This week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown was pre-recorded from inside the Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain, ahead of Clash in Italy less than 48 hours away.
After an opening video package featuring both the six-woman and tag team title matches that took place at Saturday Night’s Main Event last week, the show kicked off with Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab walking their way to the ring. The Barcelona fans booed the three, with Jade’s words failing to calm them down, so B-Fab took the mic, saying that Jade beat Rhea Ripley in the six-woman tag because she is the most dominant; Michin adds that the future isn’t coming, the future is now.
The WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley then walked out with a microphone too. Upon entering the ring, the Eradicator said that Jade comes out here every single week trying to throw around her dominance, acting like 90 percent of her success isn’t her using people to make herself look better, and the detail that she continues to forget is when it’s just Jade and Rhea in the ring, Mami has beaten her. She beat her at WrestleMania and this Sunday, she’s gonna beat her again, so she can continue to throw around her self-proclaimed dominance, because when the match is done, Jade will be looking up at the true champion.
Cargill bites back by saying that Ripley sounds stupid and really thinks the women’s division revolves around here. She says that Michin and B-Fab are with her because they want a piece of power, and Rhea’s so damn weak that she’s willing to work with women who don’t even like her.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss come out, with Flair saying that Jade talks like a Hall of Famer who’s only been in WWE for 5 minutes; she respects how far The Storm has come, but don’t confuse her own hype for actual accomplishments, and mocks B-Fab when she tries to interject, saying that if she wanted advice from one of Jade’s accessories, she would just ask.
Bliss brings up how Jade keeps talking about the future, but she might want to make sure the future actually accomplishes something before she starts lecturing them. She will give her this: Jade has the ego of a legend, but against them, she has the resumé of a rookie.
Cargill takes exception to the words, saying she’s not going to be talked down by somebody who is Charlotte’s ragdoll, but Bliss gives her a word of advice: in this business, she likes to give the people that go against her the courtesy of a warning, so this is her warning. She’s gone toe-to-toe on the mic and in the ring with people that are way better than her, so do not make her be the one to embarrass before her career’s even started.
SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis then makes his way out to say that if Jade is as confident as she claims to be, and Alexa is looking for a fight as badly as she claims to be, then the match is about to start “ahora” (Spanish for “right now”).
The match between them started off with Bliss pounding on Jade and ducking her attacks. Hitting Bliss with a gorilla press slam to the mat, Cargill would miss an elbow drop, soon hitting Bliss against the the top of the barricade and taking control before commercials.
The show returned with Bliss beginning to fight back against Cargill, but continuing to struggle with the damage her opponent had inflicted on her. Finally starting to gain momentum after Cargill’s leg ran into the steel steps, a Sister Abigail attempt was reversed by Cargill, but as the referee wasn’t looking, Michin tripped the legs of Bliss, prompting Rhea and Charlotte to brawl with her and B-Fab to the back. Bliss then hit a DDT and went for a Twisted Bliss before Cargill put her knees up, throwing Bliss off her game and putting her away with Jaded to win the match.
Grabbing a steel chair from under the ring, Cargill hit Jaded on Bliss once more, with Rhea and Charlotte running out to come to her rescue.
A doctor gave Alexa an ice pack as Charlotte tended to her before walking off and speaking to Rhea, who wondered how she was doing. Flair said that Bliss was in a lot of pain and pissed off, and quite frankly, so is she. Rhea says she will take care of Jade at Clash in Italy. Flair says if she doesn’t, she will, because she has a receipt coming.
Chelsea Green was walking backstage where she saw the Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton. Having similar white tops on, Stratton says she was always planning on wearing it, which Green thinks means they are so in sync.
Green begins to pitch a dual entrance, but Stratton says she’s not coming out with her for her match against Nia Jax; Stratton appreciates what Green did for her last week but it doesn’t mean that she’s automatically in her corner. It’s just not that deep, so Green will see her after the match. Stratton half-heartedly wishes her good luck, with Green disappointed in how the interaction went.
A video package aired, narrated by Wade Barrett, announcing both the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, featuring footage of previous winners Jade Cargill and Nia Jax, as well as classic footage of the late Hall of Famer, Sensational Sherri with 1989 King of the Ring winner “Macho Man” Randy Savage plus Queen Sharmell with 2006 winner Booker T.
As with previous years, the Queen of the Ring tournament guarantees the winner a shot at their brand’s world championship (Women’s World Championship for Raw, Women’s Championship for SmackDown) at SummerSlam. While the bracket has yet to be announced, the tournament will begin this coming Monday on Raw and will conclude at Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 27th.
Nia Jax and Lash Legend strolled around the hallway later to also find Stratton in the midst of a conversation. Jax says it’s a really smart idea to not be in Chelsea’s corner tonight, as Lash adds that Tiffany might have a little bit of sense in that big old head of hers. Jax says that tonight, they’re going to handle Chelsea’s problem, and then, she’s going to learn not to mess with them, because according to Lash, if you’re down with “desperate Chelsea,”, it’s only a matter of time until the Women’s United States finds a new home. The two mock the “Tiffy Time” hand movement before walking off.
NOTE: Same video, but starting at 0:40 for the Blake vignette.
Another vignette aired promoting the impending debut of Blake Monroe to SmackDown. We first see footage of her sitting on the edge of a swimming pool, before the vignette cuts to Monroe in her bedroom writing in her diary. She says the following:
“Dear Diary,
There are so many fascinating women in that SmackDown locker room. I mean, take for example, Rhea Ripley. Such presence, such brutality, such delicious misery wrapped in all that black leather – you, are as captivating as can be.
But while you spend all your time trying to strike fear in the hearts of others, I know you’re only hiding from your own… all that heartbreak and betrayal, but I don’t need a fake bravado to make a splash.
I turn heads just by showing up. You can run from your fears all you want but you can’t run from me. I’m the stuff of nightmares and i’m dressed as beautiful as a dream.
Don’t get too comfortable, because The Glamour is coming to SmackDown.
Yours truly,
Blake Monroe”
Mwah! Insert cute laugh here. Quite the threat to send to Rhea at a time where she’s dealing with opposition from all sides – from Jade, Michin, and B-Fab to Fatal Influence and hesitation from Charlotte Flair, for as popular as Rhea is, it’s quite lonely at the top.
NOTE: Starts at 1:58 for Nia vs. Chelsea.
The Irresistible Forces then made their way out for Nia Jax’s match against Chelsea Green. Chelsea tried to run from Nia at the beginning as Lash laughed from ringside. A slap to Jax’s face led to Green sending her right out of the ring and hitting a suicide dive. Throughout commercials, Jax regained dominance over Green, which continued after the break.
Running into the ring post, Green briefly got the advantage, but as Jax hit a Samoan drop and prepared to hit the Annihilator, Tiffany Stratton’s music began to play. Instructing Lash to deal with her, the Buff Barbie instead clocked Jax with the Women’s United States Championship belt, resulting in Chelsea getting the pin. Stratton smiled as Green celebrated the win, but The Center of the Universe continued to act as if she didn’t want to befriend her.
NOTE: Starts at 3:48 for Brie/Paige backstage interview with Cathy Kelley.
The match was immediately followed by Cathy Kelley interviewing the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Scream Mode (Brie Bella and Paige). The interview was interrupted by Fatal Influence, with Jacy Jayne wondering why Kelley was wasting her time talking to anyone but the trio made up of Jacy, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid. In fact, she has groundbreaking news: she’s declaring herself for the Queen of the Ring tournament, after which she asks Kelley to leave.
Now focused on the tag champs, Fallon warned Brie and Paige to hold on to their titles real tight, as Lainey warned that they will never hold those championships again. Whether it’s Jacy as Women’s Champion or Fallon and Lainey as Women’s Tag Team Champions, soon enough everyone will be under their influence. The three then bid goodbye to Brie and Paige, who looked peeved by their presence.
Clash in Italy airs this Sunday, May 31st from inside the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy on ESPN’s platforms. Below is the full schedule:
- Countdown: 12 p.m. Eastern Time / 9 a.m. Pacific on ESPN, the ESPN app, and WWE’s social media platforms
- Clash in Italy: 2 p.m. Eastern Time / 11 a.m. Pacific on the ESPN app in the United States and Netflix internationally. The first hour will also air on ESPN.
- Post-Show: after the event concludes on the ESPN app and WWE’s social media platforms
The show will also feature two women’s matches, which are:
- Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade Cargill
- Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca
Friday Night SmackDown will air next week from the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy. While nothing has officially been confirmed featuring women, here’s what we can most likely expect:
- Clash in Italy aftermath/fallout
- Queen of the Ring tournament matches
As always, make sure to share your thoughts on this week’s episode of SmackDown in the comments below.