WWE SmackDown presented its May 16th, 2025, edition of the show from the NC First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. The show presented the fallout of Backlash and began the buildup to its next major Premium Live Event, Money in the Bank with qualifier matches beginning for both the Men’s and Women’s side.
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Moreover, the night also featured some highly exciting in-ring matches that led to ‘This is Awesome’ chants for almost every one of them. The show ended with a huge Women’s title match that was a spectacular match to witness and saw the champion defeat a formidable challenger.
Quick Results
- Alexa Bliss defeated Chelsea Green & Michin in a triple-threat Money in the Bank ladder match qualifier.
- Nathan Frazer & Axiom defeated DIY in a tag team match.
- Aleister Black defeated Carmelo Hayes via Disqualification.
- Solo Sikoa defeated Jimmy Uso vs Rey Fenix in a triple-threat Money in the Bank ladder match qualifier.
- J.C. Matteo defeated LA Knight in a singles match.
- Tiffany Stratton defeated Nia Jax to retain her WWE Women’s Championship in a singles match.
Best Match
The best match of the night came in the main event of WWE SmackDown. It was Tiffany Stratton defending her WWE Women’s Championship against her heated rival, Nia Jax. Stratton’s athleticism went up against the raw power of Jax. From explosive moves to insane spots and loud cheers, it was a sight to witness.
Naomi came out with a chair, but Jade Cargill fended off her attack. Tiffany Stratton hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever, but Jax kicked out. She then took her down with a Samoan Drop on the announcer’s desk and then an Annihilator, but Stratton avoided the pinfall with a rope break. The ending saw Tiffy kicking Nia’s head in the chair as she was trying to use it, and connected with another Moonsault to retain her title.
Worst Match
It was one of those rare matches on WWE SmackDown that featured bad matches. However, if we had to pick one, it would have to be surprisingly LA Knight’s impromptu match against Jeff Cobb, now known as J.C. Matteo. He emerged successful in his debut, but did get major reactions even after putting up a good performance.
Noteworthy Moments
One of the prime highlights of this week’s WWE SmackDown was the revelation of its newest signee. As Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss were talking outside Nick Aldis’ office, NXT standout Giulia came out, and Aldis followed to reveal that the Beautiful Madness was now a part of the blue brand.
Another top highlight was the show’s opening match, the Women’s Money in the Bank qualifying match. The exciting showdown saw Alexa Bliss triumph over Chelsea Green and Michin by delivering a timely Sister Abigail on Green to advance to the ladder match.
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Simultaneously, in the men’s Money in the Bank qualifying match, Solo Sikoa emerged victorious over Jimmy Uso and Rey Fenix. A timely distraction by his new ally, J.C. Matteo, led to Sikoa hitting the Samoan Spike on Fenix to qualify for the ladder match at the PLE.
One more noteworthy moment came during R-Truth’s sit-down interview with Wade Barrett. He asked Truth about John Cena putting him through a table at the WWE Backlash PLE post-show conference. Truth responded in his classic confused manner, but claimed that man was not his childhood hero and vowed to stand up to him at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, setting the stage for their collision.
The last major highlight was the continuous rise of Nathan Frazer and Axiom. After defeating Street Profits last week, they picked another huge win over DIY this week, following a highly spectacular tag team match that also earned them a huge opportunity.
Holy Sh!@ Moments
A top Holy Sh!@ moment came towards the end of the LA Knight and J.C. Matteo’s singles match. As Jacob Fatur and Solo Sikoa were looking to interfere, The Megastar launched himself on them with a diving reverse spingboard crossbody on the outside the which left the fans stunned.
Lowlights
Drew McIntyre came out to cut a promo on Damian Priest. It was nothing special, but it set the tone for their upcoming Steel Cage match, which was made official for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Another lowlight of WWE SmackDown this week was Aleister Black’s match with Carmelo Hayes. Although the match was a stellar showdown, it ended without a decisive winner. The Miz spoiled the ending by attacking Black, who countered him. However, in the end, he was left laying when Carmelo took him out with a top-rope move.
What’s in store for WWE SmackDown next week
Two more triple-threat Money in the Bank qualifying matches will take place next week on WWE SmackDown. The women’s side will see Charlotte Flair, Women’s US Champion Zelina Vega, and the newest SmackDown star, Giulia, clash against each other. On the men’s side, Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight, and Aleister Black will collide for the coveted opportunity.
Furthermore, after Fraxiom’s impressive first two weeks, they will get a WWE Tag Team Championship match against the reigning champions, The Street Profits, next week on the blue brand.
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