The March 7th edition of Friday Night SmackDown was presented from the Wells Fargo Arena in Philidelphia. The show gave the fallout from the events that transpired at WWE’s last Premium Live Event, Elimination Chamber that took place last weekend in Toronto, Canada.
The night was capped with some heated moments, captivating in-ring showdowns, superstars looking ahead to WrestleMania 41 after the events that went down at WWE’s last PLE and the coronation of a new champion.
Quick Results
- Tiffany Stratton defeated Piper Niven.
- Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) defeated Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelly & Chris Sabin) and Los Garza (Angel and Berto).
- Braun Strowman defeated Solo Sikoa via disqualification.
- Chelsea Green defeated Michin in a Street Fight to retain her WWE Women’s United States Championship.
- Drew McIntyre picked up a win over Jimmy Uso.
- LA Knight defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to win the WWE United States Championship.
Best Match
The best and perhaps the most captivating bout of the night has to go to the Street Fight between Michin and Chelsea Green for the WWE Women’s United States Championship. The duo delivered a highly intriguing bout and used all possible foreign weapons on each other, such as kendo sticks, fire extinguishers, tables, and chairs.
Moreover, the fans witnessed some insane spots like Michin’s hip attack on Chelsea and Green herself delivering a coast to coast on Michin. The ending was also a big surprise as a hooded Alba Fyre saved Chelsea Green at the last minute. She delivered a Canadia Destroyer to Michin and Green pinned her to retain her title.
Worst Match
The worst match of the night that could have been the top showdown was the bout between Braun Strowman and Solo Sikoa. It began with a slow start and did not have the audience’s interest much until the end of the showdown, which saw a big moment.
Noteworthy Moments
A top highlight of the show was Cody Rhodes‘ address to John Cena, turning heel and siding with The Rock. Rhodes called out Cena for giving up on the millions of his fans and demanded an explanation. Rhodes did not back down from the Cenation Leader, claiming that he is still the face of WWE and asked John Cena to “Come Get Some.”
Related: WWE Rumors: John Cena’s Heel Turn Was Originally Planned To Mirror Another Legendary Turn
Another noteworthy moment was Charlotte Flair attacking Tiffany Stratton after she picked up a huge win over Piper Niven following a hard-fought battle. The Queen locked in the Figure Eight Leg Lock on Stratton to leave her battered and make a statement.
The last major highlight of this week’s WWE SmackDown was the main event showdown between Shinsuke Nakamura and LA Knight for the WWE United States Championship. It was a captivating match as both superstars went up against each other. A steel chair came into play towards the end, and Nakamura accidentally spit the red mist on referee Charles Robinson. Nakamura tried to use the chair, but instead, LA Knight delivered the BFT on the chair to win back his US title.
Holy Sh!@ Moments
The biggest shocker on this week’s SmackDown came at the end of the match between Braun Strowman and Solo Sikoa. Tama Tonga caused a disqualification, and Strowman beat him down. Just then, Jacob Fatu came out, and a brawl ensued. Both men went fighting into the crowd and got on top of a production box. Fatu was about to drop Braun, but he countered and chokeslammed him to the table. But in a surprise turn of events, Fatu got up on his feet in mere seconds.
Related: New Report Hints at Mega Showdown Planned for Jacob Fatu at WWE WrestleMania 41
Another big holy Sh!@ moment on WWE SmackDown was Naomi admitting to her crime of attacking Jade Cargill back in November 2024 in an emotional segment with Bianca Belair. The duo was in tears as Naomi tried to explain that she did it for Belair, but she did not listen. Just then, Naomi shocked the world even further by calling Belair an “ungrateful b*tch.” At that moment, Jade Cargill arrived and took Naomi down in the ring with a Jaded.
Lowlights
The tag team showdown between Pretty Deadly and Motor City Machine Guns had a lackluster response despite delivering a good match and having high-stakes involved. Moreover, it was a surprise roll-up finish that did the job for Kit Wilson and Elton Prince.
Another lowlight of the night was yet another match between Drew McIntyre and Jimmy Uso. The fans seemed disinterested, chanting ‘CM Punk’ at one point. The slow-paced match with no reaction ended with McIntyre hitting a Claymore Kick to win the match. Even the ending of Damien Priest attacking him as payback for Drew taking him down backstage did not help build any significant reactions.
What’s in store for WWE SmackDown next week
The Street Profits, after causing utter chaos in the tag team division, will finally get their tag team title opportunity next week on WWE SmackDown. They will challenge the current WWE Tag Team Champions, DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa) for their titles.
Following a backstage altercation, Charlotte Flair will collide in a one-on-one showdown against B-Fab. Also, Randy Orton will return to in-ring action in a singles match against Carmelo Hayes. Lastly, The Miz will host an edition of his talk show, Miz TV, with his special guest being the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes.