwheel clothesline. As Jax tagged in, Flair tried for a move from the apron, but got caught into a Samoan Drop for the near-fall. Jax dragged Flair to the corner and looked for the Annihilator. Flair dodged at the last second and instead connected with her moonsault. Legend broke up the pin, as she fell victim to a tornado DDT from Bliss. Outside the ring, the scuffle between Jax and Flair ended with the Bella Twins caught in the crossfire.
Back in the ring, Flair connected with Natural Selection, as Bliss headed to the top rope for Twisted Bliss. Brie Bella stormed the ring and attacked the fallen Jax to cause a disqualification. After the match, the Irresistable Forces stood tall in the ensuing chaos.
Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss def. The Irresistable Forces via Disqualification
I can’t say the idea of the Bella Twins entering the WWE Women’s Tag Title scene, presumably at WrestleMania, is going to move the needle at all. Just nothing good can come from that. As far as this match was concerned, it was nothing special, and the DQ finish didn’t help matters either.
***************
– Jelly Roll had a chat with Damian Priest & R-Truth, who were getting ready for their tag match against Los Garza. Following that, Jelly met with his good pal Randy Orton, who recommended that Jelly give The Miz an ass whooping later on tonight during MizTV.
– Backstage, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss argued with The Bella Twins, who once again stated that they had next.
Damian Priest & R-Truth vs. Los Garza (Angel & Berto)
Priest dropped Angel with a standing flapjack as Truth hit a spinning kick. Truth took too long playing to the crowd, which allowed Angel to take advantage with a kick, as Berto was tagged into the match. Angel hit the running boot on a prone Truth while Berto held him in position and added a kick to the back of his own.
In the ring, Truth found his way back into the match with a hurricanrana on Berto, followed by the running splash. Los Garza took advantage again as Angel pulled down the middle rope to cause Truth to spill to the outside. Angel and Berto then hit stereo dives on their foes as we got yet another commercial break.
This match resumed as Truth and Berto fought it out in the middle of the ring, with the latter getting the best of his foe. Angel tagged in aas he and Berto maintained control of Truth at this stage of the match. Angel hit a vertical suplex on Truth as he mocked him with a “you can’t see me” taunt. That was met with with a suplex-into-stunner move by Truth, as Priest finally entered with the hot tag. Priest held his own against Angel and Berto with strikes a-plenty for both. Priest held Berto and hit the Old School crossbody from the ropes. Priest then blasted Berto with his signature lariat. Angel broke up the pin as he got dispatched in short order. Razor’s Edge attempt was interrupted by Angel who blind tagged as he and Berto shelled Priest with high-flying offense.
Priest blocked a moonsault from Berto with boots to the face, as he held Angel in South of Heaven position. Angel escaped, but he couldn’t avoid the Razor’s Edge from Priest. Truth begged to be tagged in, as he and Priest hit their finishers — Attitude Adjustment and South of Heaven, respectively — on Los Garza for the win.
Damian Priest & R-Truth def. Los Garza via pinfall
I will say this, the Truth/Priest tag team is starting to somewhat grow on me, and it highlights Priest’s strength as a tag team guy, which is probably not a bad place for him for the time being.
***************
– Alex Shelley was seen hanging out with Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae and trying to motivate Johnny to be his old self again. He was met by his Motor City Machine Gun partner, Chris Sabin, who didn’t seem too happy with Shelley hanging around with the man who cost them the WWE Tag Team Titles. Sabin told Shelley that he got them a match next week against Fraxiom as he then challenged his partner to show how committed he was to the MCMGs.
– The Miz was set to go to the ring, but he was interrupted by the incomparable Danhausen, who hawked his new t-shirt to him. Danhausen again listed off his demands to Miz just before the interview with “Jelly Jam” but got blown off. In response, Danhausen told Miz that he was now cursed.
MizTV with Jelly Roll
As The Miz began his introduction, his mic suddenly cut off as he asked for another one that worked. Following that, Miz introduced his guest, Jelly Roll.
Jelly stated that there was no way he’d miss his boys Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes signing their WrestleMania contract tonight right here in Phoenix. Miz interrupted and tried to convince Jelly to take him on as a mentor, but only got a “no” in response from Mr. Jelly.
Jelly stated that Miz had a history of stabbing his partners in the back. Miz talked about how everyone discussed Jelly Roll’s comeback story, but not the guy who was behind it. Miz seemingly took credit for Jelly losing 250 pounds two years ago. Mr. Jelly said that Miz should be disgusted for taking credit for his successes and said he’d whoop his ass, fat or skinny.
Before things could escalate, Kit Wilson interrupted things and said that Miz should stop wasting time with Mr. Jelly. Wilson said that the problem wasn’t Miz’s mentoring, but the problem was Jelly himself. Jelly talked about how everyone secretly liked Wilson as he showed off his dance moves to him. Kit was upset about being supposedly mocked by Jelly, and that losing weight doesn’t make him a hero. It makes him nothing more than “fatphobic”. He then called Jelly “toxic” afterwards. Wilson shoved Jelly as things began to escalate. Jelly struck with a punch, but Wilson dodged as Miz got hit by it instead.
Yikes. That segment was a bit rouugh, wasn’t it? That it was anchored by the “usual” WWE sense of humor didn’t help at all. That it’s leading to a Miz vs. Jelly Roll match at WrestleMania 42 should put some butts in seats.
***************
– Apollo Crews and Ilja Dragunov were reacting to the segment we just saw as Carmelo Hayes went to have a chat with the latter. Dragunov said he was stuck between two extremes: ultimate confidence and self-doubt. Hayes asked him to lock in, unless there was something more to why he couldn’t fight him. Dragunov said that he couldn’t fight Hayes right now because he was fighting himself.
– As Tiffany Stratton was addressing Giulia and Kiana James, Chelsea Green rolled up and got promptly pushed away just as Stratton was on her way to the ring for her match with James.
– Kit Wilson stood backstage with The Miz and said he’d go to Nick Aldis and possibly seek a match against Jelly Roll. Danhausen appeared again and asked if Miz got his teeth knocked out by “Jimmy Jam” and that he could’ve taken the fight to him if he was out there. Danhausen then reminded Miz that ther was only one way to reverse the curse, as he then vanished.
Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James (w/ Giulia)
Stratton and James started off with a bit of chain wrestling before the latter used her agility to get ahead with an early pinfall attempt. James responded by planting Stratton’s face on the turnbuckle. That momentary advantage was snuffed out as Stratton dodged a James attack. On the apron, James hit a Dealbreaker on Stratton, which allowed her to gain advantage as she then threw Stratton into the barricade. That led us to, of course, a commercial break.
As we returned from break, Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre appeared at ringside while Stratton connected with a cartwheel cutter inside the ring for a near-fall. James escaped a move from Stratton, as she countered the Alabama Slam into a driver of her own. James went for a powerbomb, but Stratton countered with the rolling senton and was going to hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever. Giulia pulled James out of the ring, so Stratton hit a dive on both James and Giulia at ringside. In the chaos, the wheelchair-bound Green tried to go after Stratton, but Giulia got in the way. At the end of it, Stratton avoided a big boot from James, as she hit Giulia instead, who then fell onto Green and Fyre.
Back in the ring, Stratton finished James off with the rolling senton and the Prettiest Moonsault Ever.
Tiffany Stratton def. Kiana James via pinfall
This was a fine match up until the weird shenanigans-filled ending that kinda took me out of the whole thing. It does seem like we’re potentially getting a multi-woman feud for the Women’s U.S. Championship at WrestleMania when all is said and done.
***************
Next Week on SmackDown
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: The Irresistable Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) vs. Nikki & Brie Bella
- Kit Wilson calls out Jelly Roll
– As Trick Williams was getting ready to face Jacob Fatu, Sami Zayn showed up to call him as someone who can’t back up his big talk. Williams didn’t take too kindly and said that if he didn’t have a match up next, he’d drop Zayn where he stood.
Jacob Fatu vs. Trick Williams
Fatu and Williams locked up before they traded strikes in the corner. Williams held momentum with chops to Fatu’s chest, as he then athletically avoided a running strike into the corner. Fatu seemed to get strength by headbutting the top turnbuckle as he then hit his spinning elbow on Williams and then struck him with repeated headbutts in the corner. Williams tried to fight back with a neckbreaker, but Fatu withstood the damage and then went after him with a clothesline and an acrobatic moonsault. Fatu then clotheslined Williams out of the ring as we took a timeout here.
This match returned from the break as Fatu dropped Williams with a jump-up Whisper in the Wind for the two-count. Williams recovered and hit the spinning pump kick on Fatu followed by the jumping neckbreaker for another two-count. Williams beckoned Fatu to get up but he missed with the axe kick. He made no mistake with the flapjack, however as Williams kipped up to his feet. Willams had command with a stytlish uranage, but that still wasn’t enough to put Fatu away.
Williams stalked Fatu for the Trickshot knee, but ended up in the throes of a pop-up Samoan Drop. Fatu then hit his running hip attack in the corner as he then headed up top for the Swanton Bomb. One, two… NO! Fatu looked to be going in for the kill, but Williams rolled out of the ring. Meanwhile, outside the ring, Drew McIntyre attacked Fatu while the referee was checking up on Trick Williams. As McIntyre threw Fatu back in the ring, Williams hit him with two Trickshot knees and that’s it, over.
After the match, McIntyre took out Fatu with a Claymore Kick.
Trick Williams def. Jacob Fatu via pinfall
I quite enjoyed this one, even if the Drew McIntyre intereference finish was something everyone could see coming. Trick getting wins over top names shows how much of a big deal he’s being seen on SmackDown and he should comfortably fit into the world title picture post-WrestleMania.
***************
Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton WrestleMania contract signing
SmackDown GM Nick Aldis was in the ring as he addressed Drew McIntyre’s actions moments ago. He made it official and booked McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu for next week’s show. With that order of business out of the way, Aldis then introduced both Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes for the contract signing for their WrestleMania 42 title match.
While Orton got a loud set of cheers from the crowd, the reaction was a bit more mixed for the Undisputed WWE Champion. Before the contract signing began, Rhodes and Orton shared a respectful hug between friends as the former took to the mic first.
“Phoenix, sounds like I know what you want to talk about,” Rhodes said as he recounted his beginnings with Orton starting in 2007. He talked about how how Orton went on to become a WrestleMania main eventer and that he left. Then once he returned, his brother didn’t come with him, there was no “Codyverse”, but Orton was there. Rhodes said that he wasn’t Orton’s brother or a son, but he was always proud to be his boy as he signed the WrestleMania match contract.
Orton took a look at the contract and didn’t seem to know how to react as he told that he didn’t think that Rhodes understood how much Orton needed the title. Drew McIntyre was supposed to be here facing him. Rhodes interrupted Orton said that knew that we’d get the best version of Randy Orton at WrestleMania when the bell rings. After the main event when the last bell rings, Rhodes said that he’d always love Orton.
As the two shared a hug, Orton bashed Rhodes’ head against the table and then kicked him in the groin, much to the protestations of the commentary team. Orton busted Rhodes open with the steel steps as he then pushed Nick Aldis down. With the announce table cleared, Orton continued his attack on the Champion as the fans cheered on this heinous attack.
Orton lined up Rhodes’ head against the bottom half of the steel steps which was set up against the commentary table as the vanguard of referees and road agents showed up. Jelly Roll tried to talk some sense into Orton, but he pushed him down. As Orton backed away, everyone checked up on the bloodied Rhodes before Orton ran down with a chair and smashed against him. Orton rolled back into the ring and sat on a chair and looked at the Undisputed WWE Title.
***************
Well, that was an effective way to intensify the feud by giving us an unhinged heel Randy Orton, but… as you probably noticed, the crowd cheering on as brave babyface Cody Rhodes is beaten down to an inch of his life is making this a bit of an uphill battle on WWE’s part. The intent was to sell this as a brutal betrayal by a friend, but it’s slightly undercut when fans, who are seemingly tired of Cody hovering around the title picture again (whether or not they’re justified is up for you to decide) are happily cheering his brains getting blasted. That said, I did like this closing segment despite the weird crowd dynamic.
As far as the rest of tonight’s SmackDown is concerned, it was mediocre, save for the main event match and contract signing. The Wyatts/M.F.T.s feud continues to be a snore that persists even against all logic, and the other feuds aren’t really inspiring anything whatsoever. With WrestleMania in 5 weeks time, and slow ticket sales amidst a middling build towards April 18 and 19th, time is quickly running out for Paul Levesque and company to convince fans, lapsed or otherwise, to tune in to Mania this year. Shows like tonight’s SmackDown doesn’t inspire much hope that they can do that.
WWE SmackDown recapper. Former NXT PLE/WWE Saturday Night's Main Event/fill-in recapper.