The road to WrestleMania 42 continues winding down tonight, with WWE SmackDown live from the SAP Center in San Jose, CA.
“WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” kicks things off as always.
Cody Rhodes & Jelly Roll Looking For Randy Orton & Pat McAfee
We then see Cody Rhodes in the parking lot with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis. He asks where Randy Orton and Pat McAfee are. Aldis says they aren’t here yet but told him, from above, that he is not to touch them. He says Cody knows what it means when he says “he got it from above.”
In comes Jelly Roll who asks him where Pat is and Aldis tells him he knows that Jelly Roll was hurt too. Aldis walks away and Jelly Roll tells Cody that he knows this is about him and Orton, this is about 20 years of history and he walks away.
Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY Want Jade Cargill, SKY Gets Her Tonight
Live in the arena, Rhea Ripley’s music hits and out she comes to the ring. Rhea congratulates Jade on finally using her brain and finding Rhea’s only weakness. She tells Jade that it’s not about physics or titles, she made it personal.
She said she attacked her IYO and she needs Jade to come out so she can whoop her ass. IYO’s music hits and out comes IYO SKY. Rhea asks IYO what she is doing out. IYO tells Rhea that she knows she is angry but so is she. IYO says she knows that Rhea will get Jade at WrestleMania.
She says but she wants to face her tonight. Rhea tells IYO that she trusts her but she is not 100% after Monday. IYO says she is sure, she will talk to Nick Aldis if she has to, she wants Jade tonight. Out comes Aldis, who makes it official for tonight. We head to a break.
Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss
When the show returns, Joe Tessitore confirms IYO SKY vs. Jade Cargill for tonight’s main event, as the official match graphic flashes on the screen. We then head back down to ringside, where Bayley’s theme hits to bring her out. She gets a huge ovation when announced as the hometown girl from San Jose.
Bayley settles in the ring and her music dies down. The entrance tune for her opponent plays and out comes Alexa Bliss accompanied by Charlotte Flair. The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. Fans immediately break out in loud “Bayley! Bayley!” chants.
Bayley with a shoulder tackle. Bayley goes for Rose Plant but Alexa pushes her away. She throws Alexa in the corner and Bayley with right hands. Bayley goes for a knee but Alexa moves out of the way. Alexa to the ropes but Bayley with a clothesline and Alexa falls to the outside of the ring.
On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues. Bliss with a modified Natural Selection. She goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. Bliss with the double knees. She goes for a senton but Bayley moves out of the way.
Bayley with a sunset flip into the turnbuckle. She goes for the cover but Bliss kicks out. Bayley climbs the top rope but Bliss gets to her feet. Bliss gets her in a tree of woe. Bliss with a drop kick. She climbs the second rope but Bayley gets to her feet. Bliss with a tornado DDT.
She goes for the cover but Bayley kicks out. Bliss goes for Sister Abigail but Bayley reverses it into Bayley to Belly. They both get to their feet and hit each other with right hands. Bayley slams Bliss into the bottom turnbuckle. Bayley climbs the top rope and she lands the elbow drop.
She goes for the cover but Bliss kicks out. Bliss rolls to the outside and Bayley with chops onto Bliss in front of Charlotte Flair. In comes Lyra but the referee stops Lyra. Bayley gets on the ring apron and Flair throws her jacket onto Bayley. Bliss rolls Bayley into the ring and gets the victory.
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Backstage With Trick Williams, Lil Yachty, Carmelo Hayes & Matt Cardona
Backstage, we see Carmelo Hayes is with Matt Cardona in the trainer’s room. Matt tells him he has been where he is but he will get his WrestleMania moment. In comes Trick Williams with Lil Yachty. Trick tells him he thought he was going to win.
Hayes tells him he is part of the reason why he lost. He tells him he has to rehab his knee. Lil Yachty tells Hayes that he gets to watch Trick win the title at WrestleMania while on the couch. Hayes tells Lil Yachty he should have stayed on the couch. Lil Yachty tells him catering is that way.
They argue and Hayes walks away. Cardona tells him he doesn’t have time for this. Trick tells him he doesn’t have time for him. Lil Yachty tells Trick that Trick can take him on tonight. Matt says he will go talk to Nick Aldis about it. We head to a break.
Drew McIntyre “Exposes” Jacob Fatu
We cut to a video package of Drew McIntyre. He says Jacob Fatu is a failure as a man and as a father. He is in San Jose, his home town, his family is probably there too. But they are probably more familiar seeing him right here and we cut to Drew in a jail cell.
Drew says Fatu is not an inspiration. This jail represents who he is and who he always will be, a convict. He talks about Drew taking food off his families table but Fatu did that. They needed a provider, a father, he gave them a walking mugshot. He says Fatu will never change, he doesn’t belong in WWE, in his home.
He belongs in the cage because he is an animal. He says at WrestleMania, he will beat him to an inch of his life and after that, Fatu will be back in the cage. Drew says Fatu stole his title, his main event at WrestleMania. He says he will make it right, at WrestleMania, he will be his judge, jury and executioner.
Backstage With Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa & The MFTs
Back live, we see Jacob Fatu was watching McIntyre’s segment on a monitor. He is approached by Cathy Kelley. He tells her they are live and direct in San Jose. He says Drew is going to find out but in comes Solo and the MFTs. Solo says Fatu is not the only one with family.
And anytime Drew or anyone brings up Fatu’s past, it makes their family look bad. He says it’s an embarrassment. Fatu says they are not doing this today but they can run it back. Solo asks if this is the same spot where he got the teeth knocked out of his mouth.
He asks if anyone knows who did it or what happened. Solo tells him it would be a shame if it id did happen again, “isn’t that right Tama”. We see Tama look at Solo with a side eye. Fatu asks him if that is right and Tama Tonga tells him he knows how it is. Solo says he will go talk to Aldis.
Royce Keys vs. Berto
Now it’s time for the highly-anticipated in-ring SmackDown debut of Royce Keys, formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs in AEW. But first, a video package of Royce Keys in his city airs. When it ends, we head to a quick pre-match commercial break.
The commentary team are calling Royce Keys “The Mon-Star,” like monster, but because he’s going to be a star. Berto is going to be Keys’ opponent. He and Angel come out first. Royce Keys gets the grand entrance for his debut and then the bell sounds to get things started.
Berto with a head lock but Keys throws him to the ropes. Keys with a clothesline. He lifts Berto up and powerslams him. Berto gets up and Keys with right hands. Keys runs towards Berto but Berto slides under the ring. Angel distracts Keys and Berto pushes Keys into the ring post.
He throws Keys back into the ring. Berto climbs the top rope and he lands a missle drop kicl. He goes for the cover but Keys kicks out. Berto with right hands. Berto climbs the second rope and hits Keys with right hands but Keys lifts him up. Berto lands on his feet. Berto goes for a springboard cross body but Keys catches him.
Keys with a fall away slam. Keys picks Berto up and lands a running powerslam. Keys with a splash in the corner. He places Berto horizontally on the top rope. Angel gets on the ring apron and Keys clotheslines him. Berto gets up and Keys with a spinebuster. He goes for the cover and gets the victory.
Winner: Royce Keys
Pat McAfee Arrives
We cut to the outside and see Pat McAfee arriving to the arena in a truck. Pat get sout of the truck and he sees Aldis. He tells Pat that no one in WWE is allowed to put their hands on Pat under any circumstances. Pat tells him chin up, it’s WrestleMania season. He gives Nick his car keys and to take care of his car.
Jelly Roll Aggressively Confronts Pat McAfee
Pat enters the arena and Jelly Roll stops him. He asks Pat if he told Orton to RKO him. Pat says he told Orton to hit everyone but he didn’t expect Jelly Roll to be out there with them. Jelly tells him he is right, he shouldn’t be there but Pat should not be there too.
Pat tells Jelly Roll that he shouldn’t be there too. Jelly Roll tells him Orton is not here right now and he grabs Pat. In comes Aldis who stops Jelly Roll but Jelly Roll tells him to get his hands off him. Pat calls Nick Aldis the foreign Adam Pearce and says he has to go save the business with Randy Orton. We head to a break.
Backstage With Royce Keys & Solo Sikoa
We return live, and backstage we see Royce Keys fresh off of his victory over Berto in his SmackDown debut. Cathy Kelley approaches him. He tells her that this is a long time coming, he gets to do this in front of his people, the Bay Area, Frisco, San Jose, Valejo, all the way around the Bay.
And now they take it around the world. In comes Solo Sikoa and he tells him long time, no see. They had some memories running around and he tells Keys that he runs SmackDown. If there is anything he needs, his door is always open. The show moves on from there.
Pat McAfee Addresses CM Punk & Cody Rhodes
Inside the arena, the theme for Pat McAfee hits and out he comes with his bad guy shades on, and the same RKO t-shirt he wore last week. He comes to the ring and gets on the microphone to a ton of boos. McAfee calls San Jose a “sh*t-hole.”
He gives them the finger. He says it’s crazy that they boo him, he is the hero in this entire thing. He says they cheer for the spineless bums like CM Punk. The fans chant “CM Punk”. He asks them if they liked what Punk said on Monday when he called him Pat MAGA-Fee.
He says as Punk was talking about a lot of people that were a lot more important, famous and in shape than he is, it was hard for him to get behind the fact that Punk was wearing a WWE jacket. He says he has 283 things for sale and when that TKO merch check comes through, which account does it go to?
Does it go to the needy wrestling families that can’t afford WrestleMania tickets or does it go to the bank account titled “I’m sorry Saudi Arabia?” He says that Punk is a fraud, like a politician. All talk, no action. A man who has the opportunity to change things.
He says but he gets in the room, sits down, gets on his stomach and rolls over like the little bitch that he is. Pat says that he is a man of action, an agent of change. Everything that Punk says Punk is, Pat actually is. When Punk mentioned that tickets are too high, especially when Punk is one of the main events, he agrees with him.
If it wasn’t for Orton, why would anyone spend their money to watch WrestleMania. Pat says he decided to be their hero. He calls one of the fans a fatso. Even if they don’t deserve it, he decided to help the fans out. He called RAM Trucks.
He called them, the official sponsor of WrestleMania, and he asked them to pick up 25% of the bill to anyone who buys a WrestleMania Saturday ticket from now until Monday Night Raw. Pay says 25% off for WrestleMania Saturday from now until Raw.
