Tonight’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown is live from Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina. Corey Graves and Wade Barrett are the commentary team and Mike Rome is the ring announcer for tonight’s show.
Announced segments and matches for tonight’s WWE SmackDown:
• Triple H will be on the show to address the fallout from the WrestleMania XL kickoff press conference.
• DIY will battle Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate in #1 contenders match for WWE Undisputed Tag Team titles.
• Bianca Belair will face Mia Yim in the Qualifying match for the Women’s Elimination Chamber match.
• Bayley will address the departure from Damage CTRL.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results:
• Triple H opened tonight’s show making his way to the ring. Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis are already in the ring. Triple H talks about the WrestleMania XL kickoff press conference and took shots at The Rock. Triple H also confirms that Roman Reigns will defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against 2024 Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL.
Then, Nick Aldis announced that Seth Rollins will defend his WWE World heavyweight championship against the winner for Men’s Elimination Chamber match at Perth. Now, Adam Pearce reveals the 12 participants, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Dominik Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, AJ Styles, LA Knight, Bronson Reed, Kevin Owens, The Miz, Logan Paul, Bobby Lashley and Ivar, will compete in qualifying matches to determine the final 6 elimination chamber participants. He also announced that matches will start right now with AJ Styles facing Drew McIntyre.
Drew McIntyre’s music hits and comes out. McIntyre took shots at CM Punk. Then, talks about Cody Rhodes, says that Rhodes makes the right decision by choosing Roman Reigns. Then, McIntyre says that now all he has to do is to go through this all superstars at Elimination Chamber and finally have his moment at WrestleMania.
• Drew McIntyre defeated AJ Styles via pinfall and qualified for WWE Men’s Elimination Chamber match.
• Kayla Braxton backstage with Sami Zayn and asks how does Sami feel about his chances going to WrestleMania and challenging Seth Rollins? Nothing is certain in WWE, especially during WrestleMania season. It’s an emotional time. He was in the main event last year, now he sees that window closing. He doesn’t have time to be emotional. What’s in front of him tonight is a qualifying match against one of the greatest performers of all-time, Randy Orton. It’s not an easy path, but it’s a path, so he will take it.
• Pretty Deadly Vignette.
• Bianca Belair defeated Mia Yim via pinfall and qualified for the Women’s Elimination Chamber match.
• Triple H backstage and Bron Breakker shows up. Bron asks advice from Triple H regarding which brand he has to choose. But Paul Heyman interrupts. Heyman greets Breakker and says he’s the future top guy. Triple H asks what Paul Heyman wants. Heyman says he will give Hunter his space and will be back next week with The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and The Rock. Triple H says he’s looking forward to it.
• 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bayley makes her way to the ring. Bayley talks about how she put it all to make Damage CTRL top but they betrayed her. She says IYO SKY will learn a big lesson at WrestleMania. Dakota Kai interrupts and says she has been trying to text you all week. Are you ghosting me? Are we not on a friendship level anymore? What are you talking about?
Bayley asks Dakota Kai what she was doing last week. Kai says she met the Doctor last week and she’s close to clear. She is also not aware of what happened last week. Kai also mentioned that she has been sensing same from IYO SKY since the arrival of Asuka and Kairi Sane. Bayley asks why she didn’t tell her. Music interrupts, IYO SKY, Asuka and Kairi Sane came out. Dakota Kai left Bayley alone in the ring.
IYO SKY, Asuka and Kairi Sane surrounded the ring, Bayley was alone in the ring. Dakota Kai brought a steel chair from behind and Bayley was shocked. Kai strikes chair against IYO SKY, Asuka and Kairi Sane. Now, she raises the chair against Bayley, and drops down. Kai and Bayley in the ring. IYO SKY, Asuka and Kairi Sane look shocked from the floor.
• Kayla Braxton backstage with Randy Orton and ask with all of his past success at WrestleMania, how determined is he to get his spot, starting tonight with his match with Sami Zayn? It’s not a given that everybody will be on WrestleMania. He missed last year’s WrestleMania, watching it at home. But he learned a valuable lesson. It’s about patience. As far as Roman Reigns is concerned, he can sit back and wait. But his road to WrestleMania has taken a slight detour. If everything goes his way, he moves to the Elimination Chamber. There will be one constant, the most destructive letters in the industry, RKO.
• Bobby Lashley, B-Fab and The Street Profits have unfinished business with The Final Testament. Lashley will be fighting Bronson Reed in the Chamber Qualifying Match on Raw. He will win the Elimination Chamber and make WrestleMania, All Mighty.
• Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate defeated DIY via pinfall and became the #1 contenders for WWE Undisputed Tag Team titles.
• Byron Saxton backstage with Dominik Mysterio. Dom says that he’s going to shoot his shot by winning the Elimination Chamber and walking out of WrestleMania the World Heavyweight Champion, alongside Mami who will wipe the floor with Nia Jax and have similar success in Philly. We find out that Kevin Owens will be Dominik’s opponent for the Chamber Qualifying Match next week. Owens is going to dedicate his victory to the greatest luchador in history, Rey Mysterio. R-Truth shows up mistakes Owens as The Miz.
• Logan Paul interrupts a conversation with Nick Aldis was having with Adam Pearce. Logan wants to know who his next challenger will be. Qualifying matches are for unqualified people. He’s beyond qualified. He gloats about his drawing ability. Why would he want to fight for free in Utah? He should be getting The Rock treatment. Logan accepts this predicament, but he will win the Elimination Chamber, and after he beats Seth Rollins in their rematch at WrestleMania, he will be walking out as a double champion. Aldis reminds Logan that he’s on his show. Logan will be facing The Miz next week.
• Randy Orton defeated Sami Zayn via pinfall and qualified for the Men’s Elimination Chamber match. After the match, Randy Orton celebrates but Drew McIntyre comes behind him. Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre come face to face with each other and Friday Night SmackDown goes off air.