Friday Night Smackdown – April 12th 2024; Detroit, Michigan
Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis led Smackdown off by properly introducing Cody Rhodes to a very excited Detroit crowd. The Motor City was excited to see the new Undisputed WWE Champion. Rhodes provided a similar address from Monday night, but in order to keep things even, he kept that address short and sweet.
After Rhodes departed, Aldis shifted gears to talk business. Aldis noted that history was made at WrestleMania XL everywhere. We have a new Women’s Champion, we have new Tag Team Champions, and so much more. But now we have to plot our course for the future and that begins with sorting out the road to Backlash France!
Aldis ran down what’s in store for everyone tonight:
~ U.S. Title #1 Contender’s Match: Cameron Grimes vs. Pete Dunne vs. Santos Escobar
~ Bianca Belair vs. Dakota Kai vs. Michin
~ Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Zelina Vega
~ Bron Breakker vs. Kevin Owens
Aldis explained that the two winners of the women’s matches would meet next week to determine new Women’s Champion Bayley’s first challenger for Backlash France. Aldis then announced that the winner of the Breakker-Owens will face the winner of another match, which will take place next week, whose participants he needs to announce.
Before we went to break, Paul Heyman could be seen backstage. Heyman was seen waiting for… somebody, in the parking lot. Who that someone is? We didn’t find out yet.
{Commercial Break}
An unhappy Damage CTRL walked with Dakota Kai in the back. Nowhere to be found interestingly enough was IYO SKY, but Dakota pledged to her girls that she was going to get them back for this weekend. She told them that they’re a family and they look out for each other. Asuka and Kairi nodded and off Dakota went.
A WrestleMania XL video aired, highlighting some of the weekend’s biggest moments.
Bianca Belair vs. Dakota Kai vs. Michin: Damage CTRL had a tough weekend in Philadelphia. Dakota Kai took umbrage to try and get them to bounce back. She’d have difficulty doing so against Bianca Belair and Michin, who had been extremely hungry for an opportunity. These three ladies beat each other up from pillar to post. A lot of intensity was on display and with a potential title shot on the line, that urgency was needed. Late in the match, Bianca went up to hit a 450 Splash on Dakota Kai! But then Asuka appeared at ringside! Jade Cargill, who accompanied Bianca to the ring, went after The Empress, but then Kairi Sane came out of nowhere and smacked Belair in the back with an umbrella! She then did the same to an oncoming Michin and disposed of her so Kai could then come around and BLAM! Corner Kick to Bianca!! She then got her out and brought Michin up after she was sent in the ring. Dakota then ran over… KAI-RO-PRACTOR! For the win! Dakota Kai via pinfall at 9:07.
Kevin Owens fielded an interview from Kayla Braxton, in which Owens said he planned to take one step forward towards becoming WWE Champion. KO quipped that Cody would “actually defend the title at Backlash,” surely signaling a new era. Owens went into his signature style and left fired up.
{Commercial Break}
Another WrestleMania video aired, showcasing some of the best entrances of the weekend.
Once again, Paul Heyman could be seen waiting for somebody. When Kayla Braxton went to interview him, Heyman was very mum.
Dakota Kai was geeked about winning her match and celebrated with Asuka and Kairi. She then said she had to go “take care of other business,” but to stand watch just in case something went down.
Austin Theory and Grayson Waller were awarded their new Tag Team Championships. Unlike Monday night, there weren’t too many procedurals. Instead, The Street Profits decided to keep it simple. The Profits came to the ring, told the young guns they wanted the titles they had, and despite trying to get away, Theory wound up on the receiving end of a HUGE Spinebuster from Dawkins. Waller, interestingly, left his partner up for nothing.
{Commercial Break}
Yet another WrestleMania XL video aired, highlighting the celebrity involvement in this weekend’s epic show.
Bianca Belair expressed frustration backstage around Jade Cargill and Naomi. Cargill assured Belair that she would get DC back. Naomi also encouraged Belair, pledging to win tonight for Belair. Bianca responded to that with a fist bump, but the intense EST didn’t appear to be fully calm.
Nick Aldis held court with The Street Profits, and said that while he didn’t appreciate them interrupting the ceremony, he understood their grievance. So Aldis told Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins that next week they will be involved in a Four Corners Tag Match to determine the first contenders for Waller and Theory. Tez said he liked that, so did Dawkins, and off they went.
{Commercial Break}
Dakota Kai found who she was looking for: Tiffany Stratton! Kai introduced herself to Stratton and then started going on. She waxed poetic about Stratton, telling her everything she wanted to hear. She said that she’d “hate” to see her get curbed and said someone like Naomi “doesn’t deserve” to win tonight. Stratton asked what was in it for her, because she said that if she wins tonight, then she’d wrestle Dakota. And she isn’t just lying down. Kai calmed her down, and told her that if, or when she became Women’s Champion at Backlash, then Tiffany would have the first chance. Tiffy took a moment, but of course, the allure for gold either way was enough to get a handshake! What do they have planned!?
Cameron Grimes vs. LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar: Three of Smackdown’s more talented competitors went at it in a high-stakes triple threat match. The winner would punch their ticket to Lyon to face Logan Paul for the United States Championship at Backlash France. None of these three had yet to taste singles gold yet on the main roster, so it’s safe to say that everyone had ambition. In the end, Knight slithered in after Santos looked to be in position and dropped him with the BFT! And picked up the win! LA Knight via pinfall at 10:20.
An intense Bron Breakker video aired!
Dakota Kai and Tiffany Stratton were backstage going back to Damage CTRL’s locker room. But there was a bit of a problem. Asuka and Kairi were fighting with Natalya and Tegan Nox!! It looks like they’ve decided to bring the fight right to them!! Dakota pulled her girls away and shouted at Tegan and Nattie, who still looked ready to fight!
{Commercial Break}
We get footage from before the break, which starts earlier, thanks to a camera shot running at the time. And we see that Natalya and Tegan had gone to confront the Kabuki Warriors. They had a brief conversation and then all hell broke loose!
A Logan Paul United States Champion video aired, saying that next week, he’d make his Smackdown return!
Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Zelina Vega: A high-energy match keeps the second hour of Smackdown going! There’s a lot of feistiness here and there’s been animosity brewing between Naomi and Tiffany Stratton. Dakota Kai’s meddling earlier only probably fueled that fire. You wonder what that means for them and for Zelina Vega, who made sure everyone knew she was a threat as well. Vega came close to getting the victory on a few major occasions, but wasn’t decisive enough. Dakota Kai then came down to the ring with Kairi Sane, with some perhaps wondering if Asuka was lurking in the weeds. But behind them came Bianca and Jade! They turned them around and started brawling! Tiff was furious that the plan fell apart but had to come back to earth quicky! She turned out of a waist lock from Naomi. She then put her up for an Alabama Slam but Naomi rolled through! And got the 3 count! The newcomer will have to learn a few more tricks because the veteran just got em! Naomi via pinfall at 8:25.
Paul Heyman appeared once more and this time seemed to find who he was looking for, because pulling up in their car was Jimmy Uso! Heyman seemed relieved and said that he was “concerned.” Jimmy asked him why and Paul suggested that Solo was “upset” because they hadn’t spoken all day. Jimmy told Paul that, rest assured, he would find out what’s going on, and that he’d make sure The Bloodline would remain intact. And most of all that he would protect him. Heyman thanked Jimmy and off they went.
{Commercial Break}
Bron Breakker vs. Kevin Owens: An incredibly intense main event nearly broke out in the back before it got started officially!! The two had to be separated in Gorilla as we returned from commercial as we weren’t wasting time tonight. Owens was the more accomplished man but Breakker was the fresher man. And with that freshness came a lot of intensity. An OVERWHELMING amount in fact, and Owens couldn’t quite corral it long enough. KO had trouble with Breakker and Bron showed that his background was worth paying attention to! Breakker dropped Owens with a HUGE Powerslam and picked up the WIN! Bron Breakker via pinfall at 7:45.
Nick Aldis appeared on the screen. First, Aldis said the Women’s Tag Team Champions would represent Smackdown on Monday night against Natalya and Tegan Nox. Then he kept on with business. He announced that next week, after tonight’s results, Dakota Kai will compete against Naomi for the right to wrestle Bayley at Backlash France for the WWE Women’s Championship. He also announced a Four Corners Tag Match next week featuring: Legado Del Fantasma, The LWO, The New Catch Republic, and The Street Profits. The winners would become the #1 Contenders for the WWE Tag Team Titles. Finally, he announced a whopper: Next week, AJ Styles and Randy Orton will face each other in the WWE Title’s #1 Contender’s Series. Bron Breakker has quite the opportunity ahead! Just then though some commotion broke out backstage! Aldis went and looked and we saw Bianca, Jade, Naomi, Damage CTRL, and Tiffany Stratton fighting!! And no one kept them apart!
{Commercial Break}
Paul Heyman led Jimmy Uso out but Solo Sikoa was nowhere in sight. Heyman and Jimmy had conferred with each other in the back as we returned from break, and Jimmy said his cousin told him he wanted ‘space’ but he would join them tonight.
Heyman came out and presented the fans with an incredible look back at Roman Reigns’ history-making championship reign. After the video concluded, the fans applauded. Reigns might have been the villain of the century, but he certainly played within the confines. And that earned everyone’s respect. Heyman called Roman a proud champion who has nothing to be ashamed of. He said he knows that he wanted to beat Cody Rhodes more than anything else. And he warned Cody not to be too careful with what’s in front of him now, because he needs eyes in the back of his head. When Roman comes back, Heyman said, it’s all about “one thing.”
Jimmy applauded. Heyman kept on, talking about Reigns and his legacy. He said that his greatest feat is yet to come and everyone knows it. Heyman and Jimmy were then interrupted by Solo Sikoa.
Solo came out by himself, to boos, and walked down to the ring. Jimmy kept him by his side here and Sikoa then made his way into the ring. He grabbed a microphone and addressed Heyman. Solo said he wanted to hear everything he had to say before he came out here. Sikoa said he was left disappointed, which surprised some in the crowd. Sikoa said that for the time he’s been in here, he said he thought the Bloodline was about dominance. He said he thought it was about power. And right now there’s no dominance and no power. Sikoa said the thing that disappointed him the most is hearing him say Roman has “nothing to be ashamed of.”
Sikoa said that Roman Reigns lost in the main event of WrestleMania. A jarring sentence, to be sure. Sikoa said that if Roman isn’t disappointed, then he isn’t the man he thought he was. Whoa… Jimmy got a bit hot at that. Solo calmed him down and said that he’s not accusing him of anything, but he’s going off of what Paul said. And he is the Wiseman, and the man closest to Roman… so sometimes, Solo said, whether he wants to or not he becomes… a parrot.
Whoa…? Solo said he could basically be talking for Roman, and if he is, then he’s even more disappointed. Jimmy told him to wise up! That got the crowd excited. Jimmy said that Solo missed the mark in the WrestleMania main event, just like he did, so it was all the same. So Jimmy said Solo was talking out of turn! Sikoa said really? Sikoa argued it wasn’t the same because Jimmy lost to Jey in Brother vs. Brother at WrestleMania. Ouch…
Sikoa argued that change was necessary in times like this… Heyman refuted that idea. He said the Tribal Chief does not want change. Heyman was a bit hurried when he said that, feeling a bit intimidated and frightened, but he did. Sikoa argued that The Tribal Chief actually encourages change at a time like this, and that’s why he’s taken it upon himself to go “deeper down the Bloodline…”
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…
The Detroit crowd ROARED as someone hit the ring! And attacked Jimmy Uso from behind!
IT’S TAMA TONGA!
whoa! Whoa! WHOA!!!
Tama started to absolutely pummel a defenseless Jimmy Uso! Solo watched his own flesh and blood be picked apart by Tama Tonga and he smiled while doing so! Tama set up Jimmy in the corner and stomped away at him before going away and running in with a Hip Attack!!
Tama went outside and grabbed a steel chair while Solo picked Jimmy up. A terrified and mortified Paul Heyman curled up in the corner while Solo looked at the beaten up Uso. Solo told him he “loved him” and it “hurt him” that he “disappointed him” but “The Bloodline runs deep” and then DESTROYED HIS COUSIN WITH THE SAMOAN SPIKE!!!
Tama then came in with the chair and Solo instructed him to bring it over to the corner. Solo dragged the lifeless Uso over and Tonga went to the outside. Nobody was willing to come down because… well… why the hell would anybody save Jimmy Uso right now? Even the guy who could, Cody Rhodes, left an hour ago, according to Wade Barrett! Solo sat Jimmy in the corner and Tama put the chair OVER HIS FACE! Oh my word…
Solo walked to the other corner…
“Jimmy… I love you, and that’s why this hurts.”
Solo raced ahead-
AND LAUNCHED A HIP ATTACK AT THE CHAIR AND CRUNCHED JIMMY USO!!!
HOLY SHIT
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A petrified Paul Heyman shrieked and looked up…
Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga in the ring…
…
Ones Up.
END OF SHOW
Quick Results
Dakota Kai def. Bianca Belair and Michin at 9:07
LA Knight def. Cameron Grimes and Santos Escobar in a #1 Contender’s Match at 10:20
Naomi def. Tiffany Stratton and Zelina Vega at 8:25
Bron Breakker def. Kevin Owens at 7:45
NEXT WEEK:
Singles Match
{Winner Wrestles Bron Breakker in #1 Contender’s Match on 4/26}
AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
#1 Contender’s Match
{Winner Wrestles Bayley at Backlash France}
Dakota Kai vs. Naomi
Four Corners #1 Contenders Match
Legado Del Fantasma vs. The LWO vs. New Catch Republic vs. The Street Profits
