Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 2/24/2023 edition of Friday Night SmackDown from Evansville, Indiana on FOX.
We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
Here's what is on deck for the show.
Preview.
WWE SmackDown (2/24/2023)
- Rhea Ripley & SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair go Face-to-Face
- Bray Wyatt Hosts A New Edition of "Firefly Funhouse".
- Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross (w/ Scarlett).
- Madcap Moss, Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. IMPERIUM (GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci).
- What is Next for The Bloodline after Elimination Chamber?
Refresh the site as the show happens for the latest updates.
Live Coverage.
- After a video recap of the 2/18/2023 edition of Elimination Chamber, Kayla Braxton interviewed Jimmy Uso backstage. Jimmy said that he tried to contact Jey Uso & told him asked him to join him to the ring if he needed to get anything off his chest.
- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett welcomed the audience to the broadcast before transitioning to the opening match.
Madcap Moss, Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. IMPERIUM (GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci).
Vinci & Moss began the match as Strowman hyped the crowd on the apron. Vinci hit a drop toe-hold on Moss before stepping over Moss. Vinci & Moss ran the ropes before Moss hit a POUNCE on Vinci. Moss hit a body slam on Vinci before Ricochet connected with a falling springboard senton on Vinci for a near fall. Ricochet flipped over Vinci before hitting him with a standing Shooting Star Press on Vinci for a near fall. Ricochet tried to tag in Strowman, but Vinci pulled him & hit a lariat on Ricochet. Kaiser tagged in and slammed Ricochet into the second rope. Kaiser talked trash to Ricochet, but Ricochet responded with two forearm strikes before flipping over Kaiser, but Kaiser responded by hitting a smack on Ricochet. Kaiser slapped Strowman squared in the mouth, with led Kaiser & Vinci to hit a Hi/Lo on Ricochet onto the apron before GUNTHER slammed Ricochet with a release back suplex onto the apron before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Ricochet & Kaiser exchanged strikes before Kaiser hit a vicious lariat on Ricochet for a near fall. GUNTHER tagged in & hit an uppercut & a chop on Ricochet as Drew McIntyre walked down the ramp. Vinci tagged in and hit two short-hand lariats on Ricochet & went for a third, but Ricochet ducked & tagged in Strowman. Strowman hit corner splashes on Kaiser & Vinci before hitting a chop on Kaiser. Strowman pushed Vinci out of the ring, but GUNTHER tagged in & hit a chop on GUNTHER. GUNTHER got a sleeper on Strowman, but Strowman tossed him before GUNTHER hit a shotgun dropkick on Strowman. Moss tagged in and hit a series of corner spears on GUNTHER& a shoulder tackle on Vinci, but GUNTHER responded with a vicious chop before connecting a Powerbomb on Moss for the pinfall win.
Winners: IMPERIUM (GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci).
- The Viking Raider (Erik & Ivar) attacked McIntyre from behind before Sheamus made the save. Strowman hit a running shoulder tackle on the Raiders before Ricochet hit a Fosbury Flop on The Raiders before McIntyre & Sheamus booted them over the apron.
- Rey Mysterio was interviewed backstage by Kayla Braxton but was interrupted by Santos Escobar. Escobar said that Mysterio earned his respect, but Dominik Mysterio came in & interrupted him. Escobar said that if he needed to be taught some respect, he would teach him. Escobar laughed before Rhea Ripley got in front of Escobar.
- Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman & Jimmy Uso were backstage reflecting on what has gone down since the 1/28/2023 edition of Royal Rumble. Heyman told Jimmy that he should handle whatever happens to Jey personally from twin to twin.
- LA Knight to cut a promo ahead of his match. Knight said that he was not here to get a WrestleMania moment, he was here to make money & the best way to do it was for LA Knight to be on LA. The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) interrupted Knight for demanding something after being absent for 2 months. Knight responded by calling them "The Nerd Day", but Woods responded by saying that being nerds have made them a lot of money before saying that Mania Moments are earned. Knight asked how KofiMania ended for him, to which Kingston responded by saying that it went well because he waited but was not going to wait to shut his ass up. Knight accepted the challenge, setting up their match for after the commercial break.
LA Knight vs. Kofi Kingston (w/ Xavier Woods).
After the break, Kingston hit a Hurricanrana on Knight, but Knight responded with a shoulder tackle. Kingston leaped over Knight before connecting a running back elbow on Knight for a near fall. Knight slammed Kingston with an Irish Whip, but Kingston got to the middle rope & hit a splash on Knight's standing back for a near fall. Knight hit a gut kick on Kingston, but Kingston tripped Knight before shaking Woods's hand on the outside. Back in the ring, Kingston hit a diving cross-body on Knight for a near fall. Kingston hit a knee drop on Knight's elbow. Kingston continued to dominate the proceedings & aimed his offense on Knight's left arm with a hammerlock, but Knight leaned into the ropes before hitting a running back elbow on Kingston. Knight stomped at Kingston, but Kingston responded with a chin breaker before Knight hit a Powerslam on Kingston for a near fall before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Kingston & Knight exchanged strikes before Knight hit a jab on Kingston, but Kingston responded by hitting a dropkick on Knight off the middle rope. Knight tossed Kingston over the top rope to the outside. Woods checked on Kingston, but Knight pushed Woods to try & get the disqualification. Knight got Woods on the apron & hit an elbow strike. Back in the ring, Knight hit a Catapult on Kingston before hitting a running knee strike on Kingston & connecting a slingshot Shoulder Tackle on Kingston for a near fall. Knight ran the ropes, but Kingston responded with a pop-up V-Trigger. Kingston hit two chops, a heel kick, a Stack pin for a near fall & a diving lariat on Knight before hitting the Boom Drop on Knight. Kingston set up for Trouble In Paradise, but Knight ducked & hit a pop-up Uranage on Kingston for a near fall. Woods played the trombone on the outside, but Knight hit a lariat on Woods, to which Kingston responded by hitting a Tope Con Giro on Knight. Back in the ring, Knight & Kingston were on the top rope before Kingston leaped over Knight. Woods distracted Knight with the trumpet, allowing Kingston to drop Knight off the top rope before hitting the Trouble In Paradise for the pinfall win.
Winner: Kofi Kingston (w/ Xavier Woods).
- SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair came to the ring for their face-to-face with Rhea Ripley ahead of their match on WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, California. Instead, Dominik Mysterio came to the ring to talk on behalf of Ripley, to which Flair responded by telling Dominik that it was adult time and to not bring her "boy toy". Flair shouted out her husband, AEW Talent & former NXT Champion Andrade El Idolo, before running down Dominik for being delusional. Dominik said that he thought he & Flair were similar because of their family lineages, but then said that Ripley would prove that Ric Flair was right in thinking she was not good enough. Flair responded that, unlike Dominik, she loves her that & that if Ric Flair was here he would drop him but she would do the favor. Ripley interrupted & finally faced off with Flair in the ring, but Dominik pulled her off. The two got face-to-face again, but Dominik pulled Ripley out of the ring.
- There was a backstage segment of Natalya & Adam Pearce talking backstage to schedule a match against Shayna Baszler. Pearce made it official before Tegan Nox said she would join her for the match.
Natalya (w/ Tegan Nox) vs. Shayna Baszler (w/ Ronda Rousey).
Nataya fired away with punches on Baszler to begin the match. Natalya slammed Baszler's head into the corner, but Baszler responded by slamming Natalya's arm onto the mat. Baszler kicked Natalya in the arm & went for a knee lift on Natalya, but Natalya reversed it with a Schoolboy before hitting a Russian Leg Sweep on Baszler. Natalya got a waist lock into a German Suplex on Baszler before connectinga discus lariat on Baszler for a near fall. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter, but Baszler hit an upkick before rolling out of the ring. Natalya got Baszler back in the ring & argued with Rousey, but Baszler caught her with a knee lift before locking in the Yuji Gatame for the submission win.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (w/ Ronda Rousey).
- Tegan Nox made the save for the Natalya, to which Rousey responded by calling Nox Ms. Skittles, teasing a feud between the two for a later time.
- Bray Wyatt hosted a brand new edition of the "Firefly Funhouse". The lights immediately turned red before the cameras cut to Wyatt watching his segment from last week. It the cut to Bobby Lashley's promo from the 2/20/2023 edition of Raw. It then cut to Bray Wyatt hosting Firefly News, with Uncle Howdie doing the weather. The edition of Firefly Funhouse reflected the image of scrolling through the TV before it cut to Wyatt in a black mask asking the following: "If I tell you a secret, will you keep it?".
- Heyman told Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa that Roman Reigns would be returning to SmackDown next week, which meant that Jimmy must handle Jey or Reigns would do it personally.
Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross (w/ Scarlett).
Mysterio began the match by hitting a series of punches before connecting a double-spin tijeras on Kross. Kross tried to get back in the ring, but Mysterio caught him with a 619 to the back of Kross's head before hitting a Tope Suicida on Kross to the outside before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Kross got Mysterio on the mat, but Mysterio hit a series of body shots before Kross hit a runninb back elbow on Mysterio. Kross hit a gut kick on Mysterio, but Mysterio responded with a Hurricanrana into the corner. Mysterio climbed to the top rope &. hit a senton before running the ropes, but Kross pushed Mysterio send him flying under the bottom rope onto the outside. Kross talked trash to a fan with a Rey Mysterio mask before hitting a gut buster on Mysterio while looking at the fan. Back in the ring, Kross got Mysterio in a Fireman's Carry & carried him to the top rope, but Mysterio got off the carry before hitting an Avalanche Hurricanrana on Kross for a near fall. Mysterio hit a Tornado into a Wheelbarrow toss on Kross. Rey accidentally tripped Scarlett as he went for the 619, but Dominik Mysterio caught Rey & pulled him out of the ring. Dominik told Rey to hit him, but Rey refused & got back in the ring. Kross saw this & greeted him with a vicious Forearm strike before locking in the Kross Jacket for the submission win.
Winner: Karrion Kross (w/ Scarlett).
- After the match, Dominik continued to push Rey Mysterio. Rye finally squared up to Dominik & threatened to punch Dominik, but Rey hesitated as the crowd chanted "DO IT!". Rey instead walked out down the ramp.
- Jimmy Uso cut a promo addressing Jey Uso, saying that he needed him. Instead, Sami Zayn came to the ring from the crowd & confronted Jimmy. Zayn said that Jimmy was always on his side, but Jimmy being the one to attack Zayn in the Rumble hurt him. Jimmy ran down at Zayn & told him that Zayn was the reason the Bloodline was in shambles. Jey Uso walked to the crowd as Zayn told Jey & Jimmy that there was a way out. Instead, Jimmy attacked Zayn. Jimmy told him to get to the ring, but Zayn caught Jimmy with a Helluva Kick right in front of Jey. Solo Sikoa came to the ring, which led to Zayn leaving the arena as the broadcast ended.
- Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of the show on Fightful's YouTube & Twitch channels. You can check Fightful's Results Section here.
