The WrestleMania 41 season is on fire right now as WWE SmackDown heads to Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy to continue the European tour.
Announced in advance of Friday’s show:
- CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins are under one roof
- Jade Cargill vs. Liv Morgan
- Zelina Vega vs. Piper Niven
- Braun Strowman battles Jacob Fatu
Randy Orton kicks off the WWE SmackDown
Owens then proposed to Orton his idea of teaming together on the showcase of immortals to win the Tag Team Championships. Orton denied the idea saying he could take his apology and put in his a**. Orton told Owens how he has gone from being “Fight Owens Fight” to “B***h Owens B***h”.
WWE SmackDown began with the arrival of Randy Orton just moments before Kevin Owens arrived at the ringside as well. Owens told Orton that he can forgive him picking Rhodes’s side if he can also forgive him for him for attacking him.
Orton then called Owens saying he would kick his head in Las Vegas. A great way to open up the show with one more WrestleMania match now being taken shape.
Ratings: 6 /10
Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jimmy Uso and Damian Priest – Tag Team match
Drew McIntyre came after Damian Priest last week here on WWE SmackDown during his match against Shinsuke Nakamura. McIntyre attacked Priest alongside Nakamura leading to this tag team match.
McIntyre and Priest started brawling before the bell even began to start the match. Jimmy and Priest picked up the win after a hard-fought back-and-forth match.
McIntyre attacked Priest after the match — hitting him with a Claymore kick.
Result: Jimmy Uso and Damian Priest defeated Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura
Ratings: 6.5 /10
Backstage segment ft. Braun Strowman and LA Knight
Braun Strowman then met LA Knight backstage ahead of his match against Jacob Fatu. Knight told Strowman that he wants him to beat Fatu and also that he’ll have his back tonight against the Bloodline.
Strowman then told Knight that he has to GM Nick Aldis and the winner of the match will get a shot at his WWE United States Championship.
Interview segment ft. Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair
Ahead of their WWE Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, both Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair joined in for an exclusive interview.
Flair told Stratton that she just delusional thinking that she was similar to her, saying that she had not earned that. Stratton replied saying Flair’s time is now over and that things here now run on Tiffany’s time.
Ratings: 7 /10
Braun Strowman vs. Jacob Fatu
Braun Strowman and Jacob Fatu have had problems boiling for weeks between them both. It was last week here on WWE SmackDown when Fatu challenged Strowman to a match after attacking him earlier on the show.
Strowman and Fatu went to put up a good fight before Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa attacked Strowman — causing the match to end via disqualification. LA Knight then arrived on the scene to help Strowman as he had promised him earlier.
Result: Braun Strowman defeated Jacob Fatu via disqualification
Ratings: 7 /10
Backstage segment ft. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez then appeared in an interview segment saying Jade Cargill made everyone believe that it was Morgan behind that attack on her. And it’s personal for her even though she didn’t attack Cargill.
Backstage segment ft. The Bloodline
WWE SmackDown then went backstage where Jacob Fatu seemed to be angry with both Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa after they cost him the match and potential shot at the WWE United States Championship.
Zelina Vega vs. Piper Niven
Zelina Vega challenged Piper Niven in a backstage segment last week here on WWE SmackDown leading to this singles match between them.
Vega delivered an amazing performance in the match, coming close to victory. But she got overwhelmed by the power of Niven and 2 on 1 advantage on the ringside as well. Niven pinned Vega to pick up the win.
Result: Piper Niven defeated Zelina Vega
Ratings: 7 /10
Key Notes and Observation:
- This was Zelina Vega’s first match here on WWE SmackDown since her transfer from WWE Raw.
Backstage interview segment ft. Jade Cargill
WWE then announced one more WrestleMania 41 match being made official between Kevin Owens and Randy Orton followed by an interview segment featuring Jade Cargill.
Cargill said that Liv Morgan tried to disrespect her and tonight she gonna show her. She also then turned her attention to Naomi saying that this is just a little preview of what she’s going to do to her.
Liv Morgan vs. Jade Cargill
Liv Morgan interrupted an interview segment of Jade Cargill last week here on WWE SmackDown saying that she and Raquel Rodriguez were being blamed for that attack on her for weeks. Cargill then challenged Morgan to a singles match here on WWE SmackDown.
Naomi arrived on the ringside during the match and attacked Cargill with one of the tag team belts while Rodriguez had the referee distracted. Morgan took advantage of the attack and picked up the win.
Naomi continued to attack Cargill after the match with no one to stop her.
Result: Liv Morgan defeated Jade Cargill
Ratings: 6 /10
Backstage interview segment ft. Drew McIntyre
After attacking Damian Priest earlier on the show, Drew McIntyre appeared in an interview segment saying that every time he got screwed over the last week it was always Priest looking to pick the bones and take advantage. McIntyre then told Priest that he would be in London next week and if he wanted he could come and find him.
Los Garzas vs. Street Profits
After defeating DIY last week here on WWE SmackDown to become the new WWE Tag Team Champions, Street Profits arrived to ring to celebrate their first championship win in the last four years. Legado Del Fantasma then arrived at the ringside saying that they are pissed and ready to snatch the championships from them.
Pretty Deadly then also arrived on the scene reminding Legado Del Fantasma and Street Profits that they have earned the right challenge for those championships on the Mar. 7th edition of WWE SmackDown. Profits then called out Los Garzas for a tag team match, which began immediately.
Both teams went on to put up an amazing match but in the end, Street Profits picked up the win.
Result: Street Profits defeated Los Garzas
Ratings: 8 /10
Backstage segment ft. Pretty Deadly and #DIY
Pretty Deadly then met DIY in a backstage segment where Gargano and Ciampa said that they would help them next in their upcoming WWE Tag Team Championship match in exchange for a future shot. Elton Prince and Kit Wilson replied saying No.
CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins arrive in the same ring
Roman Reigns then came down to the ring talking about what he did to CM Punk and Seth Rollins on the Mar. 10th edition of WWE Raw. Rollins then also arrived at the ring telling Reigns that it is time that they add another chapter to their ongoing book — pointing towards the long history between them.
CM Punk then also decided to come out to the ring to talk about his history with Reigns from this past WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2024 — also mentioning the favor that Paul Heyman owes him before eventually attacking Reigns. Rollins also joined the mix as he began to attack Punk.
The brawl between all three of them continued with each of them attacking each other and pointing to the WrestleMania 41 sign.
Ratings: 10 /10
WWE SmackDown, Mar. 21: Results Highlights
Tag Team match:
Jimmy Uso and Damian Priest defeated Drew McIntyre and Shinsuke Nakamura
Singles match:
Braun Strowman defeated Jacob Fatu via disqualification
Singles match:
Piper Niven defeated Zelina Vega
Singles match:
Liv Morgan defeated Jade Cargill
Tag Team match:
Street Profits defeated Los Garzas
My thoughts on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown:
WWE SmackDown featured a pretty good episode that many fans have been wanting for quite a few weeks now. The show featured some incredible matches along with major WrestleMania 41 matches that have now been made official.
The European tour looks to be a great decision ahead of WrestleMania as the fans in Italy made the show feel special with their amazing energy. WWE also finalized the Rollins vs. Punk vs. Reigns build as they would now be facing each other at WrestleMania in perhaps a dream match for many other fans just like me — who might have thought that this would never happen.
My Ratings for the show: 7 /10
