Smackdown – October 17, 2025: Hmm?
Smackdown
Date: October 17, 2025
Location: SAP Center, San Jose, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves
We’re back in the states for Smackdown and the scheduled big match this week is Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre in a grudge match that has been built up for a long time now. We are also coming up on Saturday Night’s Main Event and that means the card is going to need to be set up. Let’s get to it.
Here is Crown Jewel if you need a recap.
We open with a long recap of Crown Jewel, including Seth Rollins beating Cody Rhodes in the Crown Jewel Title match. We also look at the Vision turning on Rollins the following night on Raw.
Here is Nick Aldis in the ring for a chat. He brings up the Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre match for later tonight, which is now a #1 contenders match to face Cody Rhodes, who joins us right now. Rhodes talks about the loss to Rollins, who has his own issues on Raw. As for tonight, Rhodes will handle Smackdown business, like that #1 contenders match. The road to Saturday Night’s Main Event runs through San Jose.
Solo Sikoa interrupts Rey Fenix in the back and the MFT’s beat him down.
Women’s Tag Team Titles: Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. Zaria/Sol Ruca
Zaria and Ruca are challenging and NXT’s Blake Monroe (facing Ruca next weekend at Halloween Havoc) is here in the crowd. Charlotte and Ruca start things off with Charlotte flipping out of a wristlock. Ruca and Zaria get booted in the face and it’s off to Bliss for a dropkick to stagger Zaria. A big spinebuster plants Bliss and we take a break.
We come back with Bliss fighting out of a chinlock and elbowing Zaria down. Ruca is right there with a spinning belly to back faceplant but Bliss kicks her way out of trouble. The big tag brings in Charlotte for a high crossbody and it’s time to fire off the chops. Charlotte kicks Zaria in the face and snaps off a suplex for two.
Ruca is back in with a springboard clothesline but dives into a quickly broke Liontamer. The Sol Snatcher gets two with Bliss having to make the save. Zaria cuts off a hurricanrana from the apron and Ruca moonsaults onto Charlotte on the floor. Hold on though as Monroe offers a distraction, allowing Charlotte to chop block Ruca. The Figure Eight retains the titles at 12:07.
Rating: B-. Ruca and Zaria getting a title shot is a good way to go as they’re certainly a thing in NXT and have a story of their own. It’s not like there are a ton of teams on the main roster coming for the titles, so go with whatever you have available. It wound up being a good match as well, as Charlotte and Bliss continue to work well together.
Post match, respect is shown.
Cody Rhodes runs into Jacob Fatu, who promises he’s coming for Rhodes after tonight. Works for Rhodes.
Aleister Black is glad to be back with his wife, Zelina Vega, who describes them as the mirror that shows the infections around here.
We look back at Solo Sikoa and the MFT’s interrupting last week’s US Open Challenge.
Nick Aldis is in the back with the Miz, when Sami Zayn interrupts. The US Open Challenge seems to be off for tonight, as Aldis wants Shinsuke Nakamura to get a fair rematch but he’s not here tonight. Zayn says the challenge is important and he’s going to the ring. Miz leaves as well.
We look at Hulk Hogan’s Rock N Wrestling, which are being added to the WWE Vault YouTube channel every Saturday.
US Title: Sami Zayn vs. ???
Zayn is defending against….well it was supposed to be the Miz, but Carmelo Hayes jumps him from behind. Then ILJA DRAGUNOV returns and we’ve got a title match. We get a handshake to start before they fire off the forearms. An exchange of clotheslines goes to Zayn but Dragunov is back with a running boot in the corner.
We take a break and come back with Zayn grabbing a tornado DDT but Dragunov blasts him with a running boot to the face out of the corner. Zayn wrestles him down for some slow rolling German suplexes. Dragunov plants him down but charges into a Michinoku Driver for two. They fight to the apron, with Zayn hitting an implant DDT to drive Dragunov’s shoulder into the ropes (that’s different) as we take a break.
We come back with Dragunov’s backsplash connecting for two and a top rope superplex plants Zayn again. Zayn cuts him off but misses the Helluva Kick, allowing Dragunov to muscle Zayn up with a suplex. The Constantine Special connects for Dragunov but the Torpedo Moscow is cut off with a boot to the head. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Zayn two more and it’s Solo Sikoa time. That slows Zayn down and the Helluva Kick is countered into the Torpedo Moscow. The H Bomb gives Dragunov the pin and the title at 19:20.
Rating: B+. As tends to be the case with Dragunov, he gave this everything he had and it made for an awesome performance. That’s what you expect from him and I’m glad to see him finally win something on the main roster. While I’m sad to see Zayn’s Open Challenge come to an end, it wouldn’t have made sense for Dragunov to come back and lose so soon.
Post match the MFT’s run in and beat down both guys. Rey Fenix runs in for a failed save attempt. Solo Sikoa asks if we’ve all forgotten that they run Smackdown. The team will get everything his family lost and they will be champions again. The Wyatt Sicks pop up on screen to say seek and you will be find, but be worried about what is on the other side. That brings the Sicks up behind the MFT’s and the fans REALLY like this. Sikoa and company lose though.
Video on the Australia/Japan tour.
We look at the Women’s Crown Jewel Title match, with Stephanie Vaquer beating Tiffany Stratton.
Stratton isn’t happy with the loss but she’s moving forward. Kiana James comes in to say that attitude is why she wanted to represent Stratton. That doesn’t work for Stratton, who agrees to face James next week. So Rhodes and Stratton have both basically said that losing at Crown Jewel meant nothing, much like the show in general. Good to know.
Earlier today, Los Garza interrupted the Motor City Machine Guns and mocked them, with a match being set up for later tonight.
Motor City Machine Guns vs. Los Garza
Shelley and Angel start things off, with Sabin coming in with a missile dropkick into a Downward Spiral to send Angel outside. Back in and Angel gets in a shot of his own before avoiding Shelley’s charge in the corner. We take a break and come back with with Shelley still in trouble but managing to grab a neckbreaker. The diving tag brings in Sabin to clean house, with a crucifix getting two on Berto.
Everything breaks down and the Guns get the better of a slugout until Berto powerbombs Sabin for two. The Gory Bomb/slingshot flipping cutter combination gets two on Shelley and they go to the floor. Berto hits a big flipping dive but Sabin makes a blind tag. Stereo shots in the corner rock Angel and Skull & Bones connects for the pin at 9:26.
Rating: B-. That’s what I’ve been missing from the Guns, as they’re a guaranteed good match no matter who they face. It’s good to see them back in the ring, even if they aren’t in the title picture at the moment. They don’t take time to reheat so let them do their thing and get some momentum going. It’s not like they have anything better to do right now.
Fraxiom wants to find their spot but they aren’t sure how to make that happen. DIY comes in to laugh at them for saying nothing has changed in the last two months. A match is teased.
Jacob Fatu has been attacked in the back and is bleeding from the mouth. Post break Fatu is awake but won’t answer any questions about what happened.
Here is Drew McIntyre for his scheduled match with Jacob Fatu but instead he mocks Fatu’s injury. Nick Aldis comes out to threaten McIntyre if he did this but McIntyre denies the whole thing. Cue Cody Rhodes to say McIntyre knows what he did so let’s do this title match right now. The fight is on and we take a break before the opening bell.
Smackdown World Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre
Rhodes is defending and in street clothes. We come back for the opening bell and McIntyre tosses him with an overhead belly to belly. Rhodes spears him down and hammers away but gets elbowed in the face for two. The Futureshock gets two and McIntyre pounds him down in the corner. Rhodes manages to fight back and scores with a Cody Cutter to send McIntyre outside. The suicide dive is cut off and McIntyre sends him into the timekeeper’s area, where Rhodes comes up with a belt shot for the DQ at 4:51.
Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here and it was basically the best idea that they had given the circumstances. That’s perfectly fine, but it makes me wonder if Rhodes was the one behind the attack. He’s been frustrated due to the loss, he’s been very enthusiastic to face Jacob Fatu, and he was very direct in accusing McIntyre. Or maybe it’s someone else, but Rhodes seems to be a strong possibility.
Post match Rhodes loads up the announcers’ table but McIntyre rakes his eyes. They fight onto the table, where security breaks it up, only for Rhodes to dive off the top and take a bunch of people out to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. Solid show here, even with the screwy change that wasn’t WWE’s fault. The wrestling was good tonight, with the US Title match being quite the fight and the opener being rather entertaining as well. They kept things moving here and I liked the show, which has me wondering where a lot of things are going, so nice job of setting up for the future.
Results
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Zaria/Sol Ruca – Figure Eight to Ruca
Ilja Dragunov b. Sami Zayn – H Bomb
Motor City Machine Guns b. Los Garza – Skull & Bones to Angel
Drew McIntyre b. Cody Rhodes via DQ when Rhodes used the title belt
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