Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 3/3/2023 edition of Friday Night SmackDown from Washington, DC 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's on deck for the show.
Preview.
WWE SmackDown (3/3/2023).
- Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns & Cody Rhodes Collide.
- Rhea Ripley (w/ Dominik Mysterio) vs. Liv Morgan.
- Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Tegan Nox & Natalya.
- Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa.
Refresh the site for the latest updates as the show happens.
Live Coverage.
- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett welcomed the audience to the broadcast before transitioning to the opening segment.
- After the proceedings of the 2023 edition of Elimination Chamber, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns made his return to SmackDown alongside Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman & one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Jimmy Uso. The Bloodline got to the ring & cut a promo before Reigns asked the Washington crowd to acknowledge him, to which they obliged before "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes interrupted proceedings.
Rhodes told Reigns that, unlike what Heyman may have told him, he came in to make a conversation with Reigns man-to-man & that the rest of the Bloodline was not needed unless he wanted to. Reigns told Heyman, Sikoa & Jimmy Uso to leave them alone. Reigns then put the titles on the mat before asking him "So what do you want to talk about?". Rhodes responded by saying that he wanted to talk about him & his 900+ day reign, congratulating him for becoming the hyperbole. Rhodes said that he had always had the goals moved, from being Randy Orton's understudy to hosting an "indie show" with his buddies (alluding to ROH's All In PPV), but stated that he was not phased for the challenge against Reigns. Reigns then responded to Rhodes's statement by asking three questions: "Have you won the title?", "Have you competed for the title?" and finally, "Have you ever main event WrestleMania?". Reigns then said that he was groomed for greatness by not only the Anoai family but by his father, Dusty Rhodes. Reigns did an impression of Dusty Rhodes & reminisced about how Dusty told him that he had the "it factor" before saying that Dusty used to say nothing about Cody to him.
Reigns retrieved back the titles before warning Rhodes that if there was anything Dusty did not teach him, he will. Rhodes was bamboozled by his statements before asking Reigns if he sent Heyman to "relay the truth". Rhodes said that if the statement the phrase, then that changes everything because Reigns made it a necessity to beat Roman Reigns on WrestleMania. Rhodes & Reigns shook hands in the ring before Reigns walked down the ramp with a fake smile.
Rhea Ripley (w/ Dominik Mysterio) vs. Liv Morgan.
Morgan hit a wicked shotgun dropkick on Ripley to begin the match. Ripley went for a choke, but Morgan broke the hold before hitting a wheelbarrow arm drag on Ripley. Morgan went for a springboard move, but Ripley caught her and hit a face slam before connecting a running knee on Morgan. Ripley went for a slam, but Morgan rolled over before connecting a hip attack, a rising knee strike & a diving shotgun dropkick on Ripley to send her to the outside. Morgan went for a Tope Suicida on Ripley to the outside, but Ripley caught her with a vicious forearm strike mid-air before sending a message to SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair ahead of the commercial break.
Back from the break, Ripley hit a forearm strike on Morgan's back before pulling her hair & going for a back suplex, but Morgan rolled over & connected a backstabber on Ripley. Morgan got to the second rope & hit a hurricanrana off the middle rope before connecting a pump kick, a code breaker, a springboard code breaker, and a diving code breaker on Ripley for a near fall. Morgan went for the Oblivion, but Ripley caught her & went for the Riptide, but Morgan rolled over and hit an enziguri kick before connecting a corner knee strike on Ripley. Morgan went for another Shotgun Dropkick, but Ripley reversed it with a Powerbomb before hitting the Riptide & locking in the Inverted Cloverleaf on Morgan for the submission win.
Winner: Rhea Ripley (w/ Dominik Mysterio).
- Backstage, Roman Reigns asked Jimmy Uso if he heard from Jey Uso. Reigns told Jimmy that he was running out of patience with him before Jimmy told Reigns that he would let Jey know.
- Rhea Ripley & Dominik Mysterio were walking around backstage before Santos Escobar confronted him backstage. Escobar told Dominik that he would teach him a lesson on respect before challenging him to a match. Escobar blew a kiss to Ripley, which bamboozled Dominik.
Dominik Mysterio (w/ Rhea Ripley) vs. Santos Escobar.
Escobar argued with the referee before Dominik caught him with a dropkick on Escobar to begin the match. Escobar & Dominik ran the ropes before Escobar hit a dropkick on Dominik. Escobar got a camel clutch on Dominik in the corner before locking in the Romero Special on Dominik. Dominik begged Escobar to stop before slamming him into the corner and hitting a Triangle Cross-body on Escobar to the outside before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Dominik laid in the punches on Escobar before hitting wheelbarrow scissors on Escobar. Escobar laid in a series of punches on Dominik, but Dominik hit a series of punches on Escobar before hitting a corner lariat. Dominik slapped Escobar in the face, but Escobar leaped over Dominik before connecting three lariats & a tilt-to-world backbreaker into a standing leg drop on Dominik for a near fall. The two ran the ropes before Escobar hit a running headbutt on Dominik. Ripley pulled Escobar out of the ring & hit the Riptide on Escobar on the outside while the referee was distracted, setting up Dominik to hit a Frog Splash on Escobar for the pinfall win.
Dominik Mysterio (w/ Rhea Ripley).
- Dominik tore apart the mask Rey Mysterio gifted Escobar after the match. Rey Mysterio came to the ramp & immediately confronted Dominik on the ramp. Dominik headbutted Rey before dropping the torn mask and hitting a forearm strike on Rey.
- Sami Zayn cut a promo while walking to the arena in a hoodie calling out The Bloodline. Zayn said that he was sending a message on his match against Solo Sikoa before he promised that he would not stop until the Bloodline goes down.
- Drew McIntyre came to the ring to cut a promo. McIntyre called out Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER for a match, but his fellow Banger Bro Sheamus interrupted him. Sheamus told McIntyre that he, of all people, knew how much the Intercontinental title means to him. McIntyre tried to calm down Sheamus, but Sheamus warned him to not tell him to calm down because he wanted the title before calling him a backstabbing bastard. McIntyre said that the truth sometimes hurts & he already had his chance. Then, LA Knight interrupted the Banger Bros and ran down on them before saying you cannot have LA WrestleMania without LA Knight. The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) interrupted him as McIntyre & Sheamus argued in the ring & apologized on behalf of LA Knight for all the whining. Karrion Kross interrupted them & immediately walked down the ramp as he stared daggers at The New Day. LA Knight tossed the New Day to the outside before Sheamus tossed LA knight to the outside. Sheamus & McIntyre had a staredown before McIntyre hit a Tope Con Giro on The New Day & Knight. Kross hit a forearm strike on Sheamus before slamming him onto the ring post as he stood tall in the ring.
- From earlier in the night, Shayna Baszler & Tegan Nox brawled backstage while Ronda Rousey & Natalay were injured in their arms.
Shayna Baszler (w/ Ronda Rousey) vs. Tegan Nox (w/ Natalya).
-Nox evaded Baszler's lariat before connecting a shotgun dropkick, a PK Kick, and a Cannonball Senton on Baszler. Nox hit the Tijeras and a roundhouse kick on Baszler, but Baszler slammed Nox face-first onto the mat before stomping her arm. Baszler went for a running knee, but Nox evaded before Baszler hit an arm breaker on Nox. Baszler slammed Nox's shoulder right on the mat before talking trash to Natalya, but Nox got an Inside Cradle on Baszler for a near fall. Baszler responded by hitting a Rising KneeStrike on Nox before locking in the Juji Gatame for the submission win.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (w/ Ronda Rousey).
- Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER was interviewed by Kayla Braxton backstage, calling the mulley from earlier in the night a disgrace. GUNTHER demanded a worthy opponent to face him on WrestleMania.
- Of all people, the "All-Mighty" Bobby Lashley came to the ring to cut a promo. Lashley addressed Bray Wyatt telling him to run, but Lashley said that he does not run from anyone and saw Wyatt's antics as a sign of weakness. Lashley said that he came to SmackDown to see if Wyatt was man enough to confront him. Instead, Uncle Howdie attacked Lashley from behind, but Lashley hit a wicked One-Han Spinebuster. Lashley set up a spear on Howdie, but the lights went out & went back up before Howdie disappeared.
- Jimmy Uso told Roman Reigns that he talked to Jey Uso & he told him to "leave him the hell alone". Roman was bamboozled and started blaming Sami Zayn for the Bloodline falling apart before he demanded Jimmy & Solo take out Zayn.
Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa (w/ Jimmy Uso).
Zayn immediately ran into the ring and hammered away at Sikoa before tossing Sikoa & Jimmy out of the ring & connecting a Top Con Giro on them to the outside. The match officially began with Sikoa hitting a back elbow on Zayn, but Zayn responded by clotheslining him to the outside. Zayn got on the apron and stared down Jimmy, but Sikoa took advantage and hit a lariat before slamming Zayn onto the ring post before tossing him onto the timekeeper's area before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Zayn leaped over Sikoa off the middle rope before catching Sikoa with a lariat. Zayn ran the ropes, but Sikoa caught him and hit a Samoan Drop on Zayn before hitting the Hip Attack on Zayn. Sikoa went for another Hip attack, but Zayn evaded before he hit a Tornado DDT on Sikoa for a near fall. Zayn hit a diving cross-body on Sikoa for a near fall before going for the Blue Thunder Bomb, but Sikoa evaded and went for a corner splash, but Zayn evaded and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Zayn went for the Helluva Kick, but Jimy pulled Zayn off the corner before Sikoa hit the Samoan Spike for the pinfall win.
Winner: Solo Sikoa.
- Solo Sikoa & Jimmy Uso attacked Sami Zayn after the match before Sikoa went for a chair-assisted hip attack, but Jimmy stopped him and told him that he would get him. Jimmy went for it, but Zayn got back up and hit Sikoa with the chair before hitting a Helluva Kick on Jimmy. Zayn tried to hit Jimmy with a chair, but Sikoa took the chair before Zayn stormed into the crowd area. Despite the loss, Zayn stood tall to end the broadcast.
- 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.
