SmackDown 12.04.2024
Finally, the Radiant Team has come back to Detroit, Michigan!
We’ve made it to the sold-out Little Caesars Arena, and the New Era is in full swing! Tonight, we expect to see the ambassador of this timeline, Cody Rhodes, as well as appearances from The Bloodline, LA Knight, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens. Should be an interesting and impressive show—so let’s get into it!
Cody Kicks Off SmackDown
The American Nightmare opened the show with talk about The Rock. Now, Cody may try to present himself as a tough champion, but behind all that bravado, I still feel there’s fear in his eyes. And let’s be real—he’s probably not thrilled about the man who pinned him on Day One lurking in the shadows.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Your new Universal Champion Cody Rhodes!
Thankfully, Cody quickly shifted the topic to new competition. Six top stars will compete tonight for the right to challenge him… and eventually lose to him. Why am I so sure? Because Cody isn’t a transitional champion—he’s here to stay. Whether we like it or not.
Fortunately, Cody didn’t talk too long, so this somewhat boring segment wrapped up fast. No Final Boss tonight, so nothing truly electrifying could happen.
Backstage: The Bloodline's Empire Crumbles
Backstage, The Bloodline discovered that their locker room no longer belongs to them. That’s right—the empire is crumbling. Solo Sikoa was furious, demanding to reclaim what was once theirs. But WiseMan Heyman stepped in to calm things down, reminding Solo this was the order of Tribal Chief Roman Reigns.
Thing is… I’m not sure Sikoa still respects a leader who lost everything while trying to make his family great again.
Triple Threat: LA Knight vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Santos Escobar
The first of two Triple Threat matches to determine who gets a shot at Cody Rhodes. My early picks? LA Knight or Bobby Lashley. Maybe The Final Testament will try to ruin the party for The All Mighty, but I hoped we’d get a clean, intense battle.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Bobby Lashly is one of the scaries performers in modern Era.
As the biggest man in the ring, Bobby wasted no time establishing dominance, forcing the others to play his game. LA tried to quicken the pace, but Santos Escobar—just as he said—always has a plan. And that plan? Involve Angel and Garza, turning this into a 3-on-2 ambush.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Secret plan of Santos was spoiled by Pride members.
Smart? Sure. But if LA didn’t have backup, Bobby sure did. The Street Profits stormed the ring and cleared out the troublemakers, restoring balance to the match. It looked like Bobby was about to finish things, but Santos narrowly dodged his final blow. What he couldn’t dodge was a brutal BFT from LA Knight. And you can say whatever you want, but I’ll say this:
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - BFT which brings LA Knight victory in this triple threat match.
“WHOSE GAME IS IT?! LA KNIGHT! YEAH!”
Big win for the Megastar, and a major step closer to the gold.
Bloodline Sends a Message to the WWE Universe
Despite losing their Tribal Chief Roman Reigns, The Bloodline hasn’t collapsed just yet. The group still exists—and more importantly, still has something to say.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Solo is taking charge for The Bloodline.
Paul Heyman took the mic first. He admitted there were no excuses for their WrestleMania loss. They’re not blaming anyone, and they accept the outcome. But he did throw a dagger at one man—Seth Rollins. According to Heyman, Roman had a steel chair in hand and could’ve ended Cody Rhodes… but he chose to trust the Betrayer himself, Seth Freakin’ Rollins. That single moment of distraction gave Cody the opening he needed.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Tama Tonga and Solo mercilessly destroy Jimmy Uso.
Heyman tried to continue, but Solo Sikoa interrupted. And what came next? I wasn’t ready. Solo said he wanted change. And that change starts with... Jimmy Uso!? “You are my brother. I love you,” Solo declared—before Jimmy was suddenly attacked from behind! The attacker? Tama Tonga, another wild card from the Samoan bloodline! Heyman was stunned. He begged Solo to stop, but Solo delivered multiple Samoan Spikes to his own brother. Heyman reached for his phone to call Roman—only for Solo to snatch it away.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Solo not allowed Heyman to call Roman Reigns.
This is a revolution. And Jimmy Uso was the first to fall. A steel chair smashed over his head in the corner sealed the message. We probably won’t be seeing Jimmy for a long time. Wow. This was not what we expected tonight. A full-blown uprising within The Bloodline. I'm hyped, I'm nervous—this changes everything.
Bron Breakker Continues His Crusade
They call him the Next Big Thing—and so far, Bron Breakker lives up to that name. Fast, powerful, explosive—he’s basically a human wrecking machine. Tonight's victim? Cameron Grimes. And that’s exactly what he was—a victim. Cameron barely got in a single move before Breakker speared him out of his boots and pinned him clean. No mercy, no problem. Just raw domination.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 -Another fast execution but Breakker. We are waiting for a real opponent.
Let’s be honest—Bron Breakker needs better competition. Because if they keep feeding him enhancement talent, it’s only a matter of time before he demands a title.
Bayley’s SmackDown Championship Message
The new SmackDown Women’s Champion, Bayley, arrived with fresh theme music and classic blue branding. The crowd gave her a warm welcome, chanting “You deserve it!” once again.
Bayley took her time on the mic, thanking the fans, reflecting on the journey, and sharing her gratitude. But let’s be real… it felt a little hypocritical, right?
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Now Bayley once again alongside with the people.
Just a year or two ago, she was calling all of us idiots. Now she’s suddenly warm and fuzzy, talking about support and family? Yeah, it’s a bit cringey. But hey—if she’s really trying to turn a new page, let’s give her the chance. Maybe this version of Bayley will lead the division into a brighter era.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Tiffy wants her moment and demand a title shot.
Enter Tiffany Stratton, who interrupted with jealousy written all over her face. Tiffany wasn’t even on the WrestleMania card, and she clearly wants that spotlight. But Bayley shut her down, stating she didn’t offer any open challenge. Instead, Bayley made her pick: she wants to defend her title against Naomi.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Here we go! The Candidates Match is on!
Stratton wasn’t thrilled but made a good counteroffer. Since she already beat Naomi once, she demanded a match tonight to decide who truly deserves the title shot. Great idea! Let’s see who earns it.
Tiffany Stratton vs Naomi
Naomi started this match hot, taking early control and showing she wasn’t here to play. Honestly, it felt like Tiffany Stratton talks a better game than she wrestles—at least at first.
But don’t count Tiffy out. She’s extremely talented and athletic. Once she got the chance, she used the ring post to her advantage, swinging the momentum back in her favor. That was a clever move, but it didn’t last long.
Despite her small comeback, Tiffany kept eating offense from Naomi. She looked unfocused and a bit lost out there. Still, the Center of the Universe managed to land a double stomp to Naomi’s face, which looked brutal—but it wasn’t enough to get the win.
She followed it up with an Alabama Slam, but then… she miserably botched her signature, Prettiest Moonsault Ever. That miss left her wide open for a roll-up pin, and Naomi took the victory!
A big win for Naomi, and now she’s most likely next in line to challenge Bayley. That’s a strong start for the new champion and her reign.
Chelsea Green & Piper Niven vs Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair
Last week, Chelsea Green got embarrassed by Jade Cargill in a fast squash match. Tonight, General Manager Nick Aldis decided to have a little fun—putting Chelsea and Piper Niven against Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair. You already know what this means: another painful loss for Chelsea Green.
Piper showed some resistance and landed a few good moves, but the second Jade tagged in? Game over. Just like last week, Jade tore through the match in seconds. This was domination, again. And now with Bianca Belair at her side, this might be a brand-new powerhouse tag team on SmackDown.
Triple Threat: Rey Mysterio vs AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens
Now this was a main event worthy of a sold-out crowd. My pick? 100% Kevin Owens. No question. Rey Mysterio always has to worry about Legado del Fantasma showing up. AJ Styles? He’s been looking weak lately—especially after his WrestleMania loss and another one to LA Knight. So I had all my faith in the Prizefighter. Imagine if Rey had won though—and then beat LA Knight next. Wouldn’t you love to see a legend in the title picture again?
This match moved fast, with three high-level talents going full speed. At one point, AJ countered a 619 and then turned on KO too, taking full control. But in a triple threat, momentum doesn’t last. Kevin Owens hit a Superplex that nearly won it, but AJ broke the pin. Then KO hit a double German Suplex, which looked absolutely brutal. Rey got some payback with a 619 to Styles, but then KO Stunned Rey on the apron! I thought Rey was out—but the legend kept fighting. That led us to the Styles Clash from the top rope—and the win for AJ Styles!
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Not often we can see something like this on WWE ring. That was impressive.
Somehow, The Phenomenal One pulled off a surprise victory, and now he’s set for a rematch with LA Knight. As the show ended, Styles and Knight stood face-to-face, talking trash and clearly ready for round two. I’m hyped. WrestleMania rematch incoming!
Final thoughts
🏆 Champion Is in the House
Once upon a time, Roman Reigns used to open every SmackDown. Now, it's Cody Rhodes. Unlike his Raw promo, though, Cody’s speech tonight was flat. The only valuable part was the announcement of a tournament to determine his next challenger at Backlash. I was hoping The Bloodline would crash the segment or cause chaos—but nothing. Very dull way to kick things off.
⚔️ First Triple Threat: LA Knight vs Bobby Lashley vs Santos Escobar
This match went exactly how I thought it would.
Bobby Lashley showed great power and dominance, while Santos Escobar played the “genius” card by trying to call in Legado del Fantasma for backup. Real smart move—until Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins (of course) jumped in and cleared the ring. That left LA Knight, still hot off his WrestleMania win, to take advantage and secure the logical victory.
Knight advances, and I’m not surprised one bit.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - LA Knight walks through WWE with pride and honor.
🩸 The Bloodline Starts a Revolution
Paul Heyman thought he was still in control of The Bloodline while The Rock and Roman Reigns were away. But Solo Sikoa has other plans.
Tonight, Solo made it clear: he’s now in charge. And to prove it, he introduced us to Tama Tonga, another brother from the legendary Samoan dynasty. In Bloodline terms, when something new rises, something old must fall—and this time, it was Jimmy Uso.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Remember this face. This is the new face of The Bloodline!
Jimmy was brutally attacked, likely injured after multiple Samoan Spikes and a chair shot to the neck. It was emotional, shocking, and by far the most intense moment of the entire episode. The Bloodline has all my attention, and I honestly think Solo considers himself the new Tribal Chief. The revolution has begun.
💥 Bron Continues to Break People
Bron Breakker is on a warpath, and tonight he destroyed another man—former NXT star Cameron Grimes. But come on... these one-minute squashes are getting old.
We get it: Bron is a monster. Now give him a real rivalry. Let him sink his teeth into something more serious because there’s clearly main event potential just waiting to explode.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Bron continues his winning streak without meeting any resistance.
👑 New Women’s Champion & Her No.1 Contender
Bayley has swapped her insults for gratitude, her sneakers for new shoes, and is now acting like the People’s Champion. It feels strange, almost hypocritical, but fine—everyone deserves a second chance.
Tonight, we got Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton to decide the next contender. It’s interesting because Tiffany had already beaten Naomi once before, but this time she lost in a pretty embarrassing way. Naomi moves on to face Bayley, but let’s be honest—I’m not convinced she can actually win. Still, it’s an intriguing matchup and a solid next step for the new champ.
💅 Chelsea Green Gets Embarrassed... Again
Last week, Adam Pearce made a joke by feeding Chelsea to Jade Cargill. This week, Chelsea and Piper Niven tried to redeem themselves by facing Jade and Bianca Belair.
Spoiler: it didn’t go well.
This wasn’t a comeback—it was the birth of a dominant new team. Jade and Bianca looked unstoppable, and honestly, they’re probably heading straight for the Kabuki Warriors. Tag titles might not be safe for long.
SmackDown 12.04.2024 - Slowly but surely, Jade moves towards some huge mountains.
⚔️ Second Triple Threat: Rey Mysterio vs AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens
This result surprised me.
AJ Styles pulled off a win against Rey Mysterio and Kevin Owens, setting up yet another rematch with LA Knight. And while I do love rematches, I’m not exactly thrilled. This is a tournament to face Cody Rhodes—and Knight already has a win over AJ, plus way more momentum right now.
But something tells me AJ’s cooking up a dirty trick to overcome The Megastar. Let’s see how that plays out next week.
Honestly, this episode of SmackDown was pretty dull aside from the shocking Bloodline segment. Solo Sikoa stepping up and possibly declaring himself the new Tribal Chief? That’s HUGE. And you know Roman Reigns won’t let that slide. We’re clearly heading toward another Bloodline Civil War, and just like the last one—it’s going to be awesome.
Thanks for your attention and see you next week! 👋🔥
