Since 1999, WWE’s Friday Night Smackdown has been the second main show next to Monday Night Raw. Over its 25 year run, the show has faced ups and downs. Fast forward to the modern day, the show has reached an all-time high in popularity. Here is a run down of Friday night smackdown on Oct. 25, 2024.
The show starts out with Randy Orton calling out the boss, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, because he wants a match with Kevin Owens. Paul makes his entrance and tells him that the match will not happen. Randy responds that he keeps protecting Kevin from him and to admit it. Paul says he strives to make an effort to protect him, not Kevin. Randy questions Paul why he is trying to protect him and Paul tells him that Kevin has become more dangerous because in Kevin’s mind, he turned their back on him and he almost had to retire because of his surgery. Randy persuades Paul to make the match official by taunting him which eventually has him make the match official and says “I hope to God you know what you’re asking for.”
Up next, Andrade versus Carmello Hayes with special guest referee and who the winner faces; the United States Champion L A Knight. Carmello pushes Andrade into Knight, knocking him down. Andrade checks on LA but gets distracted as Carmello goes for a pinfall. As Knight gets up, Hayes argues with him for not counting the pin. Carmello tries to kick Andrade but he moves out of the way and kicks Knight out of the ring. Carmello hits Andrade with a cutter and goes for the pin. LA pulls Camello out of the ring and starts to beat him up on the announce desk. Knight comes back into the ring and hits his finisher on both men. LA rings the bell and declares the match a no contest and cuts to a commercial break. After the break, LA Knight walks backstage until the Smackdown general manager (gm) Nick Aldis stops and tells him he has to defend his title in a triple threat match against Andrade and Carmello at the Pay Per View.
The Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes and the WWE world heavyweight champion Gunther make their way to the ring and cut a promo on each other ahead of their match at Crown jewel for the crown jewel title. Cody wants to know why Gunther will leave the pay per view as champion. Gunther thinks that Cody makes things more “dramatic”. Gunther asks Cody the same question. Cody talks about how he does all the meet and greets and media while Gunther does not show up to anything as if he does not have responsibility. “I’m the best champion of the WWE today and the difference between us is that I have the guts to say no to anyone,” Gunther said. “My whole career exists because of guts and guts is firing the first shot.” Cody said as they started to brawl until Ludwig Kaiser attacked Cody from behind then Randy Orton saved him from the attack. Randy picks up the title and stares at it for a couple of seconds but then gives it back to Cody.
In the main event of the show, The Motor City Machine Guns, Alex Shelly and Kip Sabin challenged the WWE tag team champions, The bloodline’s Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. The Tongas took control of the match until the “tribal chief” Solo Sikoa started to argue with the referee. A hooded figure appears and starts to attack him and reveals himself as Jimmy uso. Jimmy and Solo brawl until his enforcer Jacob Fatu attacks Uso from behind. While the brawl happens, Roman Reigns makes his entrance and hits Jacob with a superman punch and the 4 men brawl their way to the backstage area. The match continues as the Machine Guns take control until Kip runs into the referee. Loa grabs 2 chairs and about to bring them into the ring until another hooded figure spawns in and attacks him and reveals himself as Jey Uso. The Machine Guns hit their finisher on Tama as a new ref runs in to count the pin. The Motor City Machine Guns become the new champions. As the new tag champs walk out, Jimmy walks back to the ring and face’s off Jey. The brothers walked toward each other and hugged. As The Usos reunite, Roman stands on the entrance stage looking conflicted as the camera fades to black and the show ends.
Like with Monday Night Raw, The show has reached new heights since Paul Levesque has taken over. The show went from having people getting dog food poured on them to having one of, if not the best storyline in professional wrestling history that has unfolded for four and a half years now.
