WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - November 7th, 2025
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What's next for Cody Rhodes?
At Saturday Night's Main Event, Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Title by defeating Drew McIntyre. With Rhodes still on top, what's next for The American Nightmare?
:smackdown:
— The show kicks off with a video recapping what went down in the Undisputed WWE Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre at Saturday Night's Main Event.
— Michael Cole and Corey Graves then greet audiences at home as Rhodes makes his way to the ring.
Rhodes asks Greenville what they want to talk about, then says they could talk about Drew McIntyre. He says McIntyre introduced the Undisputed WWE Championship belt into their Saturday Night's Main Event match, then says for someone who pays attention to everything, he didn't notice Rhodes hesitating to see the belt. He calls McIntyre "self sabotaging", then informs McIntyre he's officially moving on from him. Rhodes says he wants to do something different, then says he wants to go into the crowd and sit with the fans.
Before Rhodes can go into the crowd, Aleister Black's music hits and he makes his way to the ring alongside Zelina. He says since he threw that fireball at Damian Priest, he's been looking for something new. He says he has a chip on his shoulder about the size of the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Rhodes looks to clock Black, but Vega steps in Rhodes' path. She tells Rhodes that his nightmare will start now if he does that and slaps Rhodes, prompting Nick Aldis to appear at ringside and make a match between Rhodes and Black official.
— We see Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair, Jade Cargill, and Ilja Dragunov arriving at the show. As Dragunov makes his way to the ring, he comes across Tama Tonga and they lock eyes and Dragunov makes his way out to the ring. Dragunov gets in the ring and asks who his next opponent will be. Tommaso Ciampa comes out with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. Ciampa is annoyed that Dragunov called him a jackass and that Dragunov denied him a match last time. Dragunov agrees to the match but against Gargano.
:ustitle2:
United States Open Challenge Match: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Johnny Gargano (w/Tommaso Ciampa & Candice LeRae)
The bell rings and the two lock up. Gargano sends Dragunov crashing into the turnbuckles face first as Ciampa makes his way to the back, but Dragunov wears down Gargano with a waist lock. He sends Gargano crashing into the mat, then ascends to the top rope. LeRae distracts Dragunov, opening the door for Gargano to trip him and lands a boot that sends him crashing off the ring apron and onto the floor.
Gargano fires off a right hand on Dragunov and sends him crashing into the ring apron face first, then dumps him back in the ring during the commercial break. Gargano pins Dragunov, but Dragunov kicks out and delivers a chop to Dragunov in the corner. He follows it up with a dropkick to the side of his head, then delivers a boot to Dragunov's face and wears him down with an Abdominal Stretch.
Back from the break, the two men exchange right hands with one another. Dragunov levels Gargano with a clothesline, then flies off the top rope to deliver a boot to Gargano and goes for a pin. Gargano kicks out, then connects with a reverse hurricanrana on Dragunov. Dragunov then lands a senton on Gargano off the top rope before he sets up for the H-Bomb on Gargano. Gargano avoids it, but Dragunov sends Gargano crashing into the mat spine first.
As the referee checks on Gargano, LeRae trips Dragunov as he swings around the ropes. Gargano dumps Dragunov back in the ring and spikes him with a DDT over the top rope from the apron. He goes for a pin, but Dragunov kicks out. Gargano looks to fly from the apron once again, but Dragunov brings him back into the ring with a suplex and follows it up with the H-Bomb for the win.
Winner and STILL United States Champion: Ilja Dragunov
— Nick Aldis talks to a referee backstage. Sami Zayn interrupts them. Zayn comes in and asks if he can be out there for Rey Fenix's match. Aldis tells Zayn he's not medically cleared and he wants Zayn to rest up and get better. Zayn says he won't sit on the sidelines much longer and leaves. R-Truth comes in and wants to be in the tumbler for John Cena's last match and talks about his balls and Aldis' balls touching each other.
— Tommaso Ciampa sulks backstage. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae come by and Gargano apologizes. Nathan Frazer and Axiom walk by and call them jackasses.
— Back at ringside, Jade Cargill makes her way out to the ring with her Women's Championship. Cargill gets on the mic and talks about how she destroyed Tiffany Stratton and puts the women's roster on notice and says "I'm that bitch" and drops the mic and leaves the ring. As Cargill is leaving, Charlotte Flair's music hits and she comes out with Alexa Bliss. Cargill stands her ground and Flair stops and stares at Cargill who doesn't leave as Flair does her entrance. Flair turns around and starts to walk towards Cargill and Bliss stops her.
— Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre talk backstage. B-Fab and Michin come by telling Green they think she'll lose her match against Giulia. Jade Cargill is standing behind Green and tells Green that she'll stomp a hole through her chest. Cargill tells off B-Fab and Michin and Cargill asks her if she has a problem and tells B-Fab to meet her in the ring next week.
Nia Jax vs. Charlotte Flair (w/ Alexa Bliss)
The bell rings and Flair delivers a Thesz Press to Jax. She rains down right hands on her, then sends her crashing into the top turnbuckle face first and rocks her with an enzuigiri before following it up with a hurricanrana. Flair fires off chops on Jax's chest, but Jax fires off stomps on Flair's throat during the commercial break. Jax levels Flair with a clothesline and pins her, but Flair kicks out.
Jax levels Flair with another clothesline and wears her down with a rear chokehold, but Flair flies over the top rope to level Jax on the outside. Jax sends Flair crashing into the ring post face first, but Flair levels Jax with a crossbody off the middle rope back from the break. Flair fires off chops on Jax, then steps over her and ascends to the top rope. She connects with a moonsault on Jax, then goes for a pin but Jax kicks out.
Jax sets up for the An-Nia-Lator on Flair, but Flair moves out of the way. She looks to pin Jax, but Jax rolls through and gets Flair up on her shoulders. Flair lands on the apron and delivers a knee strike to Jax as she's draped off the middle rope by her knees.
Lash Legend appears at ringside and clocks Bliss. She cinches in a chokehold on her, opening the door for Jax to clock Flair from behind and deliver the An-Nia-Lator to her for the win.
Winner: Nia Jax
— After the match Legend and Jax hug because they are in cahoots.
— Nick Aldis tells us that the first match in the Last Time is Now Tournament is The Miz -vs- Jey Uso and the second match will be LA Knight and his opponent will be a surprise.
— Cathy Kelley talks to Nia Jax and Lash Legend. Jax asks Kelley if she's blind because she was going to win the match. She says Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair told her to find a friend and she did. Legend introduces herself and says she and Jax will go straight to the top.
— Giulia and Kiana James then make their way to the ring. Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre follow, and we see Ethan Page in the crowd to support Green in light of their pairing on "NXT" over the course of the last several weeks.
:womensuschamp:
Women's United States Championship Match: Giulia (c) (w/Kiana James) vs. Chelsea Green (w/Alba Fyre)
The bell rings and Green slaps Giulia. Giulia responds with a slap of her own to Green and rocks her with a headbutt, then follows it up with a knee strike to her and jams her knee into the back of Green's neck.
James uses the ropes to wear down Green while Giulia distracts the referee, but Fyre levels her with a superkick. Giulia delivers a boot to Fyre through the middle rope to take her out, opening the door for Green to roll up Giulia with her feet on the ropes (which the referee does not catch) for the win.
Winner and NEW United States Champion: Chelsea Green
— Backstage Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga, Tonga Loa and JC Mateo gets pumped up. Solo Sikoa comes in and says while they're doing a good job, Sami Zayn is still walking around, and The Wyatt Sicks and Ilja Dragunov have titles that the MFTs need. He tells Talla Tonga to take out Rey Fenix and they all leave. The Wyatt Sicks come out of hiding and Erick Rowan stops them and tells them to hold on.
— Medical checks on Alexa Bliss backstage. She apologizes to Charlotte Flair. A doctor gives Bliss some ice and it turns out to be Asuka who mists both Flair and Bliss. Kairi Sane and Asuka celebrate and runaway.
— Rey Fenix then makes his way to the ring. MFT follows.
Rey Fenix vs. Talla Tonga (w/ MFT)
Shinsuke Nakamura and The Motor City Machine Guns blindside them on the entrance ramp. Fenix delivers a pair of tope suicidas to take out Talla, but Talla overpowers Fenix and dumps him back in the ring.
The bell sounds and Fenix lands a couple of kicks on Talla's thigh. Talla sends Fenix crashing into the mat face first, then delivers a boot that sends him crashing off the ring apron and onto the floor.
During the break, Talla whips Fenix into the corner when the pair return to the ring. He dumps him across the ring, then runs over him with a shoulder tackle and levels him with a right hand. Talla continues wearing down Fenix in the corner back from the break and whips him into the opposite corner, but Fenix lands a kick on the side of his head and charges at him.
Talla intercepts Fenix, but Fenix manages to land a splash on Talla off the middle rope and goes for a pin. Talla kicks out, but Fenix rocks him with a superkick and ascends to teh top rope. He looks to fly, but Talla sees him coming and sets up for a chokeslam on him. While Fenix looks to counter into a hurricanrana, Talla blocks him and delivers a powerbomb to him. He follows it up with a chokeslam for the win.
Winner: Talla Tonga
— After the match, Sikoa orders Talla to chokeslam Fenix once again. Sami Zayn runs down to the ring with a chair in hand to come to Fenix's aid, forcing Sikoa and Talla to back down.
— Cathy Kelley talks to The Miz backstage. She discusses him attacking Carmelo Hayes after his match at Saturday Night's Main Event. The Miz says he made Hayes relevant and talks about the disrespect he faces. He says he should be John Cena's final opponent. He calls Jey Uso a highlight and he says highlights fade, and legacies don't.
— Aleister Black and Zelina make their way to the ring. Cody Rhodes follows.
Cody Rhodes vs. Aleister Black (w/ Zelina)
The bell rings and the two lock up. Black delivers a knee to Rhodes' midsection, then looks to land a suplex on him. Rhodes blocks it and sends Black crashing into the mat face first after holding him in a delayed vertical position for several seconds.
Rhodes sends Black crashing into the ring apron face first, but Black returns the favor by sending Rhodes crashing into the announce desk face first.
When the pair return to the ring during the commercial break, Black continues wearing down Rhodes. Zelina takes a cheap shot at Rhodes while Black distracts the referee before Black wears down Rhodes with a submission hold. Rhodes rolls up Black back from the break, but Black kicks out and levels Rhodes with a boot to his face. Rhodes responds with a scoop powerslam to Black, then follows it up with a Disaster Kick to him and goes for a pin. Black kicks out.
Black connects with a kick on Rhodes' face, but Rhodes fires off right hands on Black as he sets up for the Bionic Elbow. Black sees Rhodes coming and delivers a Northern Lights suplex to him, then goes for a pin but Rhodes kicks out. Rhodes then sets up for Cross-Rhodes on Black, but Black sees him coming and the pair level one another with boots.
Drew McIntyre appears out of nowhere and runs over the referee with a Claymore Kick. Rhodes fires off right hands on McIntyre in response, but Black fires off kicks on Rhodes and McIntyre joins in. Damian Priest runs down to the ring and fires off right hands on McIntyre and Black, but McIntyre clocks Priest from behind. Priest fires off right hands on Black, but Zelina looks to jump Priest from the announce desk. Priest sees Zelina coming, but Zelina retreats through the crowd with Black. Inside the ring, Rhodes delivers a Cody Cutter to McIntyre.
No Contest
— Damian Priest runs out and he takes out both Black and McIntyre. As Priest attacks Black, McIntyre attacks Priest. Rhodes beats up McIntyre and Priest goes to attack Black on the announce table. Zelina jumps off the announce desk onto Priest and he tosses her over the barricades. Black attacks Priest's eyes and he and Zelina flee. Back in the ring, McIntyre and Rhodes fight. Nick Aldis comes out and suspends McIntyre. McIntyre leaves the ring and argues with Aldis as we fade to black.
